Knaut-Rhuland House Museum
Encyclopedia
The Knaut-Rhuland House Museum is an 18th century house in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
. It is a designated Provincial, Municipal, and National Historic Site. The Knaut-Rhuland House is owned and managed by the Lunenburg Heritage Society and is open to the public during the summer.
s, a trader
and a privateer
. The second owner, Conrad Rhuland, was also a trader and ship owner and during the war of 1812
was a privateer’s prize master.
s and there is a transom window overhead. All windows are multi - paned six over six and many have the original old glass.
The foundation is stone, more than two feet thick, and is built around two chimney
s.
The frame is post and beam, consisting of hand-hewn timbers. These are “numbered” with hatch marks suggesting that it was prepared off-site. The interior walls and ceilings were plastered (reinforced with horse hair) and applied to split lath. The floors are pine and there are seven fireplaces. There are original mouldings and wood work in some rooms.
There are furnished rooms on the ground floor providing examples of the style of furnishings that would be known to the first two owners. An exhibition called “Our Spiritual Heritage” contains a display of old Bible
s and prayer books
, some dating from the time of the “Foreign Protestants” who came to Lunenburg
in 1753. This exhibition contains display panels describing Lunenburg’s churches, which are amongst the oldest in Canada
. There is also a room depicting the craft activities of the 18th and 19th centuries, with among other items a walking wheel, spinning wheel
s and wool winders.
Upstairs, the exhibition gallery provides a history of Lunenburg from 1753 when the Foreign Protestants settled in the town and local area.
that includes plants that would have been used by the early owners of the house to dye
fabric.
Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
Lunenburg , is a Canadian port town in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia.Situated on the province's South Shore, Lunenburg is located on a peninsula at the western side of Mahone Bay. The town is approximately 90 kilometres southwest of the county boundary with the Halifax Regional Municipality.The...
. It is a designated Provincial, Municipal, and National Historic Site. The Knaut-Rhuland House is owned and managed by the Lunenburg Heritage Society and is open to the public during the summer.
History
The house is named for its first two owners. The first owner, Benjamin Knaut, had the house built in 1793. Benjamin was one of the town’s first sheriffSheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
s, a trader
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
and a privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
. The second owner, Conrad Rhuland, was also a trader and ship owner and during the war of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
was a privateer’s prize master.
Description
The houses' design is British Classicism. The entrance door is framed by sidelightSidelight
A sidelight is a window, usually with a vertical emphasis, that flanks a door. Sidelights are narrow, usually stationary and found immediately adjacent doorways...
s and there is a transom window overhead. All windows are multi - paned six over six and many have the original old glass.
The foundation is stone, more than two feet thick, and is built around two chimney
Chimney
A chimney is a structure for venting hot flue gases or smoke from a boiler, stove, furnace or fireplace to the outside atmosphere. Chimneys are typically vertical, or as near as possible to vertical, to ensure that the gases flow smoothly, drawing air into the combustion in what is known as the...
s.
The frame is post and beam, consisting of hand-hewn timbers. These are “numbered” with hatch marks suggesting that it was prepared off-site. The interior walls and ceilings were plastered (reinforced with horse hair) and applied to split lath. The floors are pine and there are seven fireplaces. There are original mouldings and wood work in some rooms.
There are furnished rooms on the ground floor providing examples of the style of furnishings that would be known to the first two owners. An exhibition called “Our Spiritual Heritage” contains a display of old Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
s and prayer books
Agenda (liturgy)
The name Agenda is given, particularly in the Lutheran Church, to the official books dealing with the forms andceremonies of divine service.- The Term; its Equivalents Before the Reformation :...
, some dating from the time of the “Foreign Protestants” who came to Lunenburg
Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
Lunenburg , is a Canadian port town in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia.Situated on the province's South Shore, Lunenburg is located on a peninsula at the western side of Mahone Bay. The town is approximately 90 kilometres southwest of the county boundary with the Halifax Regional Municipality.The...
in 1753. This exhibition contains display panels describing Lunenburg’s churches, which are amongst the oldest in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. There is also a room depicting the craft activities of the 18th and 19th centuries, with among other items a walking wheel, spinning wheel
Spinning wheel
A spinning wheel is a device for spinning thread or yarn from natural or synthetic fibers. Spinning wheels appeared in Asia, probably in the 11th century, and very gradually replaced hand spinning with spindle and distaff...
s and wool winders.
Upstairs, the exhibition gallery provides a history of Lunenburg from 1753 when the Foreign Protestants settled in the town and local area.
Exhibit
The Knaut-Rhuland House also has a room containing artefacts from the Victorian period and a costume gallery with displays of original and replica clothing, and a small gardenGarden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
that includes plants that would have been used by the early owners of the house to dye
Dye
A dye is a colored substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied. The dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution, and requires a mordant to improve the fastness of the dye on the fiber....
fabric.
External links
- The Knaut-Rhuland House Museum, Lunenburg Heritage Society