The Market Barn
The Market Barn is a newer building having been built about 75 - 80 years ago. It has had many uses over the years housing, at different times, horses, pigs and vegetables. Vegetables were extremely important to this farm which carried on a sizable market garden business serving the city of Halifax and beyond. From 1978 to 1994 our Museum held a weekly farmers' market here on site, until it became no longer economically viable. A cold storage room in this barn is thought to have been the first in Cole Harbour and is an example of the progressive approach to market gardening which characterized this community.
The Market Barn is currently used for work space and storage but additional exhibit space is being developed. While the original part of the barn is not yet open to the public the extension on the west side, with entrance opposite the door of the livestock barn, holds a collection of the Museum's large agricultural equipment such as a thresher, binder and dump carts.