Lunenburg Nova Scotia house for sale - $439,000

Tower Hill is home to a beautiful four bedroom Cape, circa 1830. It perches on seven acres with long-established, maintenance-free gardens, a fruit-bearing orchard, century-year-old woods and walking trails.

Shirley and Nick are relaxing by the outdoor fireplace. They're the first to admit they have very mixed feelings about selling this remarkable property. But sell they must. Shirley has four work horses, presently boarded away from home, and is looking forward to bringing Arabians into the mix.

"We love it here," Nick says. "It's a secret garden in the summer." The perennials, bushes and trees present a fabulous showing spring, summer and fall. Although there are plenty of deer nearby, the original gardeners wisely chose beautiful varieties that don't appeal to the herd.

Tower Hill history

The house, a most exceptional dwelling fit for an elevated personage, was built for Father Cossmann, Lunenburg's first Lutheran minister. It remained in the family until late in the 1940s when the Father's last surviving descendant sold it to Mary James. She and her husband, Dr. Arthur James, devoted much of their efforts to creating and nurturing wonderful gardens that to this day bring much happiness to all who walk among them. One testament to their far-sightedness was the tulip tree, now standing at about 60 feet. "It's very beautiful, and very rare," says Mrs. James' granddaughter, Jennifer James. "There may be another one in the [Halifax] Public Gardens."

Another treasure is a delicate China teacup and saucer. The Cossmann heirloom was passed on to Mrs. James when she purchased the house. She, in turn, willed it to Jennifer, who, after careful consideration, felt it belonged with the house. She gave it to Wendy and Raymond Kendall who bought the property in the early '90s. They in turn passed it on to Shirley and Nick who will hand it over to the new home-owners - along with another treasured memento, a framed photograph of Father Cossmann and his family taken in front of the home.

Welcome home to Tower Hill!

"We're on the highest hill in Lunenburg," says Nick. The Privateers used it to keep a watch for unsuspecting vessels. It's Lunenburg without the taxes. Less than 3 minutes to the town's shops, art galleries, fabulous restaurants, beautiful churches, groceries, hospital, schools (grades primary to 12) and services. The home itself remains true to its past - unblemished by clumsy attempts to modernize its interior and exterior design. And yet, it has all the modern conveniences - and the comfort of newly installed, to-code wiring, The original granite foundation brings to mind solid dependability. A Lunenburg Foundry wood stove with liner adds to the kitchen's cozy comfort. If you like the thought of wood-fire heat and beauty, the living room's most handsome, fully functioning, fireplace does the honours. The back half of the roof shingles are new, as is the gutter system.

The drilled well never runs out of fresh, clear water, and most remarkably, doesn't require conditioning of any sort - a rare attribute in Lunenburg County.

Recently the house was tested by a Feng Shui expert. It passed with flying colours.