Uniacke Estate Museum Park is the historic home and preserved estate of

Richard John Uniacke Richard John Uniacke (November 22, 1753 – October 11, 1830) was an abolitionist, lawyer, politician, member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly and Attorney General of Nova Scotia. According to historian Brian Cutherburton, Uniacke was " ...

Mount Uniacke Mount Uniacke is an unincorporated community in Hants County, Nova Scotia Canada. It lies about 40 km to the north of Halifax. Uniacke Pizza, Uniacke District School, the Guardian Pharmacy, Eddies, Uniacke Library, Uniacke Pines Golf Cour ...

(c.1813). The Uniacke Estate is part of the

Nova Scotia Museum Nova Scotia Museum (NSM) is the corporate name for the 28 museums across Nova Scotia, Canada, and is part of the province's tourism infrastructure. The organization manages more than 200 historic buildings, living history sites, vessels, and speci ...

system.

History

The estate was built as a country residence for Richard John Uniacke, Nova Scotia's Attorney-General during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...

. Located along the "Post Road", the original road between Halifax and Windsor, the site was, according to Uniacke's s family, selected in 1776 while Uniacke being taken to Halifax in chains to face a treason trial for siding with the rebels in the

Battle of Fort Cumberland The Battle of Fort Cumberland (also known as the Eddy Rebellion) was an attempt by a small number of militia commanded by Jonathan Eddy to bring the American Revolutionary War to Nova Scotia in late 1776. With minimal logistical support from ...

. Uniacke glimpsed the lake and hillside setting and vowed that he would build his home. Uniacke was released as part of a leniency policy and when his career prospered, he acquired the land for his estate. Construction of the house began in 1813 and was completed in 1818. Uniacke had a town house in Halifax, but spent most of his time living and entertaining at the estate until his death at the house in 1830. The house remained in the Uniacke family with few changes until it was purchased by the Nova Scotia government in 1949. It first opened to the public as a museum on June 2, 1952. Today the house is open seasonally as part of the Nova Scotia Museum with a carefully restored interior and a tea room. The estate is open year-round with an extensive network of trails that interpret the historic landscape of the park, including a preserved 2.5 km section of the old Halifax to Windsor road from the stage coach era, now part of a hiking trail."Walking Trails at Uniacke Estate Museum Park", Trail Map, Nova Scotia Museum, Nova Scotia Tourism Culture and Heritage Department
/ref> The interior of the house includes portraits which belonged in the Uniacke family by the leading American artists of the era: File:RichardJohnUniackeByRobertField.jpg, Richard John Uniacke by Robert Field File:MichaelFrancklinByJohnSingletonCopely.JPG, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia

Michael Francklin Michael Francklin or Franklin (6 December 1733 – 8 November 1782) served as Nova Scotia's Lieutenant Governor from 1766 to 1772. He is buried in the crypt of St. Paul's Church (Halifax). Early life and immigration Born in Poole, Engla ...

by John Singleton Copley (1762) File:SusannahBoutineauFrancklin.JPG, Susannah (Boutineau) Franklin (1762) by John Singleton Copley (wife of Michael Franklin; grandchild of

Peter Faneuil Peter Faneuil (June 20, 1700March 3, 1743) was a wealthy American colonial merchant, slave trader and philanthropist who donated Faneuil Hall to Boston. Childhood The eldest child of one of three Huguenot brothers who fled France with considera ...

) File:SusannahBoutineau.JPG, Susannah Boutineau by

Robert Feke Robert Feke ( 1705 or 1707 1752) was an American portrait painter born in Oyster Bay, Long Island, New York. According to art historian Richard Saunders, "Feke’s impact on the development of Colonial painting was substantial, and his pictures ...

(1748), (mother-in-law of Michael Franklin) File:AliciaUniackeByRobertField.jpg, Alicia Uniacke (daughter of Richard John Uniacke) by

Robert Field (painter) Robert Field (1769–1819) was a painter who was born in London and died in Kingston, Jamaica. According to art historian Daphne Foskett, author of ''A Dictionary of British Miniature Painters'' (1972), Field was "one of the best American minia ...

File:RichardJohnUniackeJrMiniatureOnIvory.jpg, Richard John Uniacke, Jr. (son of Richard John Uniacke) by

* The portraits of the Francklins accompanied the newlywed couple to Nova Scotia in 1762 and remained in the province until 1927. Michael's portrait was purchased for the Nova Scotia Museum collection in 1982. The two portraits were reunited at Uniacke House after the acquisition of Susanna's portrait in 2004. * James Boutineau by

(1748), (father-in-law of Michael Franklin)

Also see

List of oldest buildings in Canada This is a list of the oldest surviving buildings and structures of significance in each province and territory of Canada. Alberta First Nations peoples in Alberta were generally nomadic and did not create permanent structures, however they did ...

References

External links

* {{coord, 44.90224, -63.84084, type:landmark_globe:earth_region:CA, display=title History of Nova Scotia Museums in Hants County, Nova Scotia Nova Scotia Museum Historic house museums in Nova Scotia Parks in Nova Scotia