Great Canadian Homes - Alexander Graham Bell
03 Aug

Great Canadian Homes – Alexander Graham Bell

It's only fair to share...Share on FacebookTweet about this on TwitterPin on PinterestEmail this to someoneShare on Reddit

In honour of Canada 150, we are taking a tour of some of Canada’s wonderful, historic homes. To begin, we are starting with the home of the man who was made famous by his greatest invention – the telephone. Alexander Graham Bell lived in a timeless, Queen Anne-style home in Baddeck, Nova Scotia, a definite must-see for tourists.

Nova Scotia is known for its beautiful, scenic views and landscapes, so it comes as no surprise that Bell decided to make Cape Breton Island the site of his family home. Bell came across to Nova Scotia by boat and fell in love with it because it reminded him of is homeland, Endinburgh, Scotland. After purchasing the land, the construction of the mansion took about two years to build and cost just under $25,000.

bell-rear-wide-12

The Exterior: The home was nicknamed the Beinn Bhreagh, which means means beautiful mountain in Gaelic. It was built in 1885 and sits on 600 acres of land. Beinn Bhreagh is nestled on a gorgeous backdrop of land and water, overlooking Bras d’Or Lake. Though the house was built during the Victorian era, the architectural style is said to be more of a Queen Anne design. The exterior includes a large wrap-around porch, multiple towers, very fine details in woodwork and craftsmanship, and an L-shaped asymmetrical building.

dining-room-2

The Living Area: The Bell home contains 37 rooms, 11 of them being bedrooms. Some of the other rooms include a library, laboratory, multiple dining rooms and the great room. One of the living rooms actually contains a DIY décor piece that Mrs. Bell and her daughters created themselves.They collected small snail shells and strung them together in a diamond pattern; it still hangs above one of the door frames to this day. Although the home also has a laboratory, the telephone was not invention here. Bell was said to have conducted many experiments in this laboratory, specifically in powered flight and hydrofoil technology. A boatyard was also constructed to help aide in the Bells’ experiments.

study-1

Famous Guests: Many famous people visited this timeless mansion. The Bells have kept a guest book over the decades to record the visits that have been made to the home, including one from Queen Victoria. Bell actually showed the Queen how his new invention, the telephone, worked by making an international phone call.

For many years, the home was not open to the public, other than Bell’s ancestors who were living on the land. The Bells have just recently decided to reveal this home to the public, allowing it to be featured on HGTV as well as other publications.

This home is well maintained by Bell’s descendants and continues to take the breath away from all who enter.

Stay tuned for more great, Canadian homes.

 

It's only fair to share...Share on FacebookTweet about this on TwitterPin on PinterestEmail this to someoneShare on Reddit