10285 Highway 1: The Ernest Burke House

Architecture Style: Greek Revival

Built: 1896

As Paradise settled nicely into its second century of post-Acadian settlement, Ernest Burke bought and tore down Joseph Worthylake’s small house next door to the Baptist Church. Joseph was a mill manager, and  Ernest was a blacksmith.

This house was for many years owned by the Rupert Chesley family, descendants of Samuel Chesley, a grantee by 1764 in the emigration of Planters from New England to Granville, Nova Scotia.  Samuel was “an intelligent and well‑read man and leading magistrate”. He was said to have planted the first orchard of any importance in Wilmot Township, on a farm called “Cold Spring”, which he gave his son James. Rupert was James’ grandson.  Rupert, like a number of Clarence or West Paradise farmers in the early part of the 20^th century, retired in Paradise, for the activity, services,  recreation,  and community available here. It was hard work on the farm; today we may dream of vast private retreats for our retirement; then it was thought that a small bit of property was a step up from the demands of all those acres.

Rupert and Ada’s daughter, Minnie Rice, lived here for some years and then sold to Harvey Munroe, a carpenter. The above picture was taken before the Blynns, Carl and Frances [Gillis], altered the house by adding a sunroom in the front. On the right is a building used no doubt by both blacksmith and carpenter. On the left can be seen the horse sheds behind the church. People used to arrive at church in their best finery, often with horse and carriage.  In rain or snow, the horses could be sheltered here.

Frances and Carl raised their children, Wendy, Wayne, and Cheryl here.  Carl was the Station Master for the Dominion Atlantic Railway in Paradise. In 1967 Audrey and John Currie, both teachers, bought this house from the Blynns, and their boys, David and Douglas, went to Paradise School, where their father and mother both taught!  John taught the “upstairs” classes from 1969-1977. Audrey taught “downstairs” from 1970-1972, and from 1977-1979. In that year, the school was closed.

The Blynns and the Curries were great citizens of our village; Frances and Audrey remained active in Women’s Institute long after they were widowed and their children are grown. Audrey moved to Bedford to be near her sons.