Copied Nov 3, 2001 from: Pre-1900 Heritage Houses - Wine Harbour
(Sherbrooke Branch Eastern Counties Regional Library – OFY 1975)

THE COOPER FAMILY HOUSE

Richard Smith built this house, which is located in Wine Harbour overlooking the harbour, in 1862 from Smithfield. He bought the property from the original owner who was a Loyalist and had built a log cabin here. Richard came to Wine Harbour to work in the gold mines shortly after gold was discovered. He was married to a girl from Smithfield, Dewar and they had ten children.

The framework was al hand-hewn and brought to Wine Harbour down the St. Mary’s River from Smithfield. The house rested on a cut stone foundation and it had a full basement. The exterior was covered with clapboards and wooden shingles covered the roof. The interior consisted of seven rooms and two porches. The walls and ceilings were constructed of wide boards covered with wooden lathes and plaster, and the floors were made with wide spruce boards. The heating system consisted of a wood stove in the kitchen and the water supply was carried to the house in buckets from a spring not far from the house. A place was left to install a fireplace but it was never done, however, there were three imitation mantels.

The Smiths moved to Saskatchewan and in 1891 Thomas Cooper bought the house. Thomas was married to Mary Ida Scanlon and they had eight children. After Thomas died in 1946 the house was left to his family. His daughter lives there today. * The Coopers replaced the wooden shingles on the roof with composition ones and had new clapboards put on the exterior walls. A porch was built on covered with wooden shingles and a bay window was put in. One of the downstairs bedrooms was enlarged and the doors and a few windows were replaced. A few of the interior floors were rebuilt and covered with tile, linoleum and cushion floor. An electric pump was installed in 1967 and the present heating system consists of an oil heater and a wood stove.The original barn isn’t standing but was taken down in 1917 when the present one was built. Interesting features include an antique bell located in the main door of the gable façade and the magnificent view of the harbour.The house is single detached, rectangular shaped with one and a half stories. The eaves are cornic boxed, sloped soffit with frieze and the trim raking is cornic boxed. Plain with return. The windows have moulded surround heads, moulded surround sides and slipsills. They are two sashed, double hung and have two panes per sash. The main door is located in the center of the gable façade and has a plain surround head, plain surround sides and four moulded flush panels. Property features include a garage, a barn, an outbuilding and the harbour.
* The house is no longer occupied.