Only 13 days until summer arrives officially, but visitors are already enjoying our downtown streetscapes. Just the other day, I spoke to a man stopped on East Victoria taking a photo of First Baptist.
The signs were good that he was a tourist so I greeted him with, “Welcome to Amherst. I’m so glad you’re here!”
He smiled and said, “I’ve always heard that the Maritimes are friendly, but this is great.” Then he added something that really struck a chord, “I can’t believe all the beautiful old buildings on your main street.” He’d already taken photos of Mrs. Pugsley’s, the Court House and Duncan’s so I suggested he make sure to drive slowly down East Victoria and enjoy all the wonderful architectural details he’d see there. He seemed pleased with the suggestion.
The conversation that followed revealed that he and his wife lived on Vancouver Island and had decided to explore the east coast. They landed in Halifax the day before, rented a car, and had just started on “The Great Circle Route” as he called it. He explained that this route meant driving on the TransCanada to Amherst then following Highway 6 through Pugwash and on to Pictou and New Glasgow. From there, they would continue to Cape Breton and do the Cabot Trail in a clockwise direction and finish up with Louisburg before flying home from Halifax.
I guarantee they won’t be the only ones passing through Amherst this year who are blown away by what they see.
The welcome you offer and the information you share will make a huge difference in their trip and they will remember Amherst and recommend it to their friends. Maybe, just maybe, this might encourage others to come this way and stay a little longer in our historic Bed & Breakfasts and eat at one of our 10 downtown restaurants. If you can name all 10, let me know.
Here’s some information for you to share with visitors.
The Amherst Train Station was built in 1906 and its architecture is called Richardson Romanesque style just like Toronto’s old City Hall. It replaced the original InterColonial Railway station built in 1872 when railway first arrived here. Without the railway and Amherst’s location in the geographic centre of the Maritimes, Busy Amherst could never have existed.
Our Custom House was one of several built in Nova Scotia when, in 1886 (19 years after Confederation), Ottawa realized that they had no visible presence in here. Now, Mrs. Pugsley’s Emporium occupies this stately piece of our built heritage that clearly spoke to the importance of the federal government. It was designed by Thomas Fuller, Canada’s Chief Architect who also designed Ottawa’s Parliament Buildings, New York State’s Capitol, and San Francisco’s City Hall. It contains both red and grey sandstone quarried locally.
The Court House is the 3rd built in Amherst. River Philip had been Cumberland’s Shiretown and home to several hotels, important shops and a courthouse. Then, farmers and merchants in Amherst and the Marsh began to lobby for a better roads and more services. In 1831, the Legislature assigned 800 pounds to build a courthouse here. Norman Beckwith of Baie Verte was the architect while James Page and Robert Trueman of Point de Butte did the construction. Our first courthouse was a small wooden structure facing Lawrence Street where the jail is today. When it burned, another wooden courthouse was built where the current one sits. That building burned in 1887
The current courthouse uses grey sandstone and is the work of local contractor Alexander Robb and Company. Alexander Robb, born in Leicester of Irish parents, began his career as a tin and silversmith under Amos Page about 100 yards from the courthouse. His business, Robb and Sons, grew and gained national recognition under the direction of his sons: David W., Frederick, and Aubrey as Robb Engineering.
The next Amherst Area Heritage Trust Meeting is June 13 at 7 p.m. at the Armoury on Acadia Street. Please join us.
Leslie Childs is a member of the Amherst News Community Editorial Panel. She is also active with the Amherst Heritage Trust.
