The Old Town Lunenburg Historic District was designated a national historic site in 1991 by virtue of its gridiron layout, one of the earliest and most intact British model plans in Canada, its strong historical associations especially with the Atlantic fisheries, and the richness and homogeneity of its architecture.
The heritage value of the Old Town Lunenburg Historic District resides in the original plan, the built forms and open spaces within the plan, the physical and cultural manifestations of the off-shore fishing and shipbuilding industries and the harmonious integration of the town and the seascape. Laid out by Charles Morris at the time of his landing on June 8, 1753, Lunenburg’s Old Town Plan was the second British model plan created in present-day Canada, a gridiron plan type which had a direct and important relationship to British imperial settlement policy.
Discover more about Lunenburg:
www.lunenburgns.com/welcome-to-lunenburg/
www.explorelunenburg.ca/
Photo Credit – Tourism Nova Scotia/Acorn Art Photography
HISTORY: UNESCO has designated Lunenburg a World Heritage site due to it being the best-surviving example of a British colonial settlement in Canada. Thanks to the preservation efforts of the inhabitants, the town has retained its overall charm and appearance since its establishment in 1753. Its vernacular wooden architecture has been particularly well preserved. Only missing the fortifications that surrounded the town in the early days, Lunenburg’s original plan is intact.
VISIT: See Lunenburg from the eyes of its early inhabitants via carriage ride tour, beginning from Lunenburg’s Historic Waterfront along Bluenose Drive. Or, walk around Old Town Lunenburg on your own or with Lunenburg Walking Tours, beginning at the Lunenburg Academy. End your day with a sunset-stroll along one of Lunenburg’s sandy beaches.
