The most formal room in the house was the parlor and in the early years was reserved for use on special occasions, a funeral or for special guests such as the clergy or people from ‘away’. The children were not allowed to ‘play’ in the parlor. The furniture in this room dates back to the early 1900s and all but one piece is a set. The set has an interesting finish, a paste was made of buttermilk, glue and soot, then painted on. The organ was left in the house by the family and is of the same period.”

The dining room has a popular pattern for china at the turn of the century called Clover Leaf. Some of the set is from the family, and the collection has been supplemented by donations from other families of the area. The wooden bench was found in the kitchen of most homes of the period. The farmer often had to rise before sunrise to tend to the stock and would come in for breakfast after finishing the chores. While waiting for his porridge, he would recline on the bench, enjoying the warmth of the low stove.

MacDonald House Museum is operated by the Lake Ainslie Historical Society

MacDonald House

MacDonald House Museum consists of a restored 1850's house, display barns, a country schoolhouse, a fine collection of early 1900's furniture and artifacts, displays of farm machinery and implements, hand woven fabric displays and much more.
The house boasts an impressive, steeply pitched roof with gingerbread trim, above the front entrance. These features are typical of the "Gothic Revival" style, common in Cape Breton in the mid 1800's.

Upstairs there were four bedrooms for the family.  We have two dressed as bedrooms, our library and archives room.

MacDonald House Museum

  Cape Breton Nova Scotia