Though built in 1843 to serve as the courthouse for the Municipal District of Guysborough, now Guysborough County, the town of Guysborough had no separate town hall for many years after. As a result, the courthouse, when court proceedings were not taking place the building served Guysborough as its town hall.
Designed by carpenter Elisha Randall in the "British Bulldog" architecture style, the building retains much of its original architecture, including interior detail. Since its completion it has been one of the most important buildings in the town, serving as courthouse, town hall, meeting place, polling station, exhibition centre, rally location and today as the town's only museum and visitor centre.
Though the Mi'kmaq people have lived in the area for thousands of years, the Guysborough area was first settled by Europeans in 1634. Fort St François à Canso was built at the entrance to the harbour then, in 1655, Fort Chedabuctou, later renamed Fort St Louis, was built on Fort Point. The first permanent settlement was begun in 1682 by Acadians who remained here until their removal by the British in 1764-1765. Resettled by British Empire Loyalists in the 1780s, the town and district were renamed Guysborough.
With one of the finest natural harbours in Nova Scotia, Guysborough became an administrative and trade centre, as well as a fishing village. With an improved road system diminishing the importance of the harbour, the economy of the community is today reliant on forestry, fishing and agriculture, with a lesser dependence on tourism. Guysborough remains an unincorporated community within the Guysborough Municipal District situated within Guysborough County.
The Guysborough District Court House was constructed in 1842-43 in the British Bulldog architecture style. It is one of the few surviving examples of 19th century court houses in the province. The building’s design and location were selected to reinforce its importance as a centre for justice. Visitors are able to observe some of the building’s unique features, including a projecting enclosed porch with a gable roof as well as a series of beautiful tracery windows.
During the building’s 173-year history, it served not only as a court house, but
also as a town hall, a venue for political debates, a polling station, an enlistment centre for both World Wars, and even as an agricultural fair exhibition centre. Numerous artifacts representative of the building’s diverse past are on display throughout the museum. Many of these artifacts were kindly donated or loaned to the museum by residents of the Guysborough area.
Highlights of the museum include dioramas of the 17th century French forts on nearby Fort Point, as well as a fascinating collection of historical photographs and maps of the Guysborough area. The Museum also has an assortment of tools and handcrafts collected from the Acadian and Black settlements in the area. Together, these items tell the story of Guysborough County’s remarkable marine, agricultural and lumbering history.
From Tourism Nova Scotia
Old Guysborough Court House Museum
DESCRIPTION OF HISTORIC PLACE
The Old Guysborough Court House Museum is located in the heart of the rural community of Guysborough, NS. Built in a simple meeting house style in 1842-1843, the historic place is distinguished by its Gothic arched windows. The designation includes both the building and the property.
HERITAGE VALUE
The Old Guysborough Court House Museum is valued for its over one-hundred and thirty year role as the principal public building in Guysborough County, and for its Gothic arched windows.
The Guysborough Courthouse was built in 1842-1843 and immediately became the most important building in Guysborough County, which is located over two hundred and fifty miles from the provincial capital of Halifax. As the only Courthouse in the County, it served as the location of the Court of General Sessions, and later as the meeting place of the municipal council. The building and the surrounding grounds served multiple purposes for the people of Guysborough County. They were used for agricultural exhibitions, as a polling station, a recruiting station during both world wars, and for legal trials. On September 18, 1867, Guysborough residents voiced their opinion on Confederation by voting, at the Courthouse, for two anti-Confederation province assembly representatives. In 1973 it ceased to function as a courthouse when a modern building was constructed. Today it is operated open to the public as a museum, operated by the Guysborough Historical Society, interpreting the history of the building and the county.
The Old Guysborough Courthouse is an important building in Nova Scotia and is unique among historic court houses in Nova Scotia. It was designed by carpenter Elisha Randall, who also was the builder, and he added what are considered his own personal touches to the design, including the buildings’ distinct Gothic arched windows. Using local materials, Randall built the Courthouse in a plain symmetrical meeting house form, with the exception of the windows.
CHARACTER-DEFINING ELEMENTS
Exterior Character-Defining Elements of the Old Guysborough Court House Museum
related to its simple symmetrical meeting house style and location within the community include:
- wood shingle cladding;
- windows with true Gothic Revival point arch with a simple tracery pattern;
- projected, enclosed porch on the street side with gable roof;
- south side wing;
- wood shingle roof;
- sandstone foundation;
- location on a main road, in the centre of the community.
Interior Character-Defining Elements of the Old Guysborough Court House Museum include:
- all historical and original elements related to the function of the building as a courthouse, including: Petit Jury room, judge’s bench, gallery, barrister’s room, main courtroom including benches for spectators, and Grand Jury room.
From Historic Places Canada