The overall architectural style of Government House is Georgian – popular in England and the colonies between 1720 and 1840. The manor features classic Georgian design elements such as symmetrical windows, hipped rooflines and chimneys on either side of the home. These are telltale characteristics of Georgian design.
In the course of building Government House, nearly all construction materials were assembled from across Nova Scotia. It was – and remains – a true, ceremonial home for Nova Scotia, built by Nova Scotians, for Nova Scotians.
The stone used to construct Government House was from Pictou, Antigonish, Cape Breton, Lunenburg, Lockeport, Bedford Basin, and the North West Arm. Wood came from the Annapolis Valley, Tatamagouche and Cornwallis. Sand was brought from Shelburne, Eastern Passage and McNamara's Island. Bricks came from Dartmouth. Very few materials came from abroad, but among those, mahogany for the doors was sourced from Cuba and Belize, while Scottish slate was used for the roof.
Government House is truly a treasure for Nova Scotia and Canada. It remains one of the single-most important parts of our provincial and national history as the oldest consecutively occupied government residence, and one of the oldest such official residences in North America. Government House rivals the White House, in Washington D.C. for that title.
Government House has hosted more than a dozen Royal Visitors in 210 years, some several times. It was a command post during the 1917 Halifax explosion. Thousands upon thousands of national and international dignitaries have walked through the threshold of the house. No stone was left unturned in the recent renovation and it is ready for another 200 years of service to Crown and Country.
From the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia