Bridgetown, Nova Scotia
Encyclopedia
Bridgetown is a Canadian
town in Annapolis County
, Nova Scotia
.
Situated on the Annapolis River
at the head of the tide, the area saw Mi'kmaq settlements in the area, followed by Acadian
settlers from Port-Royal
and then British
-sponsored settlements by the late 18th century.
There were at least ten Acadian settlers in the Bridgetown area before the French census of 1671, and the population doubled by 1707. The main Acadian settlement was on the east boundary of the present town, called Gaudetville. There were other Acadian settlers in the town proper, some of whom lived just east of the present bridge.
Very close to the town, at Carleton Corner, Nova Scotia
, the Battle of Bloody Creek (1711) as well as the Battle of Bloody Creek (1757) happened.
Deed references suggest British settlement on the site of the town from the early 1760s, after the Acadians were expelled from Nova Scotia in 1755. These settlers appeared shortly after the allocation of Granville Township among its proprietors; Bridgetown is located in what was formerly Granville Township, settled from 1760 on. The central part of the town was referred to as the Farm of Henly for unknown reasons. The community grew into a successful wooden shipbuilding area during the 19th century, accounting for many grand homes; it was incorporated in 1897. The town was actually an entrepot for the agricultural and forest products of the surrounding areas and became a significant manufacturing and commercial centre in the 19th century. Manufacturing included a furniture factory, an organ factory, a tannery, a bottling plant, a cider plant, the first M.W. Graves cannery and vinegar factory (Graves was a major food processor that later moved to Kings County) and a distillery.
The town is one of few in Nova Scotia to have developed from a town plan (or plat), rather than just grew up. Captain John Crosskill, who owned or controlled the central part of the Town, what is now downtown, divided the bulk of the lands into 90 by 90 lots in 1821. Most of these boundaries are visible today. As the town developed his heirs planned several additional subdivisions, some wildly optimistic.
The town was named at a great gathering of the townsfolk about 1824. There are two versions of the rationale for the name. The more romantic has it that the town was named after Bridgetown, Barbados because Captain Crosskill had once been stationed there, and had much enjoyed it. The other simply attributes the name to the bridge. This version is given some credence because Joseph Howe, in his Rambles, refers to the area as "The Bridge". Likely there were proponents of both theories at the meeting, and since both sides wanted the name Bridgetown it will never be possible to sort out how many had which reason.
The Windsor and Annapolis Railway
constructed the mainline between Windsor
and Annapolis Royal
through the area in 1868, crossing over the Annapolis River on a bridge on the south side of the town. This bridge was initially a wooden covered bridge. It was replaced later on by the present iron railway bridge. This railway eventually was merged into the Dominion Atlantic Railway
and served the town until 1990. The Middleton and Victoria Beach Railway
was constructed through the north end of the town in the early 20th century and this line under the ownership of Canadian National Railway
served the town until 1982.
Various small industries clustered around the DAR station and small railway yard on the south bank of the river, including a brick plant and soda pop factory. Today there is little industry in the area, with the passenger station now hosting the End of The Line Pub, as well as a Nova Scotia Power
substation.
The north side of the town hosts the former Acadian Distillery factory, which closed in the early 1980s. The Bridgetown High School and elementary school are located in the east end of the town. The historic downtown fronting Queen Street underwent redevelopment and beautification during the 1980s.
Like a lot of small towns, Bridgetown today concentrates on service industries. The largest employers are the schools, Mountain Lea Lodge, the Adult Residential Centre and the headquarters of the Annapolis Valley Regional Library.
Bridgetown is roughly equidistant between Middleton
and Annapolis Royal
. Trunk 1 runs through the town on Granville Street. During the 1980s, Highway 101
was extended to Bridgetown, terminating at an interchange with Trunk 1. This highway was extended in the early 1990s through to Annapolis Royal, bypassing the town completely.
Today Bridgetown has many heritage buildings which are best appreciated by taking The Cyprus Walk self-guided and critically acclaimed walking tour. Britex Limited was the last large manufacturing enterprise but closed in 2004.
The town hosts an annual Ciderfest festival to celebrate the apple harvest in the fall.
In 2011, the town council drew national headlines by resigning en masse over a misappropriation of funds. A subsequent provincial audit found that $113,195.96 had been misappropriated from the town over 5 years by one employee, and additional losses were incurred from related costs and record-keeping errors.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
town in Annapolis County
Annapolis County, Nova Scotia
Annapolis County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia located in the western part of the province on the Bay of Fundy. The county seat is Annapolis Royal.-History:...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
.
Situated on the Annapolis River
Annapolis River
The Annapolis River is a Canadian river located in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley.-Geography:Measuring 120 kilometres in length, the river flows southwest through the western part of the valley from its source in Caribou Bog near the villages of Aylesford and Berwick in western Kings County, to...
at the head of the tide, the area saw Mi'kmaq settlements in the area, followed by Acadian
Acadian
The Acadians are the descendants of the 17th-century French colonists who settled in Acadia . Acadia was a colony of New France...
settlers from Port-Royal
Habitation at Port-Royal
The Habitation at Port-Royal was the first successful French settlement of New France in North America, and is presently known as Port-Royal National Historic Site, a National Historic Site located on the northern side of the Annapolis Basin, Nova Scotia, Canada...
and then British
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
-sponsored settlements by the late 18th century.
There were at least ten Acadian settlers in the Bridgetown area before the French census of 1671, and the population doubled by 1707. The main Acadian settlement was on the east boundary of the present town, called Gaudetville. There were other Acadian settlers in the town proper, some of whom lived just east of the present bridge.
Very close to the town, at Carleton Corner, Nova Scotia
Carleton Corner, Nova Scotia
Carleton Corner is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in Annapolis County . This village is the site of the Battle of Bloody Creek and the Battle of Bloody Creek .-References:*...
, the Battle of Bloody Creek (1711) as well as the Battle of Bloody Creek (1757) happened.
Deed references suggest British settlement on the site of the town from the early 1760s, after the Acadians were expelled from Nova Scotia in 1755. These settlers appeared shortly after the allocation of Granville Township among its proprietors; Bridgetown is located in what was formerly Granville Township, settled from 1760 on. The central part of the town was referred to as the Farm of Henly for unknown reasons. The community grew into a successful wooden shipbuilding area during the 19th century, accounting for many grand homes; it was incorporated in 1897. The town was actually an entrepot for the agricultural and forest products of the surrounding areas and became a significant manufacturing and commercial centre in the 19th century. Manufacturing included a furniture factory, an organ factory, a tannery, a bottling plant, a cider plant, the first M.W. Graves cannery and vinegar factory (Graves was a major food processor that later moved to Kings County) and a distillery.
The town is one of few in Nova Scotia to have developed from a town plan (or plat), rather than just grew up. Captain John Crosskill, who owned or controlled the central part of the Town, what is now downtown, divided the bulk of the lands into 90 by 90 lots in 1821. Most of these boundaries are visible today. As the town developed his heirs planned several additional subdivisions, some wildly optimistic.
The town was named at a great gathering of the townsfolk about 1824. There are two versions of the rationale for the name. The more romantic has it that the town was named after Bridgetown, Barbados because Captain Crosskill had once been stationed there, and had much enjoyed it. The other simply attributes the name to the bridge. This version is given some credence because Joseph Howe, in his Rambles, refers to the area as "The Bridge". Likely there were proponents of both theories at the meeting, and since both sides wanted the name Bridgetown it will never be possible to sort out how many had which reason.
The Windsor and Annapolis Railway
Windsor and Annapolis Railway
The Windsor and Annapolis Railway was a historic Canadian railway that operated in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley.The railway ran from Windsor to Annapolis Royal and leased connections to Nova Scotia's capital of Halifax...
constructed the mainline between Windsor
Windsor, Nova Scotia
Windsor is a town located in Hants County, Mainland Nova Scotia at the junction of the Avon and St. Croix Rivers. It is the largest community in western Hants County with a 2001 population of 3,779 and was at one time the shire town of the county. The region encompassing present day Windsor was...
and Annapolis Royal
Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia
Annapolis Royal is a town located in the western part of Annapolis County, Nova Scotia. Known as Port Royal until the Conquest of Acadia in 1710 by Britain, the town is the oldest continuous European settlement in North America, north of St...
through the area in 1868, crossing over the Annapolis River on a bridge on the south side of the town. This bridge was initially a wooden covered bridge. It was replaced later on by the present iron railway bridge. This railway eventually was merged into the Dominion Atlantic Railway
Dominion Atlantic Railway
The Dominion Atlantic Railway was a historic Canadian railway which operated in the western part of Nova Scotia, primarily through an agricultural district known as the Annapolis Valley....
and served the town until 1990. The Middleton and Victoria Beach Railway
Middleton and Victoria Beach Railway
The Middleton and Victoria Beach Railway was located in Annapolis County, Nova Scotia, Canada. It ran west from Middleton, where it joined both the Dominion Atlantic Railway, which ran from Halifax westerly to Yarmouth through the Annapolis Valley, and the Nova Scotia Central Railway, which ran...
was constructed through the north end of the town in the early 20th century and this line under the ownership of Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
served the town until 1982.
Various small industries clustered around the DAR station and small railway yard on the south bank of the river, including a brick plant and soda pop factory. Today there is little industry in the area, with the passenger station now hosting the End of The Line Pub, as well as a Nova Scotia Power
Nova Scotia Power
Nova Scotia Power Inc. is a power generating and delivery company in Nova Scotia. It is privately owned by Emera and regulated by the provincial government via the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board .-History:...
substation.
The north side of the town hosts the former Acadian Distillery factory, which closed in the early 1980s. The Bridgetown High School and elementary school are located in the east end of the town. The historic downtown fronting Queen Street underwent redevelopment and beautification during the 1980s.
Like a lot of small towns, Bridgetown today concentrates on service industries. The largest employers are the schools, Mountain Lea Lodge, the Adult Residential Centre and the headquarters of the Annapolis Valley Regional Library.
Bridgetown is roughly equidistant between Middleton
Middleton, Nova Scotia
Middleton is a Canadian town in Annapolis County, Nova Scotia.It is situated on the north bank of the Annapolis River. Incorporated in 1909, it is located near the centre of the Annapolis Valley, from which it gets its nickname, "The Heart of the Valley".-Economy:Founded by New England Planters,...
and Annapolis Royal
Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia
Annapolis Royal is a town located in the western part of Annapolis County, Nova Scotia. Known as Port Royal until the Conquest of Acadia in 1710 by Britain, the town is the oldest continuous European settlement in North America, north of St...
. Trunk 1 runs through the town on Granville Street. During the 1980s, Highway 101
Nova Scotia Highway 101
Highway 101 is an east-west highway in Nova Scotia that runs from Bedford to Yarmouth.The highway follows a route along the southern coast of the Bay of Fundy through the Annapolis Valley. Between its western terminus at Yarmouth to Weymouth, the highway is 2-lane controlled access. Between...
was extended to Bridgetown, terminating at an interchange with Trunk 1. This highway was extended in the early 1990s through to Annapolis Royal, bypassing the town completely.
Today Bridgetown has many heritage buildings which are best appreciated by taking The Cyprus Walk self-guided and critically acclaimed walking tour. Britex Limited was the last large manufacturing enterprise but closed in 2004.
The town hosts an annual Ciderfest festival to celebrate the apple harvest in the fall.
In 2011, the town council drew national headlines by resigning en masse over a misappropriation of funds. A subsequent provincial audit found that $113,195.96 had been misappropriated from the town over 5 years by one employee, and additional losses were incurred from related costs and record-keeping errors.