Rising above Gallows Hill
Lunenburg’s most prized architectural masterpiece, the iconic Lunenburg Academy, sits high atop Gallows Hill visible from most viewpoints when approaching the Town. The citizens of Lunenburg colloquially refer to it as ‘the Castle on the Hill’. This ornate Second Empire style Academy building is a registered Municipal and Provincial Heritage Property, and as of 1983 a National Historic Site.
The Lunenburg Academy Foundation, since its inception in 1981, has dedicated itself to the care, preservation and restoration of the building. Comprised of former staff and alumni community members and otherwise interested citizens, the Foundation works closely with the Town of Lunenburg to respect the past and ensure the future of the Lunenburg Academy.
Incorporated under the provisions of Chapter 286 of the revised Statutes of Nova Scotia, 1967, the Societies Act, approved on the 6th day of November 1981.
Academy Foundation Charter Board Members dated 21 October 1981:
Robert H. Campbell
Burton S. Schaffelburg
Harriet Whynacht
Shirley Brown
Kate Mossman
Patrick A. Burke
D. Laurence Mawhinney
Marilyn L. Eisnor
With the dissolution of the school in March of 2012, the Foundation no longer directly supported students and teachers in the school; rather it was tasked with the greater challenge of the building itself-its maintenance and its use. The 8 members of the Board meet on a regular basis to discuss plans and initiate projects for the maintenance and use of the building. We are now if the fifth year of an incredibly successful repurposing project making the Lunenburg Academy an outstanding Community Cultural Centre.
In addition to providing a place of learning, the Lunenburg Academy has been an important anchor that has helped to define and sustain our community throughout its history. Preserving this key element of our shared heritage is important not just to the collective memory, but to providing support to the creative economy that benefits the Town of Lunenburg and surrounding areas.