6132 Highway 201: The James Albert Daniels House

Architecture Style: Modified Vernacular

Built: c. 1857

Asa Daniels came on the Charming Molly in 1760 with other New England planters. The family came to this area in the early 1800s. Some say that Asa bought his landholdings from a disgruntled soldier, John Lunn, for five pounds! This story, and the tradition that Asa owned all the lands south of the river from Lawrencetown to Paradise Lane, comes from Dr. Frank Morse’s unpublished history (courtesy of Ethelwyn [Trimper] Gaul). In 1784 Asa Daniels, “From Massachusetts, for love and affection” gave his son Ephraim “part of Lot 1 and part of Lot 2 in the Second Division”.  Ephraim’s sons, Asa II and Ephraim Jr., divided their father’s land:  Ephraim’s son, Sydney Harris Daniels, and Asa’s grandson, James Albert Daniels, owned adjoining lots. This house was built on Asa II’s land, which was divided upon his death in 1856 between his sons, James and Benjamin. James Albert Daniels next owned this house, until he died  in1909. Thus, cousins grew up together, with aunts and uncles and grandparents  – “one big family”, as one resident recalled.                                                 

In 1921, John Whitman and his mother, Ursula [Stephens], moved in. John married Helen Milner in 1941. Descended from Planter John Whitman of Massachusetts, the Whitmans were an artistic and dedicated family. John’s father was Jacob Bailey Whitman, Chief Forest Ranger for Annapolis County, and Deputy Commissioner of Crown Lands, who wrote and spoke about the value of Nova Scotia’s forests, and their need to be managed and protected. John’s son David taught school in Halifax, and in 1973 he and Paulette [Chase] moved back to Paradise and the family home. Their daughters Lori and Cathy were born here. David and Paulette added to the house, on the west and south sides, incorporating old timbers from the Daniels barn. Both were noted authors:  Paulette was the co-author of several books on education and the briskly selling  Guide to Successful Yardsaleing. And her Paradise poems echoed for so many that sense of gratitude and enchantment that living in this village can mean. David wrote and published Lost in the Woods: the Lure and History of Roxbury. People loved David’s knowledgeable talks and tours of the ghost hamlet of Roxbury; they ate up his book! A gifted artist, David created chainsaw carvings – comforting sentinels in front of Paradise homes, adding charm and life and something called Grace to our lives.