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The House has been named after the first owners, William and David Lewis Beach. They were Loyalist refugees who had embarked on the vessel 'Hope' from New York to Saint John after the American War of Independence in early 1783. Their vessel joined the convoy that is now referred to as the Spring Fleet. Along with some family and friends from Connecticut who had arrived a few days earlier on the first vessel 'Union,' they explored the Saint John River. Following a petition to King George III and the Governor of Nova Scotia for land grants, the Beach brothers were given Kingston Land Grant No. 7, Nova Scotia, in 1784. Beach House sits on what is left of the original 200 acre grant. This once included the waterfront plots below our property that have been sold over the past years. While there are no signs of the original log cabin, it is thought Beach House was built around 1800 based on the existing stone foundations of the house which were laid without mortar. The property records show that the Beach brothers sold their shares of Lot No. 7 Kingston a few years after obtaining their grant to Ebenezer Scribner who had also been on the 'Union.' According to the records in the Kings County archives, this family had their home at Beach House and farmed the land for over 100 years. As was not an uncommon event in those days, local
history indicates that part of the house may have caught fire sometime
in the 1890s. From newspapers found under the floorboards when renovating,
it is thought that the house was rebuilt or renovated around 1898.
The original house (the part at the front) is a two-story balloon
frame structure.
It was decided to preserve as much of the original structure as possible and put back period features such as window styles that had been replaced with large single paned glass. Local cedar siding was used as it was felt to be more in keeping with the 1890s. The cattle barn, which used to be sited to the North of the house, was in a bad state of collapse and was beyond economical repair. However, we did manage to preserve some of the large timbers, which have been used as features in some of the rooms on the first floor. If a former owner viewed Beach House from the road looking directly at the front, they would see that it is essentially still the same structure. However, once viewed from the side an extensive new addition is evident. We have tried to create a comfortable Maritime style living space within a traditional looking house rather than a faithful renovation of the original. In all, the property extends to some 27.5 acres of meadow surrounded by woodlands waiting for you to go and explore the many hiking trails in its interior. We even have a wild blueberry patch on the hill! We and the boys (our two dogs) love living here on the Peninsula. The friendly people, the incredibly gorgeous views, and the safe, clean environment are well worth the daily ferry crossing to Saint John. VIEW photos OF THE RIVER VIEW AND GARDEN.
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