On Sunday 5 April 1891, census enumerators spread out across Nova Scotia to collect the data needed to compile the federal census for that year. The specific moment in time that they captured that early spring day included valuable insight into the province's building stock.

The population for the province in 1891 totalled 450,396 individuals; they occupied 78,433 houses; and the majority of those structures were wood-framed:

• 77,955 (99.4%) wood-frame
• 257 (0.3%) brick
• 154 (0.2%) stone
• 67 (0.1%) building material not identified.

The statistical details printed in the Census of Canada 1890-91 provided additional information on the province’s homes by identifying the total number of rooms in each house:

• 785 (1.0%) 1 room
• 4,204 (5.4%) 2 rooms
• 6,622 (8.4%) 3 rooms
• 12,041 (15.4%) 4 rooms
• 10,159 (12.9%) 5 rooms
• 39,349 (50.2%) 6-10 rooms
• 4,446 (5.8%) 11-15 rooms
• 657 (0.9%) 16 or more rooms

Of the total number of dwelling-houses, 3,144(4.0%) were currently uninhabited and 1,225 (1.6%) were under construction. The majority of homes had 6-10 rooms, with smaller houses of 1-5 rooms following close behind.