Annapolis Heritage Society: Making Connections
136 St. George Street BOS 1A0 Annapolis Royal, NS, Canada

BUILDING THE ICE PIERS IN THE ANNAPOLIS RIVER - Around 1910 the provincial government was prevailed upon to construct ice piers in the river to control the ice cakes that rode up and down with the tide during the winter. (They later served as the base for the bridge.) In October 1913 a schooner loaded with a cargo of 60,000 bricks from the brickyard (where the ball field at AWEC is today) for the St. John Sugar Refineries, struck one of the ice piers, causing a gaping hole in the hull. Within minutes the ship lay at the bottom of the river.

ANOTHER OF ANNAPOLIS ROYAL'S FIRES - The first photo here is of the County Academy which was built on the site of the ARRA in 1900. Unfortunately, it burned to the ground on January 4,1939 (second photo). The town scrambled for places to hold classes until the new Regional Academy was built. This article in the local paper explains where they were housed: Annapolis Royal Spectator, Thursday, January 12, 1939 Making the Best of It Undaunted by the great disaster of total de...struction of the fine school building, the school board, Principal and teachers are doing everything possible to resume classes. It has been decided to put grades 9, 10, 11 and 12 in the Town Hall which was temporarily partitioned off for 3 departments and the other located in the Council Chamber. Grades 7 and 8 under Miss Cameron were put in St Luke’s Parish Hall. Grades 3 and 4 under Miss MacMillan in the St George’s United Church basement and the primary department under Miss McKinnon also in St George’s upstairs; grades 5 and 6 under Miss DeVany being in the Town Hall also temporarily at least. See more

NAMES NEEDED PLEASE - A regular page follower (Jean Alcock) shared these photos with us, of the primary (1950) and first grade (1951) classes in Annapolis Royal, when her family lived in town. Unfortunately she doesn't have the names of the students, so we need your help! She believes the primary teacher at the time was M. S. Mcquire, and the Grade 1 teachers were Mrs. Harris until Christmas and Mrs. Hoyt for the remainder of the year.

WHERE WAS THIS TAKEN? - This locomotive, all decked out for some occasion - perhaps the ascension to the throne of King Edward VII in 1901? - is sitting in front of a small railway station. We're pretty sure it isn't Annapolis Royal, but would like to know where it could be. Look familiar to anyone?

LAST CALL FOR THIS GROUP OF TREASURES - TODAY'S THE LAST DAY TO GRAB ONE OF THESE ITEMS! WE'RE HAVING A CHRISTMAS TREASURE FUND-RAISER! The Cozy Corner community group - maybe you know them from their mask project, making masks sold at local drugstores with funds shared with the Food Bank - has chosen our Society as a project to help with fund-raising. They provide the pre-owned collectible items, we sell them and share the proceeds. If something here catches your eye (click on the photos for descriptions and prices), notify us to 'buy' the item. The first to notify us gets the item. Pick up items at the O'Dell House Museum (136 St. George Street) Friday, Dec. 4th between 1 & 4 p.m., CASH ONLY please. Watch for more items to be posted next Monday.

REMEMBER CLEMENTSPORT WHEN IT LOOKED LIKE THIS? The first photo here comes from a Digby Courier article from 1965 titled "If Old Houses Could Talk!" The only buildings that remains today are the large one on the right, one of the original Ditmars houses, built c1779. It was occupied in 1965 by Emma (Coffill) Ditmars, age 92, widow of the 6th-generation owner Robert Leslie Ditmars. The building at the far right still exists but was moved back from the road. Some of these buildings, including the two stores in the background, were among several buildings torn down when the Department of Highways did some major work on the road in the 1980s. The second photo is a postcard of the store, which we believe at the time (c1930?) was owned by a Rawding.