Lordly House Museum

133 Central Street in Chester, Nova Scotia

The Lordly House Museum is a municipal museum that works toward promoting and cultivating awareness of the unique heritage of the Municipality of the District of Chester. Known originally as Evergreen Hall, the house was built circa 1806 by Captain McCurdy who was later lost at sea. It became the home of Charles Ingles Lordly, the first Municipal Clerk, and his wife Margaret McCurdy. The Lordlys were enthusiastic workers on amateur theatricals and entertainments for the church and welfare activities and hosted many parties. The Lordly family has been described as, “vivacious and ambitious,” “public-spirited,” “always ready to assist in the general well fare of the community”. A Lordly was always a warden or vestry clerk of St. Stephen’s Anglican Church just across the street. The house is a fine example of Georgian architecture with six fireplaces, two parlours, a kitchen, a dining room, and six bedrooms. There is a servants’ staircase in the dining room still with ‘original’ leather straps, which aided ascent to the second floor. It was the centre of cultural and social life in the community and has been continuously lived in, with two short exceptions, since it was built. It is mostly original condition but there were some changes over time – an addition on the north side and alterations to the roofline (now restored).