Located on the scenic waterfront of Shelburne, Nova Scotia, the Shelburne County Museum showcases the deep and diverse history of Shelburne County and its people through its permanent galleries, temporary exhibits, and educational programming.  Our collection includes Canada’s oldest fire pumper, a horse-drawn hearse, a Fresnel lens from a Victorian-era lighthouse and over 15,000 other objects and documents that help us tell stories that span centuries.

 

The original house, at the south end of the building, was built for David Nairn in 1784. Originally from Scotland, Nairn was a cooper who arrived in Shelburne as a Loyalist refugee.  The house is in the New England Colonial style with a steeply pitched gable roof, clapboard siding and symmetrical five bay façade.  Upon Nairn’s death in 1826, the property was left to his surviving family in Scotland who eventually sold it in 1830 to a local woodworker.  The property passed through several hands in the ensuing decades until it was acquired in 1915 by Samuel Rudolph, a fisherman and loyalist descendant.

 

In 1974, the property was purchased by the province and plans began to convert the house into the Shelburne County Museum, which opened in 1979.  In October 2001, the property was deeded to the Shelburne Historical Society. The north end addition was added in 2005, in keeping with the style of the original house.

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The Shelburne County Museum is fully accessible with a front entry ramp, stairlift and folding wheelchair.  The site offers self-guided tours in both official languages.  Guided tours available by request.

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