Beinn Bhreagh Hall National Historic Site

Beinn Bhreagh Hall was designated as a national historic site in 2017.

Commemorative plaque: 559, Chebucto Street, Baddeck, Nova Scotia^{Footnote 1}

Beinn Bhreagh Hall

This grand home, built in 1892–1893 for inventor Alexander Graham Bell and his wife Mabel, is an outstanding example of Shingle style architecture, favoured in New England. It features circular towers and stone fireplaces. Mabel designed the gardens that frame the Beinn Bhreagh (“beautiful mountain”) estate, where her husband accomplished some of his greatest scientific research on sheep breeding, tetrahedral construction, and hydrofoils. Together, they formed the Aerial Experiment Association that developed early aircraft, including the Silver Dart, flown in 1909 over Bras d’Or Lake in Canada’s first controlled, powered flight.

Beinn Bhreagh Hall

Built in 1892-93, Beinn Bhreagh Hall (BBH) was the summer residence, estate, and laboratory of inventor and scientist Alexander Graham Bell and his wife, Mabel Bell. It is a grand Queen Anne Revival/Shingle style residence, an outstanding example of this architectural style that was popular in New England and favoured on the American seaboard. It features original stone fireplaces and interior workmanship, and its lush gardens were created by Mabel Bell. BBH was an inspiration to Alexander Graham Bell during his late career, serving as both a private home and the nerve centre for innovative experiments with kites, tetrahedral construction, and hydrofoils, as well as sheep breeding.

The Bells were a prominent American family whose permanent residence was in Washington, DC. They began summering in Nova Scotia in 1885, and in 1892, began construction of BBH as a summer home. In fact, they liked Baddeck so much that they often lived there for much of the year, even building research laboratories nearby. Their home was a welcoming centre to scientists and local residents who often visited and partook of lively discussions. Alexander Graham Bell had a prolific mind and was always exploring new ideas. He often hired local townspeople to assist in his experiments. While residing at BBH, he conducted research in many fields including sound transmission, medicine, aeronautics, marine engineering, and space-frame construction. It was here that, in 1907, Mabel and Alexander Bell founded the Aerial Experiment Association which developed four prototype airplanes, including the Silver Dart, which flew across Bras D’Or Lake in February 1909.

Located at the point of Red Head Peninsula between Beinn Bhreagh Mountain and Bras D’Or Lake, BBH affords magnificent views of the lake and the town of Baddeck. The Queen Anne Style, two-storey residence features a massive central-tiered stone chimney, a large central sun porch with wood railing and large windows, and two large turrets which wrap around the corners of the house. Its 11.7 hectares (28.9 acres) of landscaped gardens benefit from an unusually warm microclimate and feature a number of rare plants, including Cypress trees and Japanese Barbery. A three-tiered garden with annuals, perennials, and a magnolia tree planted in 1913 are located to the north of the house. Designed by Arthur G. Everett with input from the Bells, BBH is one of the few surviving examples of an Atlantic Canadian ‘summer’ home built by a prominent American. It retains much of its original features, speaking to its role as the central hub of a unique scientific and technical ‘laboratory’ created by Bell, his wife, and associates.

Backgrounder last update: 2018-07-20

Description of historic place

Beinn Bhreagh Hall National Historic Site of Canada is located in Baddeck Bay, northeastern Nova Scotia. Constructed as the summer residence, estate and laboratory of Alexander Graham Bell and Mabel Hubbard Bell, this large house stands in an extensive park-like 11.7-hectare (28.9 acre) property on the Red Head Peninsula between Beinn Bhreagh mountain and the North Basin of Bras D’Or Lake. The designation refers to the house and dependencies on the lot at the time of designation.

Heritage value

Beinn Bhreagh Hall was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 2017. It is recognized because:

• built in 1892-1893, the summer residence, estate and laboratory of Alexander Graham Bell and his wife, Mabel Bell, is an outstanding example of a prominent house built in the Shingle style popular in New England and favoured on the American seaboard. It is noted for its exceptional integrity, stone fireplaces and interior workmanship;
• lush gardens surrounding the main residence created by Mabel Bell; an inspiration to inventor and scientist Alexander Graham Bell during his late career, the estate served as a rare private home that was also the nerve centre for innovative experiments with kites, and sheep breeding, tetrahedral construction and hydrofoils;
• founded here in 1907 by Mabel and Alexander Bell, the Aerial Experiment Association developed four prototype airplanes, including the Silver Dart, which flew across Bras D’Or Lake in February 1909.

Designed by Boston architect Arthur G. Everett, the main residence building is one of the few surviving examples of an Atlantic Canadian summer home built by a prominent American, as well as an exceptional instance of the use of the Shingle style in Canada. The site is distinguished by gardens planted with exotic and uncommon species which reflect the original horticultural and landscaping efforts of Mabel Hubbard Bell. Beinn Bhreagh Hall is also a rare example of a summer residence that additionally functioned as a research laboratory. The estate was an important base for scientific experimentation and discourse, including research by Alexander Graham Bell and partners on sound transmission, medicine, marine engineering, and aeronautics, including Canada’s first controlled, powered flight.

Source: Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, Minutes, December 2015.

Related links

• National historic designations
• National historic persons
• National historic sites designations
• National historic events
• Submit a nomination
• Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Person
• Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site
• Bell Homestead National Historic Site
• First Aeroplane Flying in Canada National Historic Event
• Mabel Hubbard Bell National Historic Person
• This Week in History