Thomas McCulloch

mcculloch portraitThe McCulloch story in Nova Scotia begins about 1805. Rev. Dr. Thomas McCulloch immigrated to the town of Pictou decades after the ship Hector brought some of the first Scottish settlers. He and his wife, Isabella, raised their family in this Scottish-style house. Here, among some of McCulloch's possessions—from his desk to items from his natural history collection—you can discover a man who wore many hats and had a talent for stirring up controversy.

McCulloch championed new ways of thinking about education, politics and religion. It wasn't long before he was challenging the establishment. He insisted on equal access to education and believed that learning should include the study of science. His crusade helped change the educational and political landscape and his challenges to the established order brought upheaval to the community of Pictou.