Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Park
The Annapolis River rises in the Aylesford bogs and runs westerly to the Annapolis Basin at Annapolis Royal. Annapolis means “Queen Anne's town”. The river was tidal to slightly upriver from Bridgetown until the construction of the tidal dam and causeway at Annapolis Royal. Now that tidal power is being produced at Annapolis, the tides have returned.
The first settlers in this area were the French, who settled about a mile east of the park in the 1630's. They had made their way upriver from the settlements at Annapolis Royal, partly because it was safer. The French industriously turned the tidal salt marshes into extremely fertile and protective lands through dykes to keep out the saltwater and aboiteaux to let the freshwater escape when the tides went out. Until the 1950's the "marsh" land was substantially more valuable than the upland. The brook at the Park, now known as Solomon Chute Brook, was for years called simply Aboiteau Brook, as it was the site of a very old aboiteau. (English pronunciation tended to a form like arbitoe, and sometimes so does the spelling.)An aboiteau was a dam that contained a wooden sluice with a "clapper", a one-way door that would let out the fresh water but seal up and prevent salt water entering when the tide came in.
The river provided the pathway for both imports and exports; it was the focus of the commercial life of the community. It also became a focus of social life, including ice fishing and even trotting races on the ice.
To your left as you look at the river is Solomon Chute Brook, named after an early farmer who cultivated its upper reaches in the mid-1800's. As indicated, for locals it was always referred to as Aboiteau Creek. Once, the brook defined one of the centres of industry in Bridgetown. There were wharves at its mouth, and it was not unusual for ships to be anchored in the creek. Saw mills and grist mills were located on the upper reaches of the brook.
WATER STREET
Follow the walkway to Albert Street at Court Street. The foundry was just to your left. The courthouse that gave its name to Court Street was between the foundry and the street. They both burned down in a fire started in the foundry in 1884. Notice the old home on the corner of Albert and Court Street. This is a classic example of the common home in the earliest days of the Town, with a steeply pitched roof and no decoration. While not precisely dated, the house seems to date from about 1826. Behind this house is the "new" courthouse, now an apartment building. There have been no court sittings in Bridgetown for over half a century. Across Albert Street, on the right, is another of the older homes in Bridgetown. This house still occupies most of two original ninety by ninety town lots, the only home in Bridgetown still to do so. It was constructed by Reverend William Elder between 1826 and 1828. He was a Baptist Minister, but kept food on the table by iron work, including axes and horseshoes. There was a ladies' Seminary in the house in the 1830's. It is said to have always been painted yellow (except for a short time as a brown house).
The house on the corner of Water Street and Court Street on your right, No. 21, was built between 1822 and 1832 by Nathan Randall, a trader. It is another of the oldest houses in the town, although it has been extensively added to. It was ideally situated for overseeing the landing of cargoes at the wharves across the street. Later this was the home of Joseph Foster, an important merchant in the town in the first half of this century.
You are now on Water Street, the heart of early Bridgetown. Across the street ships tied up at the wharves to offload cargoes from around the world, and to load local products in return. The old warehouse to the far right (beyond the apartment building) was probably built by Anley Foster sometime after 1866. After 1884 it was owned by the Longmire family, which ran a freight service between Bridgetown and Saint John New Brunswick between 1884 and 1939. Two ships named " Valinda" were among the vessels used. Older residents can well remember the second Valinda steaming up the river and docking at Longmire's wharves.
Directly in front of you, No. 22, is another original, dating from 1822-32. Once coal was unloaded at the wharf to the rear of the house. It was built by another of the town's merchants, James Clark.
Continue along your way and see No. 19 Water Street, a house built by James Peters shortly after 1825. It was originally a public house and a rooming house for sailors, another reminder of the town's maritime past.
The house next door, No. 16, is much younger, with elements of Greek revival and Second Empire influence demonstrating the prosperity achieved by the merchants of the later nineteenth century. This house was built by John Marshall in 1891.
On your left, No. 17, you see the Kervin house, built in 1845. Next to it, on the corner of Middle Street, is a house built by another merchant, Joseph Wheelock, in 1831. This house was a double house for many years, having been originally constructed that way to provide housing for Mr. Wheelock's partner, W. Y. Foster.
Across the street, No. 14, was constructed in 1829. It was built by Joseph Wheelock, the first of many houses he built in the town. Note how close this and the other houses are to the street. The back yards fronted on the river, and they had to leave room for wharves and warehouses.
Continue across Middle Street to Queen Street, now cross. This is the main street of the town, so watch carefully. The building before you is a former garage, built in the classic early style by Super-Service Stations shortly after 1929. It has been converted to office space.
Look right. The last house before the bridge (across the street) was built in 1887. It was owned or occupied by a series of photographers (the studio was upstairs) until 1969. These included Joseph Rice (who built it), Miss Edith Crosskill and Miss Georgina Cunningham. Residents of Bridgetown have always adapted existing buildings to other purposes. The grocery store started as a car dealership and became a bottling plant before being converted to groceries.
Bridge Look-Off
The bridge has always been the heart of Bridgetown. The current bridge is a new, conventional highway bridge opened in 1922. The lighting was provided by the town and the Business Improvement District Commission.
The first bridge replaced the ferry in 1805. It was relatively crude, based on huge abutments in the river, needed to defeat the tides. Apparently it created noisy whirlpools and eddies when the tide turned. If nothing else, it created a barrier preventing ships of any size from travelling further up the River. “ Bridge town is a neat little village, taking its name from the bridge that connects Granville with Annapolis, and deriving its origin and support from the depot which is here formed at the head of navigation for the trade of Wilmot and the upper part of the two adjoining townships.” Haliburton, 1829.
Bridgetown “is also a seaport, and vessels of very heavy tonnage may come up the river, and discharge their cargoes into its bosom, an advantage which, notwithstanding the difficulties of the Bay and River navigation, is one of the first importance.” Howe, 1828.
The large building you can see across the river on the right, the one with the turret, is the former St. James Hotel, later the Riverside Inn. Occupation of this site goes back to John Hicks (the original ferryman) and his home, integrated into an earlier version of the Inn but since burned. The present building was built in 1902; it remained as a hotel until about 1930.
You may wish to cross the bridge and look around.
Historic Cyprus Walk continues, returning up Queen Street and taking a right on Centennial Drive. The building supply store on the corner was built in 1830 by Thomas Spurr, a local merchant and the first post master. It housed the first post office when stagecoaches started to run through the Valley to Annapolis Royal. The local newspaper was located here for a few years.
This street, Centennial Drive, was originally known as Revere Street after the Revere House, an early Inn. The houses along the street are of more recent construction, as this area of Bridgetown was opened up somewhat later than the ones you’ve already seen. Post Office Street originally extended south across Centennial to reach the Mud House Tavern, said to have been converted from one of the original Acadian dwellings.
Continue up Washington Street past the Elementary School (the first school on this site was built in 1867). Remain to your left along Victoria Street. The houses across from the school were all built about the turn of the century. The occupants of No. 5 and No. 7 were partners, and once ran a barrel factory behind the houses.
Proceed through the cemetery to Riverside Drive and turn left. Follow Riverside Drive to Rectory Street. The Riverside Drive area has recently been opened to development. It is the newest street in Bridgetown. Formerly it was the site of cider, vinegar and bottling works, particularly the Annapolis Valley Cider Company (later sold to M. W. Graves and Company).
As you leave the cemetery, you will be on a street known as either Chipman Avenue or Cemetery Lane, since (like most of the cemetery) it was originally part of the William Chipman Farm. The houses are newer in this area.
Continue along Chipman Avenue and cross Centennial Drive (named for Canada's centenary in 1967). You can see the wider street representing more modern traffic flows than the streets laid out in 1821.
Granville Street takes its name from its usual description as the main road through Granville, meaning Granville Township. Granville Township, which went from the north bank of the River to the Bay of Fundy, and from the Messenger Road east of Bridgetown to below Port Royal, was one of the earliest New England Planter settlements in Nova Scotia. It was granted to 168 proprietors in 1764. The Township was named for Lord John Cartaret, Earl of Granville, an English Secretary of State. This portion of Granville Street, to the Queen Street corner, was part of the Main Post Road, meaning the main road through the Annapolis Valley used by the mails. The main road crossed the river here at Bridgetown since it was the last bridge on the river. The bridge at Annapolis Royal was not constructed until the turn of the century.
As you reach Granville Street, the house on your right, No. 380, was built about 1902. William Chipman was subdividing his lands and offering them for sale in 1897, when the Town was incorporated. This lot was one of the choice ones, but still only sold in 1902, like its companion lot on the other side of Chipman Avenue, No. 374. This home was once occupied by Henry Hicks, a former premier of Nova Scotia.
Along Granville Street, still on your right, No. 363, is a house built by Charles Haines, the saddler, about 1836. This house is just west of the old farm boundary from the Chipman property, and was developed by Frances Crosskill very much earlier. In both cases the farms originally ran from the Annapolis River across the North Mountain to the shore of the Bay of Fundy. The part north of the top of the mountain was generally the first to be sold off. The house was the Baptist parsonage between 1839 and 1907, when a new parsonage was obtained on Granville Street West. It was then occupied by members of the Crowe family to 1971.
Jeffrey Street was originally laid out as the road to the mills. The Gidney family had a noted sawmill on the brook to the north, and a grist mill was built there later. When these mills were operational, it was common for the mills only to operate for a few months of the year when the spring water flow was sufficient to provide reasonable water power.
To your left, No. 352, is a modified New England Colonial Town House, built by W. Y. Foster in 1843 on another of Frances Crosskill's lots. The Lockett family (who bought out Joseph Wheelock's store in 1868; Foster was Wheelock's partner for many years) occupied this house for 82-years.
On the corner of Jeffrey and Granville Street, No. 343, is another old home, in the same style, built by Aaron Cleveland in 1834. At one time it was owned by the Hoyt family, who had a stone-cutting business and a store across the street (now gone).
Next door on your right, No. 339, is a similar style home built by Hanson Chesley, a prominent local merchant, in 1848.
On your left, No. 344, is another New England Colonial built about 1852.
Next is the street, No. 335, is a home originally constructed about 1830 by (probably) Josiah Sanders, a shoemaker. It was subsequently owned by various stonecutters.
On the corner of Granville Street at Rectory Street, No. 26, is the original Church of England Rectory that gave the street its name (it was originally Fox Street, named after "the widow Fox" who lived farther south, and was sometimes also called Steadman Street, after the widow Fox's successor in title). The house was built by Edward Eaton in the 1830's. It is a modified Greek revival. On your right, along Granville Street, notice the house well back off the road. This was built by Watson Russell in 1833. Watson Russell was known for often paying his bills with pottery. Between 1860 and 1890 the house was owned by John Bath Reed, proprietor of the Reed Furniture factory just east of the house more or less where the curling rink is now.
The house in front, near the street, No. 329, was built by Joseph Bohaker in 1836, and was occupied by different town merchants for the next fifty years. Various members of the Reed family lived in it for sixty years after.
The large home next door, still on your right, No. 325, was built by the Honourable O. T. Daniels, a local lawyer and politician who was at one time Attorney General of Nova Scotia. The Daniels family sold the house in 1937 to K. Lee Crowell, another local lawyer who became a judge of the county court. The house was built in 1896-97, but was probably still being worked on as late as 1902.
On your right is the Baptist Church. The original " Baptist or New Light meeting house" was built on a quarter-acre on this site about 1785. A proper church was erected in 1828. In 1891 the present church replaced the older church, which had been outgrown. The old church, sixty feet long and forty feet wide, was moved to the northwest corner of Centennial and Freeman Streets for use as a furniture factory, but burned down in 1902.
On your right, No. 305, is a modified New England Colonial dating from about 1865. It was built by Dr. DeBlois and was occupied for many years by medical doctors (and was known by older citizens as the "Doctor's House). Solomon Lowe, CNR station agent, who lived to be over 100, bought the house in 1936 and his daughter resides there still.
Next to the Anglican Church, continuing along Granville Street, No. 285 is a building originally built as the Masonic hall in 1879, and served in that capacity until 1926. It was a meat market for many years.
The second structure down from No. 285, adjacent to the service station, was originally constructed in 1829 by Dr. Silas Piper, Bridgetown's first doctor. The original building had a steam room for vapour baths. Later it was occupied as a drugstore. The building has been moved at least once.
The service station was built in 1933, and is a classic of its kind. When it was built the Irving company was required to move the adjacent building and carry out additional improvements to the land. The Town Hall, at the head of Queen Street, is a former federal post office, constructed in the 1930's, on the site of a former hotel. The land was once owned by Captain Crosskill's second wife. The town offices moved into the building in 1973. The town library, one of the oldest in the province, is located downstairs.
The corner where you are presently standing was on the main highway through the Annapolis Valley. Here the road turned to go down to the bridge and across the river. Passing out through the lane to Carleton Corner, it then turned west once more to Annapolis. Remember, if the road had not crossed here, it could not have reached Annapolis, as this was the last bridge. This stretch of highway is part of the oldest continually used highway in Nova Scotia. To the west is the road through Granville, leading to Granville Ferry and eventually to Victoria Beach. The roads on both sides of the river probably approximate the location of Acadian trails.
On the corners at the head of Queen Street (this one named after Queen Victoria) are the two of the Town’s banks, , both present in Bridgetown before 1900. The bank located in the Primrose Block, No. 274 on your left, was built by the Primrose doctors (local dentists) in 1900. This building is on the site of Foster's tavern and the Golden Ball Inn, the traditional site of the 1824 meeting where the name of the town was chosen and where the stage coach stopped for many years.
The other bank, No.3 on your right, has been on its site since 1910, although the existing building is barely 50-years-old.
Next door, No. 11, is a house dating from the 1820's, also built by Edward Eaton. It may possibly have been built on Acadian foundations, although such records as there are do not suggest Acadian dwellings in this part of the town. The store was added in the 1880's.
No. 16 is a store built about 1835 by John Hill, a merchant. It has been consistently used for commercial purposes since it was constructed. On the same side of the street, across Rink Street, is the Ruggles Block, No. 22, built by the Ruggles brothers in 1898. It originally contained the Bank of Nova Scotia, the customs house, a law firm and a dry goods store. The Ruggles brothers were respectively the customs officer and lawyers; a cousin was agent for the bank. No one knows why they went into dry goods.
Across Queen Street, on your right, you will notice the Shafner Building, No. 21, another of the turn-of- the-century brick permanences built; this one, in 1901. It has almost always been a grocery.
Next door, on the corner of Queen and Albert Street, No. 23, is a much older house dating back to another period of building, this time about 1835.
To your left, No. 30, is a house built in 1876 by J. W. Beckwith, one of the wealthiest men in the Town. Continuing on your left, on the corner of Queen and Centennial Drive, No. 32, is a building that dates from 1830, and is supposed to have been the first post office.
Continuing along Queen street, on your right, No. 31, is a house dating back to 1825. Its builder, Jesse Oakes, is regarded as one of the first settlers in Bridgetown. Next door, No. 33, is a heavily altered house originally built in the 1880's. On the site of the lawn, the original Acadia Organ Co. was located, followed by the first generating station for electricity in Bridgetown.
You made it!
We have concluded our historic tour of Bridgetown.
We hope it was an informative and enjoyable
journey into our past.
Anyone who wishes to look further into
the history of Bridgetown,
copies of Elizabeth Coward's
History of Bridgetown
and a video of the town in the 1940's
are available for purchase
at the
James House Museum
on Queen Street.