Horseshoe House

From every room in this beautiful hilltop home, you’re treated to magnificent views of the ocean. Horseshoe House is positioned so perfectly at the tip of Black Point in St. Margaret’s Bay, you can witness both stunning sunrises and sunsets. 

Although by Nova Scotia standards, this house wasn’t built all that long ago, its history is remarkable. Horseshoe House was designed by Andrew Cobb, one of Nova Scotia’s preeminent architects. It was built as a summer home to the Schwartz Spice family in 1950. The seamless wide plank floorboards come from a shipwreck off famed Sable island. 

The great room features a sweeping bow window that faces the west, an arresting eastward facing arch-top window and a one-of-a-kind pocket window that lets all the southern breeze float in. Ten can dine in the alcove or a more intimate four in the kitchen. Tongue and groove ceilings look down on a freshly renovated kitchen with quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances and over-sized slate floor tile. The beautiful white ceramic backsplashes on either side of the kitchen show off a large double sink on one side and a bar sink on the other. A floor-to-ceiling pantry offers endless space for food. Pull out the wine storage drawer to reveal your evening refreshments. Then move into the great room and toast your toes by the fire. 

Two wings flank the great room, offering three charming bedrooms with queen beds, two long bright sleeping lofts, two bathrooms and a host of vistas. Even the shower in the western bathroom has a porthole so you can take in the heart-breaking sunsets. The horseshoe shape that gives the house its name envelops an expansive courtyard flaunting a unique piece of the past. The millstone wheels that once ground mustard seed at the original family’s spice factory were saved and are set into a circular pattern amongst the patio stones. Boil up some lobsters inside (pot and lobster-specific utensils provided) or fire up some lunch on the barbecue outside. 

Walking out any of four doors exposes you to the magic of the bay. See white-sided dolphins skip past the house off the western shore where lobsterman pulled out their catch in the cooler months. Deer walk past the property’s large greenhouse. Pheasants, eagles and flocks of brightly coloured warblers are frequent visitors. Hear the snorts and musings of seals on the point in the morning’s calm.  

Sit back on the patio furniture or go for a hike on the miles-long Rails-to-Trails pathway just at the foot of the road. Take a quick drive down to one of five beaches (from 3 minutes to 20 minutes away). Black Point sits in between two shopping and dining spots. The cute seaside village of Hubbards features antique shops, restaurants, pharmacy, grocery and liquor stores as well as an entertaining music venue. Tantallon, equidistant on the other side is a larger town with anything you could possibly need. Peggy’s Cove, Lunenburg, Blue Rocks and Mahone Bay are all quick day trips along the famed lighthouse route. Halifax itself is only a 35 minute drive. 

Horseshoe house is perfect for a family, two families or a few couples. 

Registration # RYA-2023-2403271525526389568-67