Beinn Bhreagh Hall National Historic Site of Canada

Beinn Bhreagh Hall was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 2017. It is recognized because:

• built in 1892-1893, the summer residence, estate and laboratory of Alexander Graham Bell and his wife, Mabel Bell, is an outstanding example of a prominent house built in the Shingle style popular in New England and favoured on the American seaboard. It is noted for its exceptional integrity, stone fireplaces and interior workmanship; lush gardens surrounding the main residence created by Mabel Bell;
• an inspiration to inventor and scientist Alexander Graham Bell during his late career, the estate served as a rare private home that was also the nerve centre for innovative experiments with kites, and sheep breeding, tetrahedral construction and hydrofoils;
• founded here in 1907 by Mabel and Alexander Bell, the Aerial Experiment Association developed four prototype airplanes, including the Silver Dart, which flew across Bras D’Or Lake in February 1909.

Designed by Boston architect Arthur G. Everett, the main residence building is one of the few surviving examples of an Atlantic Canadian summer home built by a prominent American, as well as an exceptional instance of the use of the Shingle style in Canada. The site is distinguished by gardens planted with exotic and uncommon species which reflect the original horticultural and landscaping efforts of Mabel Hubbard Bell. Beinn Bhreagh Hall is also a rare example of a summer residence that additionally functioned as a research laboratory. The estate was an important base for scientific experimentation and discourse, including research by Alexander Graham Bell and partners on sound transmission, medicine, marine engineering, and aeronautics, including Canada’s first controlled, powered flight.