A quickly purchased picnic. Chicken, brie & cranberry sandwiches, chocolate, clementines, interesting drinks and some “Argentinian Flame Grilled Steak” potato chips ( really!). A wonderful location beside Martha Lake on the Uniacke Estate, makes for a great lunch. There are lots of gorgeous trails here and they are open year round.
After eating, we went for a tour through the house itself. One of my FAVOURITE places to visit. Built by Richard Uniacke in 1813. He was originally from Ireland and became the Attorney General of Nova Scotia. A big giant of a man at over 6 feet, he was considered to be a warm and likable person with progressive ideas.
He married Martha Bonner Delesdernier in May of 1775, the daughter of his employer, when she was only 12 years old!! She had her first child at age 14 and continued to have ten more! four daughters and seven strapping sons. They lived in a large home on Argyle Street.
Sadly, Martha died after a long illness, on a cold February day, aged only 40. She and Richard did have a very happy marriage and he was devoted to her, remarrying five years after her death. It is said that he always spent the day of the anniversary of her death in quiet contemplation. Alas, Martha never got to live in this house:( She probably picnicked here with him, and maybe they had a small cottage to overnight in before it was constructed.
Loved this wee painting. Really exquisite. The house is full of the original furnishings and linens and dinner settings. The estate was left to his fourth son, a Minister who died without children in 1825 and then went on to other family members, the last of which was an old bachelor who left the entire house and contents to the Nova Scotia Government.
There were children and parties and good times in this house. Every room has at least two large windows letting the light flood in. There are also six large wood stoves and a giant one in the front hall. At the time they were very modern, just invented and visitors were curious to see them, most houses just had large fireplaces. They kept his home very warm and probably prevented it from burning down, a fate that many estates succumbed to.
The front hall was lit with whale oil lamps. A very expensive oil, but it burned brightly, slowly and had no soot. This is where the dancing was held and often dinner parties.
Richard’s study and library and huge chair. Specially built for him. Here he read and considered the running of his estate, which comprised of hothouse, barns, dairy, ice house, billiards room, boat house, cattle, sheep, orchards, fields … an idyllic retreat indeed.
The location of Uniacke House is halfway between Halifax and Windsor. Most of the gentry at the time had summer houses in Windsor but Richard, always one to buck the trend did not want to bother with an extra eight hours by carriage so built his home half way on the beautiful lake that reminded him of Ireland. He loved to watch the carriages travel back and forth to Halifax on the road in front of his estate and often had visitors popping by.
It really is a fantastic place to visit and I am sad that it is a place that not many people seem to visit any more. Sort of forgotten. There is also a wee tearoom downstairs. Great place to go for a hike and a day outside, even if you don’t go inside the home. Only 40 minutes from Halifax.
