10419 Highway 1: The Avard Longley House

Architecture Style: Second Empire

Built: After 1858

Avard Longley was a grandson of Planter Israel Longley. He built this elegant home for his second wife, Charlotte Troop, when an untended candle set fire to his house during their wedding preparations. The grandness of their new house showed Avard’s rising status at a time when Paradise too was prospering. A leader in his time, Avard spearheaded such ventures as the first dairy marketing co-operative in Nova Scotia: the Paradise Union Cheese Manufacturing Company,  at the northwest corner of the Leonard Road railway crossing.                                                          

Avard moved into politics. This was a natural evolution from his involvement in the temperance movement, a strong social force in Victorian life. Paradise had three divisions of the Sons of Temperance! Members studied political, social, and literary topics, and honed their debating skills. A zealous abstainer from alcohol and tobacco, Avard became  Grand Worthy Patriarch of the Order of Temperance for Nova Scotia, and later Member of the Provincial Legislature. (1859-1867). There he spoke against Maritime Union but in favour of Confederation. He was defeated in 1867 because he supported the unpopular Education Act of 1865, which replaced local subscription with taxation. He entered Federal politics and was our  Member of Parliament (1878-1882).

As Commissioner of Railways for Nova Scotia, Avard was a constant promoter of the railway and saw that Paradise had the first section of the Windsor-Digby line in Annapolis County. Charlotte turned the sod in Paradise in August 1869. Their son Harry and Lillian [Leonard] and children occupied the house until 1947.  Ronald  Longley was a history professor and Dean of Arts at Acadia University. Gordon, a bank manager, moved throughout Nova Scotia. Max lived alone, then built a small home across the road.

After the Longleys, came an interesting mix of owners. Lester Brinton ran a  poultry business and built a brick bungalow next to Max’s. Floyd and Mary Newell improved and maintained the home beautifully. Their children outmigrated: Ed became a professor at Atlantic Baptist University, Kate and Jessie engineers in Ontario and B.C.  Later owners were artists and entrepreneurs who used their gifts in community projects. Of these, David Dawe and Rita Torlen restored the outside of this home to beautiful period colours in 2004.