More here in Minudie, Nova Scotia in 2026:
"King Seaman - His Legacy Continues" here:
Minudie Heritage Association Board of Directors, gives notice it will receive expressions of interest in the deconstructive demolition of the Amos Thomas Seaman House, from its site in Minudie, up to and including deadline of June 30, 2022.
Please send submission of interest to minudieheritage@
gmail.com
Heritage home and lands located at 5355 Barronsfield Road, Minudie, Nova Scotia, Canada, "King" Amos Thomas Seaman's grand old historic home story re-published here:
"MINUDIE, N.S. – Sometimes, one of the hardest things is letting go. It’s something Sharon Gould and other members of the Minudie Heritage Association are coming to terms with as they prepare for the demolition of the historic Amos Thomas Seaman House.
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“It was a tough decision, but one that had to be made, and it was done with very heavy hearts” Gould said of the association’s ongoing efforts regarding the demolition of the 179-year-old home that overlooks the Cumberland Basin and Minudie Marsh. “Even though the building will be gone, its history and the story of the Seaman family and Minudie remains and it’s up to us to preserve it and tell it.”
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The two-and-a-half storey Georgian estate home was built in 1843. It is valued for its close historical association with the era of Amos ‘King’ Seaman and his eldest son, Amos Thomas. It is also valued because its exterior has been largely unaltered since it was built.
The home stayed in the Seaman family until the passing of Ruth Symes – the great granddaughter of Amos ‘King’ Seaman at age 99 – in 2015. She willed the home and acreage to the Minudie Heritage Association so an interpretive centre, depicting the history of Minudie and the Seaman family, could be located there.
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“We had big dreams,” Gould said. “We wanted to develop an interpretive centre that would show the contribution of the Indigenous people, tell the story of the Acadians and the deportation, the landowners (Col. Joseph Frederick Wallet) DesBarres and (Col. Edward) Barron and then the Seaman era.”
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Heritage association board member Nancy Carde said the heritage association was very excited with the home’s potential and was working with both provincial and federal officials to find the funding, but its remote location and a million-dollar-plus price tag to restore the building made it impossible to carry out.
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“ACOA told us it was going to cost more than a million just to bring it up to code and to make it accessible,” Carde said. “Plus there are not enough tourists in this area to make it viable.
“The other problem we’d have is maintaining it after. We’re all older people, who’s going to look after it and where’s the money going to come from to maintain it?”
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The home was also the target of vandals and experienced several break-ins, one of which led to the taking of a number of artifacts.
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Carde, meanwhile, imagines what the home would have looked like in its heydey.
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“They used to hold big soirees here with doctors and lawyers attending,” Carde said. “It was at the centre of the community.”
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The home sits on a hill overlooking the dikes of the Minudie Marsh and the tides of the Bay of Fundy. The grounds are now overrun with abundant shrubs, flowers, elm and apple trees.
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A report to council last fall by building inspector Tom Trenholm said restoration is possible but would require “considerable investment.” He said portions of the structure pose a serious health and fire risk and in its current state is not habitable.
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Trenholm’s report said the roof is leaking and moisture is penetrating the building with mould evident throughout. He also said there were signs of floor heave near the carriage house, part of which itself is in a state of collapse, which is indicative of foundation support failure.
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As the building’s condition deteriorated, the association began working to have its historical designation dropped before moving on with a demolition application to the Municipality of Cumberland. The process was slowed when another group offered to step in to raise the money for the restoration effort, but that didn’t get very far as its leader suffered health issues.
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The heritage association last fall again asked the county if it could demolish the building. Gould said expressions of interest are being invited at present with demolition work to start sometime after Labour Day.
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Gould said it the successful contractor will have to do a constructive demolition instead of just a wholescale demolishment. The heritage association recently held an event to sell many items from inside the home and Gould said people can still ask to see what’s left.
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Many items, including archives and other documents, have already been moved into protected storage. As the building is being demolished, there could be an opportunity for other items to be sold.
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Gould said a lot of items will be displayed in the Amos Season Universalist Church and the Amos Seaman School Museum and the association hopes to redevelop the Seaman house site following the demolition with the restoration of the monument on the property as well as gardens and interpretive panels.
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“Our goal is preserve the historical properties and lands of Minudie,” Gould said. “The first garden could be the Ruth Symes garden with a sign telling people about her wonderful gift to Nova Scotia and the heritage association. The second garden could be the Amos ‘King’ Seaman garden. It would also be nice to build a platform and put out chairs from which people can view the Amos Seaman property across the road.”
more here: Amos Thomas Seaman House | Heritage Guide
more here: The Amos Thomas Seaman House | Minudie Heritage Association
more here: A.T. Seaman House | Heritage Guide
Earlier article here: THE Indie Media Eastcoast: Amos Seaman [ 1788 - 1864 ] - The "King" of Minudie Nova Scotia
Amos Thomas Seaman House
It is with great regret and sadness that the Minudie Heritage Association (MHA) announces that Provincial and Municipal heritage status on the Amos Thomas Seaman house (ATSH) has been removed. Plans are being made for the building to be demolished and the site cleaned up, with ideas coming forward as to how to make use of the property, which will retain heritage status with the province of Nova Scotia.
Over the past years, the MHA, and volunteers, has worked tirelessly, searching for municipal, provincial, and federal grants as well as monies from other sources, to repair this historic house. An enormous amount of money would be required to address necessary repairs, such as the roof, electrical and heating, structural and interior work.
It was not, unfortunately, a successful effort!
With the help of many volunteers the grounds were cleaned up, and large and important collection of archival material has been removed, transcribed, recorded and carefully stored. This includes over 4,000 amazing letters which is a very valuable archival collection that has been duly recorded with the Council of Nova Scotia Archives.
In 202,1 visitors to Minudie may have seen exhibits at the Amos Seaman School Museum and enjoyed viewing a collection of kitchen wares, recipes, antique flour bags, photos etc. all items from the ATSH.
This practice in telling Minudie’s history will continue, with more displays throughout the summer.
Items remaining in the ATSH will be carefully examined, some kept, others offered for sale. Throughout the summer you will see many items from the ATSH on display at the other Minudie historic sites.
The Minudie Heritage Association thanks everyone who have helped care for the ATSH, both inside and out, over the past years. The Association will safeguard all the history obtained from the house going forward, with, many new ways, continue to tell the story of Minudie.
Sharon Gould, President
Minudie Heritage Association"
The Minudie Heritage Association is moving into the Dr.D.M Cochran Memorial Medical Centre on Saturday, September 07th.
An office and the Amos Thomas Seaman House Archives will be open to the public, hours to be announced.
Volunteers are appreciated to help with the move, at approximately 9am, Saturday September 07th, meeting at the RH Medical Centre parking lot.
A UHaul truck is being used for the move.
Please phone
Sharon Gould 902-667-3923"
