Welcome to Chapel Hill Museum!
Chapel Hill Museum is where the history of Shag Harbour, Nova Scotia, Canada comes to life. This former United Baptist church was erected in 1856.
It stands on what was once the location of a 17th Century Acadian trading post, Le Vieux Logis. Chapel Hill Museum opened its doors for the first time in 1979, and with the support and determination of the community and especially the Chapel Hill Historical Society, it has only flourished in the thirty-two years it has been open.
In Chapel Hill Museum, you’ll find some of Nova Scotia’s most overlooked history, one of a kind artifacts, and an observation tower. More than anything, you’ll see the heart and soul of the small fishing village of Shag Harbour, and the dedication of the community members.
We are open daily from June 15 until September 15. The hours of operation are 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Admission to the museum is free, but donations are greatly appreciated as they are what have kept the museum running for the past thirty-two years.
Hello, and good day -
I was wondering if Shag Harbour ever had a railway station, and if so, are there any photographs of it and information as to when it was removed?
Many Thanks,
Phillip
Yes. We did have a railway station and there should be a picture of it in the museum archives as well as a picture of the first train.
Thanks E Shand
Eric, it is marilyn from ohio. Sure miss Shag Harbour. Hope all is well with you
Hi Marilyn,
We miss you as well………hope you can make it home again sometime soon.
take care
Regards,
Doug Shand
Hi!
We are well on this end could use some old friends to come up for a few weeks in the summer once again and help us out in the museum.Give a few “haircuts”, bake some goodies for bake sales. You know the routine.
Eric
Hello
I am the great grandson of a gentleman named Austin Abrahm Doane of Gloucester.Austin had passed away before I was born ,but years back had obtained a leaf from the wreck of the Bamboro April 20th 1894 .The leaf was carved from wood from the wreck in the shape of a maple leaf with the details of the wreck and a picture of Gilbert Nickerson on the front .I have to deduct that in some way my great Grandfather knew Gilbert and since the wreck was off Gloucester ,Gilbert May have gone there or who knows .It has been in my family for decades and was given to me by my mother.I recently have found out that Austin was born in New Brunswick .I have been a lobster fisherman most all my life and currently fish out of Pigeon Cove ,Mass.I have a freind from Winchester ,Mass who also fishes from the Cove and he in turn has a frend who lives in Winchester,his home town and runs a local Funeral home .Long story short ,I was introduced to the freind of my freind and after some time ,I leanred that they had a home in the family in Shag Harbor and that it is the home of Gilbert Nickerson who is the great Grandfather of the freind that I would have never met in my life if it werent for my Freind who lives in Winchester.We are direct relations of two men that must have crossed paths 100 years ago and without any knowledge of each others ancestry or ever having any means of meeting except Tony ,our freind .We would never have croosed paths .Very strange .It seems almost as if Gilbert and Austin have arranged a meeting.At any rate ,I may some time donate the leaf to the museum as I see it as a tremendous peice of history.My great Grandfather fished aboard the Knockabout schooner “ARETHUSA” and I am sure had many contacts in Nova Scotia as well as the states .It really is quite a story and I thought you folks might be interested
Robert Morris
F/V Spirit
Pigeon Cove,Mass USA
Hi,
Thank you so much for sharing your story…….in some ways it is truly a “small world”. We have a lsignificant number of Gilbert’s craved leaves in our museum, which is located directly across the highway from Gilbert’s old homestead. Several years ago a woman from the southern U.S. got in contact with me and she had a collection of 20 of these leaves and arranged to have them donated to us. These leaves were craved from wood that was either secured by him or donated by fisherman, etc that knew of his passion. He would make these during the winter months and give them out as souvenirs to tourist, etc. This would have been back in the 1920′s – 30′s, which during that time period there was a great deal of interaction between New England and Nova Scotia fisherman with many men found crewing on either’s vessels, which created many family ties. I’m not sure if we have a leaf from the Bamboro in our collection or not, regardless if you do decide to donate it to our collection we would be most appreciative.
What is the origen of the name “Shag” of Shag Harbour ? Our little town has the nickname of Shag and no one here knows why.
Hi,
Shag Harbour is named after the Red Crested Cormorant, locally called a “Shag” There is a large rock in the outer harbour where these birds congregate. Although the numbers have decreased in the last couple of decades these birds have always been visitors to this rock and have done so for hundreds of years, dating back to the time of the explorer Samuel Champlain. who first noted this area in 1604. Although sadly the person who actually named the community has been lost to time, it is most likely that it was either an early explorer or a fisherman.