McNutt House, McNutts Island, Shelburne, NS - Remains of Settlements on Waymarking.com

Little remains of the house today, in fact just the old stone foundation remains. The on-site plaque is badly deteriorated and thus this waymark is currently on-going research and will be update when accurate information is obtained.

This house was built on 250 acres granted to Benjamin McNutt c. 1765. The DesBarres map of Port Campbell, executed in 1765, gives good evidence of the McNutt presence on the island by that date. Benjamin built a house, cleared land, and established a farm here. He died in 1798, probably in his house on the island. He bequeathed his property to Martin McNutt, a relative and a local cooper.

Benjamin was the brother of Alexander McNutt (1725-1811), an Irish land agent active in Nova Scotia between 1761 and 1796. After their forcible deportation of the Acadians, which began in 1755, the British government needed new settlers for Nova Scotia. Alexander McNutt proposed large settlements of Ulster Irish here. Among his plans was a utopian community at Port Roseway Harbour (now Shelburne Harbour), to be called New Jerusalem.

McNutt's grand plans ended in failure. But as a part of his plan for Port Roseway, his brother Benjamin received this property on what was then called Roseneath Island. As Alexander's province-wide dreams faded, he came here to live.

During the American Revolution, American privateers attacked settlements on Nova Scotia's southwest coast. In 1778 a company of these privateers landed on the island and ransacked the McNutt house. Alexander McNutt travelled to Boston to complain to the Massachusetts Bay Council about the attack. In his complaint he described the loss of his sword, pistol and firelocks, scarlet and blue cloth, drawing box, books, silver spoons, silver buckles, gold lace and diamond rings.

Terrain: Parking: Not Listed Recommended access: Not Listed

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