Toll Free
1-800-688-2011
1-800-688-2011
©The Cooper's Inn, 36 Dock Street, Shelburne, Nova Scotia. B0T 1W0
The Cooper's Inn is seen at the left of this photograph taken in the late 19th century.
The Barrel Factory which was built in 1917 when the Inn ceased to be a cooperage now stands in left front of the Inn .
The Barrel Factory which was built in 1917 when the Inn ceased to be a cooperage now stands in left front of the Inn .
Built around 1785 in the aftermath of the American Revolution as pro-British refugees flooded into Shelburne, the original vertical log structure served as both store and home to a remarkable blind man, George Gracie. In 1785 Gracie was a refugee merchant from Boston and was to become one of two representatives of Shelburne County in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly.
During restoration in 1987/88 it was found that the Inn was built in two stages - the north side was built first and is where the dining rooms are located, it was followed by the the south side.
Stories have it that the north side with its vertical log walls was floated up from Boston in George Gracie's ship the "Experiment", assembled and the south side added at that time.
The smaller building at the rear of the main house was used as a cooperage from about 1904 until 1917 when Chandley Smith built a new Barrel Factory across the street where barrels are still made today.
The old cooperage now houses four rooms all with private baths, two upstairs and two on the ground level with one that opens onto the breezeway and the other onto the garden.
The Inn has had a number of owners over the more than 225 years it has stood on Historic Dock Street and many of their names live on as the names of our rooms.
During restoration in 1987/88 it was found that the Inn was built in two stages - the north side was built first and is where the dining rooms are located, it was followed by the the south side.
Stories have it that the north side with its vertical log walls was floated up from Boston in George Gracie's ship the "Experiment", assembled and the south side added at that time.
The smaller building at the rear of the main house was used as a cooperage from about 1904 until 1917 when Chandley Smith built a new Barrel Factory across the street where barrels are still made today.
The old cooperage now houses four rooms all with private baths, two upstairs and two on the ground level with one that opens onto the breezeway and the other onto the garden.
The Inn has had a number of owners over the more than 225 years it has stood on Historic Dock Street and many of their names live on as the names of our rooms.
| Owner | From | To | Occupation |
| John Johnston | Original Grantee from the Crown | Merchant | |
| George Gracie | 1784 | 1805 | Merchant, Legislator |
| Thomas Crowell | 1805 | 1859 | Esquire |
| Roderick Morrison | 1859 | 1871 | Gentleman |
| John McLean | 1871 | 1888 | Master Mariner |
| George Hines | 1888 | 1888 | Painter |
| Joseph McGill | 1888 | 1904 | Shipbuilder |
| J. Chandley Smith | 1904 | 1969 | Cooper |
| H L Smith | 1969 | 1977 | Cooper |
| Robert & Jane Sparrow | 1977 | 1986 | Boarding House |
| Cox & Stephenson | 1986 | 1987 | Antique Shop & Derelict Bldg |
| Gary & Cynthia Hynes | 1987 | 1994 | Innkeepers |
| Allan & Joan Redmond | 1994 | 2005 | Innkeepers |
| Paul & Patricia Dewar | 2005 | Innkeepers | |
It was Gary & Cynthia Hines who undertook an extensive restoration of the main building. They decided to preserve and restore as much as possible while bringing the structure and all the fixtures and fittings up to modern building code standards and to a level expected by today's traveller.
The result was the presentation of one of the first Built Heritage Awards ever presented by the Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia.
The Cooper's Inn is also a charter member of the Nova Scotia Association of Unique Country Inns and has earned a 3 Diamond AAA/CAA rating.
The result was the presentation of one of the first Built Heritage Awards ever presented by the Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia.
The Cooper's Inn is also a charter member of the Nova Scotia Association of Unique Country Inns and has earned a 3 Diamond AAA/CAA rating.