Peter Smyth

Who was Peter Smyth?

Peter Smyth was an Irish-born merchant and politician in Nova Scotia. He represented Inverness County in the Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia from 1847 to 1867 as a Reformer and then as a Conservative.

He was born in Dublin and came to Nova Scotia in 1817. He was married twice: first to Mary O'Grady in 1830 and then to Ellen Keating. Smyth was a fish and cattle merchant, owned at least two stores and also dealt in land. He served as a school board commissioner, road commissioner, justice of the peace and as custos rotulorum for Inverness County. Originally a Liberal, Smyth crossed the floor in 1857 to become a Conservative. He was a member of the Legislative Council of Nova Scotia from 1867 until his death in Port Hood in 1879.

A devoted Roman Catholic, Smyth donated a portion of his estate to the Diocese of Antigonish.

His daughter Elizabeth married Duncan J. Campbell. DESCRIPTION OF HISTORIC PLACE The Peter Smyth House stands prominently on raised ground in the north end of Port Hood, commanding an unrestricted view of Port Hood Harbour and two off-shore islands. Its front elevation is one-and-a-half storeys with two-and-a-half storeys at the rear. Built in the mid-1850s, its front façade has a central front entrance with two windows on either side and a Scottish dormer above. It is the only house in Inverness County built of dressed stone ashlar masonry. Municipal designation covers both the building and surrounding property.