History of the Home
Welcome to Atlantic Sojourn, original home of W. C. Smith, who bought the lot from the Trustees of the Common in 1885. Mr. Smith was a fisherman who later became the first president of W. C. Smith and Company.
In 1890 he built a home in this location, but in 1904 he decided he needed a bigger home and moved the original home to the lot next door on McKenzie. On the site of the original home, facing what was then the Bridgewater Road, he built this entirely new home, which in style and size befitted his position as the head of one of Lunenburg's most vigorous and expansive turn-of-the-century fish companies. Due to a recent fire, Mr. Smith's original home (next door) is presently under renovation.
Architecturally, the house has retained all of its original character. It is a tall, large scale two-and-a-half story structure with pedimented gables formed by the continuation of the roof eaves across the gable ends. On the side of the house facing Victoria Road is a wide projecting bay, also with a pedimented gable. The main door of the home faces Victoria Road and is protected by a formal portico which functions also as a deck or balcony for the second floor. Access to the balcony is through a second story door set into the recessed corner of the home. The home is shingled and the large wall surface is broken up not only by the pediments but also by sections of decorative shingles as well as by a molded belt course between the first and second stories.
Lunenburg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a great walking town filled with gorgeous architecture, great restaurants, lovely gardens, museums, quaint shops, and a working harbor. A comfortable ten-minute walk from Atlantic Sojourn will get you to the historic district.