Photo credit: MacDonald Farm
At 600 Route 11 in Lower Newcastle, New Brunswick, a 200-year-old stone farmhouse and farm complex has been closed for the past two summers. Built between 1815 and 1820 for Alexander McDonald, a Scottish-born veteran who settled on the Miramichi in 1784 after serving with the MacDonald’s Highlanders during the American Revolution, the farmhouse is a rare Maritime example of Palladian-style stone construction, its five-bay façade and central hall plan reflecting the Scottish building traditions its owner brought with him. The surrounding 120-hectare property illustrates the combined farming-and-fishing way of life once common along the river. The Province of New Brunswick has owned the site since the 1970s, operating it as a working farm interpretive centre until 2010. In 2012, at the province’s request, the volunteer-run Highland Society of New Brunswick at Miramichi took over day-to-day operations, receiving an annual operating grant of $60,000 from 2012 through 2023.
Facing rising costs in 2024, the Society requested additional funding and received a one-time increase to $100,000. The following year, the province reverted to its original $60,000 offer. The Society concluded that amount could not sustainably run the farm and chose not to open for the 2025 season. In the spring of 2026, the Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture identified MacDonald Farm as one of ten heritage sites and parks the province intends to divest. The Society is not in a position to take over sole ownership and responsibility.
MacDonald Farm’s predicament is not unique. Nova Scotia announced the closure of 12 of the province’s 28 museum sites, subsequently letting six of the twelve reopen as community-operated sites. Alberta also cut funding to heritage organizations.
Location: Lower Newcastle (Miramichi), NB
Endangered Places List: 2026
Status: Endangered
