The 8 Oldest Homes in Canada

The first Europeans to come to Canada were likely Vikings, but the true age of Canadian colonization didn’t start until the 1500s. French and British expeditions explored and colonized areas of Canada, creating permanent settlements around the beginning of the 1600s. This means that there could be plenty of old homes from this time period! Below, we explore the oldest houses in Canada that are still standing!

1. Maison des Jésuites-de-Sillery

The home on these grounds is located on the site of the area’s first Jesuit mission from 1637! Their purpose at the time was to convert and settle the nomadic Indians. The Maison des Jésuites-de-Sillery wasn’t built until around 1730. This historic farmhouse is located in the Sillery neighborhood of Quebec City. The house has become a permanent exhibition dedicated to displaying original artifacts from the area and information about how Europeans affected Aboriginal communities. You can still visit the museum today at 2320 Chemin du Foulon, Québec City, QC G1T 1X4 in Canada!

2. The de Gannes-Cosby House

Funds provided by King Louis XIV for French officer Louis de Gannes de Falaise made the construction of this home possible. Built in 1708, it’s a home typical of the area that was under French and British rule, known as the Acadian style. The house is the oldest documented wooden structure in Nova Scotia! Located at 477 St. George Street in Annapolis, Nova Scotia, it has continuously been occupied over the years. Initially, the home was merely a central hall with a parlor room and two other rooms on the north side. Additions were made over the years to make way for larger families.

3. Doucet House

Did you know that the Doucet House recently celebrated its 250th Anniversary? This house is one of the most historic homes on Prince Edward Island (PEI), built around 1772 on Grand-Père Point. It is at 2188 Church Road, New Glasgow, PE C0A 1N0, Canada. It’s yet another example of the Acadian vernacular construction on PEI. A Doucet family member always lived here until John Langdale acquired it for use as a summer residence. Later, someone relocated it, and now it’s part of the Farmers’ Bank of Rustico Museum.

4. Treitz Haus

TPennsylvania-German settlers who arrived in 1766 in New Brunswick built this house. Named after Jacob Treitz, the Treitz Haus, built in 1769, is a rare example of the early architectural styles. This now historic home is at 10 Bendview Court between Bore Park and the Petitcodiac River in Moncton. The H-bent type of frame of the original house is a 2-story Georgian-influenced structure with clapboard and cedar shingle siding.

5. Peter Secord House

In 1777, Peter Secord left the Mohawk Valley and moved north toward Niagara. The Crown offered these settlers, known as Butler’s Rangers, the opportunity to settle as tenants. In 1780, Peter Secord started farming in the region and built this home in 1782. Over the years, builders added extensions in various styles, constructing the original home in three sections. Later, someone converted this house into an inn, but it now seems to be permanently closed. Visit it at 215 Four Mile Creek Rd, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON L0S 1J0, Canada!

6. Anderson House

This beautiful home was built circa 1804-1805 for James Anderson, a sergeant in the militia at the time. The beauty of Anderson House is due to the rare example of the type of house found in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century in St. John, Newfoundland. Hip or cottage roof homes became unused after the historic fire of 1816, in which 120 homes burned to the ground. It was used as a military residence thanks to its convenient location between Fort William and military installations on Signal Hill. You can now view the home by visiting 42 Powers Court in St. John, Newfoundland.

7. Seven Oaks House

If you want to see the oldest home in Winnipeg, you should visit Seven Oaks House at 50 Mac St, Winnipeg, MB R2V 4Z9 in Canada! Built between 1851 and 1853, this home was created for John and Mary Inkster. This married couple was the head of an influential Scottish-Métis family living in the Red River Settlement. You can even visit the first small log farmhouse that they built in 1831. Now a museum open to the public, you can take a step back in time to explore what life was like for 19th-century families.

8. Borden House

The childhood home in Nova Scotia of a former Prime Minister of Canada, Sir Robert Borden, was first built around 1792. The Borden family then acquired the property in 1844 and added to the Neo-Classical style of architecture. There are five individual rooms, a veranda, and a small library, with areas decorated in the Edwardian style of the time. You can book a stay in the home to enjoy the area’s rich history! The home’s library even has elementary school notebooks of the Borden children. Visit the house at 1999 Grand Pré Road, Grand Pré, Nova Scotia, B4P.

Summary of the 8 Oldest Homes in Canada

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Cerbi/iStock via Getty Images