Thorndean Heritage Limited was founded in 1975, as a small, self-managed condominium association with the dual aim of administration of the living arrangements of the shareholder-tenants and preservation of Thorndean House, a provincially and municipally registered Heritage Property (as of 12/11/1981). Thorndean is located at 5680-82 Inglis Street in the south end of Halifax, Nova Scotia and is recognized for its Georgian architectural features and the historical life of its early owners.
Thorndean was built in 1835 for John Tremaine, a merchant and Loyalist who came to Halifax in 1785 to escape the American Revolution. Tremaine sold the house to James Forman, who was the first cashier at the Bank of Nova Scotia. In 1870 Forman was discovered to have embezzled over $300,000 from the bank during the twenty-five years he worked there. To repay the bank Forman signed over Thorndean and all its contents to be auctioned. The estate was purchased by John S. Maclean, a Halifax merchant and ship owner, and at the time the president of the Bank of Nova Scotia.
Early occupants/company officers were Mr. James R. Lotz, President; Ms. Margaret Jordan as Vice-President, Dr. J. Patricia Beresford as Secretary, and Mr. David Miller as Treasurer.Built in 1835 by James Forman, Thorndean House underwent major renovations in 2010. Mrs. Patricia Lotz has conducted research into the history of Thorndean House.