Provincial Heritage Sites in Colchester
Further information on the sites listed below can be found through the Nova Scotia Historic Places Initiative Website, www.nshistoricplaces.ca.
Balmoral Grist Mill
660 Matheson Brook Road, Tatamagouche
 The Balmoral Grist Mill, located 6 miles from Tatamagouche was originally built in 1825 in a gorge on Matheson’s Brook by John McKay. At one time, it was only one of the five operating mills on the same stream. The Grist Mill originally shared a building with a sawmill, but in 1874 the Grist Mill split was rebuilt downstream. The Mill was later purchased by A. MacDonald and was operated by him and later by his son. It was originally driven by an overshot waterwheel situated beside the building where its reconstruction now stands. This provided sufficient power to turn the two sets of stones and to operate conveyors, rolling screens, a fan, elevators, and a windlass for lifting sacks of grain and flour. In the 1870s, when they were being widely manufactured in the province, two iron water turbines replaced the wheel. The Mill was closed in 1954 after over 120 years of more-or-less continuous operation.
Layton’s General Store
8724 Highway 2, Great Village
 Layton’s General Store, located in Great Village is a Greek revival style building which was built in the 1860s and was opened in 1870 by Leander Carson Layton. This store became the largest mercantile  in Colchester County outside of Truro. It is now the oldest traditional general store that remains the province. The property was designated as a Provincial Heritage Site in 1989 and a National Heritage Site in 1992. The general store was operated until 1996 and is now Great Village Antiques, Nova Scotia’s Largest Antique Group Shop.
Fraser Octagon House
63 Church Street, Tatamagouche
 Built in 1857, the one-and-a-half story Fraser Octagon House sits on the corner of Church and Maple Street in Tatamagouche. Built to near octagonal plan form by James Talbot, this eight sided shape makes the house unique among domestic residences. The Octagonal plan form is based on the work of Orson S. Fowler.
Bulmer House
8740 Highway 2, Great Village
 A classical revival home in downtown Great Village, the Bulmer house is linked to Pulitzer Prize winning poet Elizabeth Bishop, who wrote about Great Village and this particular house in her poems. Bishop spent summers in Great Village along with living in the town for several years during her childhood.
James Miller House
14 Back Road, Shubenacadie East, Nova Scotia
 Built in 1876 the James Miller House is located at 14 Back Road in Shubenacadie East, Nova Scotia. The Second Empire style, brick house sits adjacent to the main railroad line from Halifax. Its original owner, James Miller, owned a brick operation in Shubenacadie and used his home as advertisement for his business. Today the home is a testament to industrialization in Nova Scotia.
Reverend James Smith Property
5305 Highway 289, Upper Stewiacke
 The Reverend James Smith Property is located at 5305 on the number 289 Highway, in Upper Stewiacke. The 1833 house has an uncommon exterior (Greek Revival style detailing) and is of architectural importance. The property’s owner, Reverend James Smith, was a Presbyterian Minister in the Stewiacke River valley for forty-one years. The property is valued for its connection to the Minister and architecture. This property is also known as the “Strathlorne Hotel” as Smith called the property Strathlorne after his ancestral home in Perthshire, Scotland.
St. James United Church
8729 Highway 2, Great Village
 Located at the corner of Economy and Old Cumberland Roads,  this Gothic Revival Style Church is located in Great Village. In 1844, a Presbyterian church was built in Great Village and was opened on July 30, 1845. This church was destroyed by fire on December 11, 1882. The new church, St. James Presbyterian, was built in 1883 with the architecture of James Charles Dumaresq and named after Reverend James Maclean who was minister from 1876 to 1900. The church opened January 6, 1884. Today, St. James United Church is one of the oldest buildings in Great Village and is it’s tallest.
Sutherland Steam Mill
3169 Highway 326, Tatamagouche
 The Sutherland Steam Mill is located at 3169 Highway 326 in the community of Denmark. The original mill was built in 1891 but after a fire the present day mill was built in 1894. The mills were built by Alexander Sutherland and the present day mill is an example of industry in Nova Scotia. Alexander Sutherland managed the mill by himself for a few years until his brother, John Thomas, joined him. They formed a partnership naming their new company Sutherland Bros. and Co., which was listed in the local directory as a sash and door factory. Four to five men worked for the Sutherland Brothers year round and in the spring, another 9 workers would be hired to operate the new mill. Alexander specialized in the manufacture of carriages, sleighs, and sleds while Thomas looked after the house construction part of the business. The carriages and sleighs were constructed, assembled and painted in the upper part of the mill.  Doors and windows were also manufactured in the upstairs. The downstairs was used for general woodworking and custom work. During the winter months, local residents would bring their supply of logs to the mill to be sawn. As many as 60 piles of logs would be piled behind the mill with each owner’s name attached awaiting to be cut into lumber in the spring. During the winter, the only source of heat in the mill for the workmen was from the steam boiler. In 1910, Thomas Sutherland moved from Denmark leaving Alexander Sutherland to manage the mill alone. In 1912, Alexander Sutherland married Ethel Rose and in 1914, a son Wilfred was born. Wilfred entered his father’s business when he was 16 years old. Later the company’s name was changed to A. R. Sutherland and Son General Woodworking. Carriages and sleighs were no longer being made at the mill, although Alexander continued to repair the carriages and wagons. In 1940, Alexander Sutherland retired and the business was continued by his son Wilfred. The war years brought about an increase in the demand for lumber in the domestic and foreign markets. Wilfred Sutherland expanded the operations to meet the export demand for lumber. The lumber for the export trade was cut in the mill, loaded onto railway cars next to the mill and shipped to Pictou or Pugwash to be loaded onto ships for England. Although business slowed down somewhat after the next war, it was still good and in 1952, Wilfred Sutherland extended the roof over the saw mill to make room for a separate assembly room for windows and doors. He also raised the roof over the carriage shop. On April 27, 1953, Alexander Sutherland died and a short time later, his son Wilfred retired and in 1958, the mill was closed. Today, the mill has been converted to a museum to show Nova Scotia Industry.
Yuill Barn
3214 Highway 236, Old Barns
 The Yuill Barn is located at 3214 on Highway Number 236 in Old Barns. The Yuill Barn is an Octagon shaped building constructed in 1886 by a farmer named Samuel James Kent. The design for the Yuill barn was based off the plans of Orson S. Fowler, whose designs were the basis for several octagonal shaped buildings in the Maritimes. In 1931, the property was bought by Amos J. Yuill and it has stayed in his family since. This structure is the last octogonal barn remaining on it's orginal setting/footprint in Nova Scotia.
Debert Palaeo-Indian Site
Debert
The Debert Palaeo-Indian site is the oldest archeological site in the province. Artifacts found at this site date from 10, 600 to 13, 000. More than 5000 stone artifacts have been found here. The Debert site is the most northeasterly area to show Palaeo–Indian occupation and is one of only a few Palaeo-Indian sites discovered in a glaciated area. The site has been designated a “Special Place” by the provincial government through the Nova Scotia Museum under their Special Places Protection Act.
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Colchester Heritage Sites 
