When you drive between the pillars at the entrance of St. Margaret’s Village, you’re transported back to another time.
Old-fashioned street lamps line the winding main road. Trees shield the homes and lots, providing ample privacy. Each civic number hangs from a carved wooden posts, adorned with hanging baskets of flowers or seasonal wreath.
A true “village” in every sense of the word, St. Margaret’s Village is a throw-back to Colonial times right here in the Halifax Regional Municipality. Located off Hammonds Plains Road on French Village Station Road, the neighbourhood is attracting owners who seek the charm of an old-fashioned neighborhood.
“St. Margaret’s Village started as a dream,” said Steve Whitman, a carpenter and owner of Lifetime Builders Ltd. and also the developer of St. Margaret’s Village. “I wanted to create a different kind of neighborhood that looked unique as a whole. I had a vision of what I wanted to develop, and I wanted all the homes built by the same person.”
Whitman — who previously built homes in prominent family-friendly areas such as Papermill Lake, Fox Hollow, Birch Bear Woods and Kingswood — knew he wanted the homes to be “New England-style,” with traditional street lighting, steeper roofs and corner boards and real roof returns.
“It’s a unique place to live because the surroundings are based on old country lanes,” Whitman said. “The houses are tucked in on the lots, with trees for privacy, and each driveway has a cozy lantern at the entrance.”
Whitman said the village’s “quiet country atmosphere” creates a feeling of community that you don’t often see these days. There are plenty of young families living in the village, with each lot ranging from one to two acres —making it perfect for backyard skating rinks and swimming pools.
While the exteriors of the houses all have a Colonial feel, homeowners work with Whitman and his team to customize the inside of their home according to their personal taste — including modern luxuries such as ceramic tile, hardwood floors and silent floor truss systems.
St. Margaret’s Village is a retreat away from the city, but there’s no shortage of local amenities. The area is minutes away from major grocery and hardware stores, restaurants, banks, public, private schools, beaches, and a Metro X lot.
Whitman’s crew is currently building three new homes in St. Margaret’s Village, and breaking ground on a fourth in early November.
