Old MacDonald had.....a Concrete house

     Charles Macdonald travelled the world as a ship's carpenter at the end of the age of sail (1898 -1908). The places he visited, the people he met and the sights he saw made an impression on this artistic young man. He returned home with a head full of ideas about how to shape an ideal life. He established a concrete brick factory and what later became his home for over 40 years. This unique house is located in Centreville and is locally known as the 'concrete house with the deer in the yard'. This unique property is surrounded by concrete lawn sculptures of deer, a mountain lion, giant mushrooms and other fanciful figures and furniture. (above description taken from the brochure about the Charles Macdonald Concrete House)

Concrete deer in front of the Macdonald concrete house.

Front entrance of the Concrete house

The pillar at the front entrance

Giant mushrooms in the yard

A random concrete pole in the yard.

Concrete bust of a prehistoric man

The dog house

A mountain lion in the bush

Looking out of the front door.

Nude woman washing her hair... in the bird bath?

A blue Jay is also using the bird bath

A concrete table and chair. I don't think it would be too comfy.

     The inside of the house is almost unchanged from when it was built: every surface lovingly fashioned from cement and finished smooth with paint. A decorative instinct is evident from mantle to newel post, from chimney to dovecote -- the impression is of a magical, sculpted cottage, tailor-made for an uncommon individual. His artwork, sculptures, paintings and rugs hooked by his wife Mabel provide a record of rural life and give importance to the landscape and values of Nova Scotians in the middle part of the last century.

A homestead rug made by Mabel

Painting of native scene on the central fireplace.

A diorama of a deer in the woods

Rug hooked pillows made by Mabel

A & P sitting beside a knitted house that we donated to the museum

     People can and do live in some very strange houses. This concrete house was the work of a man who was artistic and used a material that was not only popular at the time of the build but was also his occupation. Today the house is not only a museum but also an art gallery exhibiting local artists.