Today, Parks Canada and the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada commemorated the national historic significance of the de Gannes-Cosby House of Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, with a plaque unveiling ceremony at the property.
This house, built in 1708 for French officer Louis de Gannes de Falaise with funds provided by King Louis XIV, is a rare example of a pre-Deportation residence in Acadia. It is typical of the houses inhabited by the colonial officer class under both French and British rule. After 1727, it served as a residence for British officer Alexander Cosby, lieutenant-governor of the fort and town of Annapolis Royal.
This carefully restored house retains many original features including post and beam framing, sections of wattle and daub infill, massive floorboards, fine pine panelling and a fieldstone foundation. Its current owners, the How family, have spent years restoring the house and furnishing it with period pieces, and today the house's importance to the community is widely recognized.
