The Colchester Historeum was constructed in 1901 and was originally the Science Building for the Provincial Normal College. The Science Building served teacher education until 1961, when the new Teacher’s College was opened at the present day Nova Scotia Community College Campus. Beginning in 1976, the Colchester Historical Society used the building as a Museum and expanded in later years to include an Archives. The building became a Registered Heritage Property in 2004 due to its significance to education and architecture in Nova Scotia.
The Historeum is a good example of the Beaux-Arts Movement in Canadian architecture, with its red brick and cast iron work. It brought together the architecture of Europe and North America, due to the use of North American materials and European style. It created a change from the earlier neoclassical structures.
