Former Cyrus Eaton home in Blandford destroyed by fire
House caught fire Sunday morning; cause still under investigation
A Blandford, N.S. home that once belonged to industrialist Cyrus Eaton — who was known for bringing internationally renowned scientists like Albert Einstein to Nova Scotia to talk about nuclear threat during the Cold War — burned to the ground Sunday morning after a fire.
The Upper Blandford Road home belonged to Alan Havill's parents who lived there for about 30 years. He was alerted to the fire by the property's caretakers.
Havill says the fire chief deemed the house a total loss and kept his team back to ensure that the fire did not spread.
"[The caretaker] called me at about 8:45 a.m. just after the fire department showed up. She was in great distress, she was really at a loss for words, but she told me the house was fully on fire," he said.
Havill then called his mother who lives in Bedford and the two drove to the house to see the damage.
"It was devastating for her. She and dad, they bought the property in part for the history," said Havill.
The house was originally built in 1936 by Cyrus Eaton. Eaton started the "Pugwash Thinkers Tank" which brought renowned scientists to the province.
Eaton's Pugwash home caught fire in 1996, but was saved by firefighters.
Havill says after his family bought the Blandford property, they renovated it but preserved and embraced the original look.
"They wanted a gathering place for our extended family and friends to come and have celebrations," said Havill.
Havill says the home provided a backdrop for weddings, wedding pictures, receptions, reunions, community family picnic events, Christmas and family gatherings over the years.
"It's just been a place where family and friends, locally and from afar, felt welcomed."
The cause of the fire is still being investigated. Havill says he's not sure what the next steps are for his family.
"We're still digesting the situation. We got to understand where we are before we can even think about where we want to go from here," said Havill. "In part that includes the normal things like investigation and insurance and all this kind of stuff."
