 |
Connect |
Contact the Hants RDA 
FESTIVALS & EVENTS
HANTS COUNTY BUSINESS DIRECTORY 
WHAT'S NEW
FUNDING PROGRAMS 2008
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN HANTS COUNTYMuseums and Historic SitesHistoric Plaques and Monuments Photographs of historic plaques and monuments in Hants County. Hantsport Falmouth Windsor Mount Uniacke
Gore Avondale/Newport Landing Walton Burntcoat Head
Selma Maitland South Maitland
Shubenacadie Churchill HouseThis grand Victorian house tucked among stately cedars and oak trees was once know as The Cedars. The house was built in 1860 by Senator Ezra Churchill as a wedding gift for his son John. Senator Churchill was owner of Churchill & Sons Shipyards, one of the two main shipyards in Hantsport during that century. A portion of the house has been restored and today houses the Hantsport Memorial Community Centre and the Hantsport Marine Memorial Room. The Churchill estate was managed during the 1860's by Francis da Silva, a Portuguese stowaway, whose murals can still be seen in the house. For more information see the Hantsport & Area Historical Society description of Churchill House. Hantsport Marine Memorial RoomLocated in the restored Churchill House, former home of Senator Churchill. Collection of late 19th century marine memorabilia including ship building records, models, nautical equipment and shipbuilding tools and photos. For more information see the Hantsport & Area Historical Society description of Hantsport Marine Memorial Room. Falmouth Village Heritage FarmExperience a wooden barrel being made from start to finish. Learn the names of 200-year-old antique tools and see how they were used. Barrels can be purchased any time from the stock on hand or made to order. Falmouth Village Heritage Farm is at 853 Sangster Bridge Road, Falmouth. 902-798-4856 Sainte Famille CemeteryThe parish of Sainte Famille was founded in 1722 and included the villages on the west side of the Piziquid River. The river is now called the Avon River and the community name is Falmouth. The Sainte Famille Cemetery was used as a burial place by the Acadians until the deportation in 1755. After the deportation, this cemetery was soon forgotten, although local residents still spoke of its existence. In the summer of 1996 human remains were discovered. An archaeological dig, carried out by the Nova Scotia Museum, established the boundaries of the cemetery which contains an estimated 300 graves. The area is now preserved as a historic site and includes a memorial walkway and interpretation. it is located at 419 Gabriel Road, Falmouth. Windsor Fire Department Veteran's Memorial MuseumLocated in the Civic Building, 100 King Street, Windsor. this museum was established in 1992 by veterans of the Windsor Fire Department. Its purpose is to preserve and show to the public the history of fires and firefighting equipment, particularly in the Windsor area. To arrange for a Veteran to conduct a tour or for more information phone 798-2000. Fort Edward National Historic SiteUnder the town clock turn off King Street, Windsor to see the blockhouse. Built in 1750, ostensibly by Major Charles lawrence, this is Canada's oldest remaining military structure and the last surviving blockhouse in Nova Scotia. Fort Edward was one of the main assembly points in the expulsion of the Acadians in 1755. For more information see Parks Canada's description of Fort Edward National Historic Site. Haliburton HouseHaliburton House, Clifton Avenue, Windsor, is the estate of Judge Thomas Chandler Haliburton, lawyer, historian and humorist who created Sam Slick. Refurnished with Victorian pieces including Haliburton's own desk. Open June 1 to October 15, Monday to Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Sunday 1:00 to 5:30 p.m. For more information see the Nova Scotia Museum's description of the Haliburton House. King's-Edgehill SchoolKing's-Edgehill School is the oldest independent school in Canada. It was founded in 1788 by the Rt. Rev. Charles Inglis, the first Anglican Bishop of Canada, to serve the Loyalist families who settled in Nova Scotia following the American Revolution. The campus is situated on 65 wooded and landscaped acres. Convocation Hall (1863) and the Hensley Memorial Chapel were designed by the distinguished 19th century Canadian architect, David Stirling. There are several 19th century houses on the campus in which members of the faculty live. Visitors are invited to stroll the grounds. Guided tours are available. Please phone the school at 902-798-2278 or inquire on the campus at Marshall House. Shand HouseBuilt in 1890-91, this stylish Victorian home shows examples of woodwork and furnishings by the Windsor Furniture Company as well as up to date outdoor plumbing, central heating and electric lighting. Actual Shand family furnishings. Located on Avon Street, Windsor. Open June 1 to September 15, Monday to Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Sunday 1:00 to 5:30 p.m. For more information see the Nova Scotia Museum's description of the Shand House. Windsor Hockey Heritage CentreThe origins of Canada's great national winter game, Ice Hockey, can be traced to Long Pond in Windsor where boys from Kings College School first played the game. Located on Gerrish Street, Windsor, the Hockey Heritage Centre features artifacts, historical photos and Ice Hockey History documentation. To join the Windsor Hockey Heritage Society or for information phone phone 902-798-1800 or write Box 430, Windsor, NS, B0N 2T0. Uniacke Estate Museum ParkBuilt circa 1815, the home of Richard John Uniacke, Attorney General of Nova Scotia, 1797 and 1830. A fine example of colonial architecture, this is a rare example of a house built in this era and never modernized. Many of the mahogany pieces are the original period furnishings imported from George Adams of London. Vistors are invited to relax at a picnic area overlooking Lake Martha and to explore the 2300 acre estate using six newly developed hiking trails:
Drumlin Field Trail Hothouse Hill Trail Red Spruce Trail Post Road Trail which includes part of the old road from Halifax to Windsor. Wetlands Trail for nature lovers. Hiking boots recommended. Located on Highway #1, Mount Uniacke. For more information see the Nova Scotia Museum's description of Uniacke House. Court House HillOff route 354 just south of the intersection with route 202 Court House Road climbs to a commemorative cairn on Court House Hill. Until 1867, all East Hants Council meetings were held in the private homes of Councillors. However, lack of space proved a need for a Court House to conduct the dealings of the Municipality. In October, 1867, the first meeting was held at the Court House location in what is now known as Gore. This Court served our Justices and Councillors until 1907. As an historical landmark, the Court House stood unused on the hill for numerous years, but on Sunday, July 22, 1956 fire destroyed the building completely. When visiting this site you can view five counties: Hants, Cumberland, Kings, Colchester and Pictou. Reprinted from "Right In Our Own Back Yard!" courtesy of Municipality of East Hants Avon River Heritage Museum and ShipyardThe museum complex of the Avon River Heritage Society is dedicated to the Maritime Heritage of the Avon River area and to the "Planters" (the New England settlers of Newport Township) whose first arrivals stepped ashore in Newport Landing in May 1760 to take up the lands left vacant by the Expulsion of the Acadian French in 1755. Beside the museum, the shipyard strives to recapture the art of shipbuilding through its involvement in re-creating wooden sailing vessels. The museum also features a gift shop and a tea room. www.avonriver.ca Walton LighthouseLocated on Pier Road, past the government wharf, the Walton lighthouse is the last remaining original shingled wooden lighthouse in Hants County. A plaque identifies the site as a Municipality of East Hants Heritage Property built circa 1873. Visitors are invited to climb to the top of the lighthouse and enjoy a panoramic view of the cliffs and Fundy tides. A walking trail leads visitors through the woods to a shady lookoff. Picnic tables and outdoor washrooms on site. For more information see: Walton Lighthouse, Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society East Hants Historical Society MuseumLocated at 6971 Route 215, in the former church at Lower Selma. Upon entering this little church museum you are automatically taken back to the time of our ancestors. Guides are at your service to answer questions and give you a tour through time. From 1865 to 1965 this church was used by Presbyterian worshippers from Maitland and Noel. A Nova Scotian painter painted the walls and the scroll design ceiling in 1881, using feathers instead of brushes to give the walls a marble effect. In 1981 the church was leased to the East Hants Historical Society and turned into a museum. When inside, you will find early East Hants photos, genealogies of local families, catalogues of many area cemetaries, and a 1871 census of Maitland, listing families, ages, religion, occupation, etc. Also on display are farming implements, antique household appliances, and half models of ships. A school and ladies parlour can be seen, complete with furniture and old artifacts. Open July and August 9:30 am to 5:30 pm. Reprinted from "Right In Our Own Back Yard!" courtesy of Municipality of East Hants For more information see: East Hants Historical Society Museum Lawrence HouseBuilt by shipbuilder William D.Lawrence on a site overlooking the shipyard where he built his Great Ship, the house is one of the many fine homes built while Maitland was a shipbuilding center. The house is furnished with many original furnishings and decorated with souvenirs collected from all over the world. On stormy nights the sounds of violin music can be heard coming from the house, played, according to some, by the ghost of W. D. Lawrence. The W.D. Lawrence was the largest wooden sailing ship ever built in Canada. Every year the shipbuilding heritage of the Maitland area is celebrated with a reenactment of the banishing of the whiskey pedlars and launching of a model of the W. D. Lawrence. For more information see the Nova Scotia Museum's description of the Lawrence House. Village of Maitland, Nova Scotia's First Heritage Conservation Districtwww.maitlandns.comAt 12 noon on Saturday, July 5th, 1995, Lieutenant Governor James J. Kinley unveiled the commemorative monument in front of Maitland's Meeting Place / Visitor Information Centre. Maitland's first inhabitants were the Micmacs who had two names for the area: menesatung meaning "healing waters" and T'witnook meaning "the place where the river runs fast." The Acadians who settled here between 1685 and the expulsion in 1755 called the community Village Robert. They were the first builders of the dyke system that is still in use today. The English began to settle the area in the late 1780s. By the late 19th century the village had become a major shipbuilding centre, launching the W.D. Lawrence, the largest wooden sailing ship ever built in Canada. The magnificent homes built by the wealthy shipbuilders are being restored and showcased by present day owners who encourage visitors to tour the village. A picture collection and descriptive plaques of 24 of the village's heritage homes is on display at the Visitor Information Centre. Walking Tours of 47 Heritage Properties are available in booklet form. For more information write: Maitland Heritage Homes, c/o Box 33, Maitland, NS, B0N 1T0, or phone (902) 261-2260 evenings. DAR Caboose MuseumIn South Maitland at the intersection of highways 215 & 236, is a museum celebrating the history of the Dominion Atlantic Railway and its effect on the development of the local community. The museum is housed in a DAR caboose on the site of the former railway line. The Shubenacadie Tin Smith Shop Museumwww.tinshopmuseum.ca
In 1895 he built a Tin Smith Shop and Hardware Store with an attached residence for his family. The milk cans he made were superior to any that existed. They were almost indestructible and became the standard can for all Nova Scotia dairies. The tinsmith machinery that is displayed in the museum is the original equipment that was installed by Watson Smith in 1896. The equipment still works. The Watson Smith & Sons Tin Smith Shop Museum building was designated a heritage property by the Municipality of East Hants in 1991. The Historic Shubenacadie CanalCompleted in 1853, the Shubenacadie Canal is considered an engineering marvel of its day. Following a traditional waterway, a system of locks opened up the canal to commercial and military travel from Halifax Harbour to the Bay of Fundy. Follow the canal route along the Shubenacadie River from Maitland to Shubenacadie on Rte 215, then to Enfield on Rte 2. See also: |
In the early 1890's Watson Smith came to Shubenacadie to repair a furnace in the American Hotel. While waiting at the train station he observed empty milk cans being tossed off the milk train and noted their poor condition. He knew he could do better.