Dory Shop Museum
Step into a harbourside dory factory where 50,000 ‘workhorses of the sea’ have been turned out since its doors opened in 1880. On the ground floor, learn about how they were used in the Grand Banks fishery and what made the Shelburne dory the most popular small craft in the Atlantic provinces for almost a century. In the second floor workshop, the traditional skills and knowledge of craftsmen from a bygone era are still in evidence as our Dory Builder continues to produce authentic Shelburne dories. If you come at the right time, you may be invited out for a row!
The ground floor of the museum is physically accessible with a wheelchair-friendly entry available on request. The site, which is in the Nova Scotia Museum family, offers guided and self-guided tours in both official languages.
Location
11 Dock St
Shelburne, NS
Plan Your Visit
For more information about the Dory Shop Museum, please visit their website or email shelburne.museum@ns.sympatico.ca
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Look for the following logo at participating historic sites. Partner Organization: Shelburne Museums by the Sea |
The Dory Shop Museum is located in a building dating from 1865 on Shelburne’s scenic Dock Street, bordering the eastern edge of Shelburne Harbour. At the time of Confederation, near the height of Nova Scotia’s “Golden Age of Sail”, Shelburne boasted 11 separate shipyards along a one mile / 1.6 km stretch of the town’s waterfront. With easy access to an abundant supply of ship’s timber, good launch sites and a highly skilled workforce, Shelburne became an important source of schooners, brigs and brigantines and also produced several large barques and full-rigged ships. Then, as the demand for smaller craft increased, Shelburne responded by adding the production of dories. By the start of the 20th century, the town had seven shops in operation and for many years was reputed to be the world’s largest producer of dories.
The building was originally a warehouse for a local fish-outfitting firm until it was purchased by John C. Williams in 1880 and converted into a dory shop which was in operation until 1971. At that time, the Canadian government passed a law requiring all marine vessels over a certain size to be outfitted with self-inflating lifeboats, effectively eliminating most of the market for wooden dories, causing the business to close.
After sitting dormant for eight years, the building was acquired by the Nova Scotia government in 1979 to preserve the last remaining shop of its kind in Canada and convert it to a museum. The Dory Shop Museum was officially opened by Their Royal Highnesses, Prince Charles and Princess Diana on 16 June 1983 during the Shelburne Bicentennial Celebration.
The story of the Dory Shop Museum is not complete without Sidney Mahaney. In 1914, at the age of 17, he took a job at John C. Williams’ shop. Sidney worked at the shop for 79 years, becoming a Master Dory Builder in his own right and building over 10,000 dories.
Today, the Dory Shop Museum is a Nova Scotia Museum site managed by the Shelburne Historical Society, welcoming tourists and wooden boat enthusiasts from around the world. The traditional skills and knowledge of those craftsmen from a bygone era still flourish as the Dory Shop’s second floor continues to produce the same wooden dory that first hit the waters of Shelburne Harbour in 1880. Visitors are invited to row or ride in one of our dories and take in the spectacular view of Shelburne from the harbour.
