Eight or nine kilometres inland, Sherbrooke lies between Sherbrooke Lake and St. Mary's River. In the late 1800s Sherbrooke became a gold rush town, along with others in the area, with the discovery of gold at several different sites. Today Sherbrooke is the home of
Sherbrooke Village, an outdoor museum comprised of approximately 25 historic buildings including a working blacksmith shop, a wood turner’s shop, a print shop, a pottery shop, a water powered lumber mill (located off site), a tea room & restaurant, residences and several animal barns. Open seven days a week from June 1st – September 26, it is a major source of income for the town and a major employer, as well.
Sherbrooke Village is part of the
Nova Scotia Museum, a consortium of 28 museums throughout Nova Scotia.
One of Canada’s oldest provincial museums, in 2018 the Nova Scotia Museum is celebrating its
Sesquicentennial, having been founded in 1868.
Sherbrooke Village
In the 1860s, timber, tall ships and gold brought prosperity to Sherbrooke’s people. Today, you can explore this amazing village with its 25 original buildings, to experience life as it was along the St. Mary’s River before the 1900s. Hear tales about the village as costumed interpreters bring history to life. Watch sparks fly as the blacksmith’s hammer hits the anvil and see the weaver’s nimble hands at the loom.
The French were the first European visitors to Sherbrooke, as early as 1655.
By 1815 the settlement which developed at the head of navigation became known as Sherbrooke, in honour of Sir John Coape Sherbrooke, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia. For years the community prospered, supported by farming, fishing and the timber trade. Busy mills produced deal, planks, laths, spars, ships' knees and shingles for the British and West Indian markets.
Then in 1861, the cry of "Gold!" was heard and the town became a live and energetic mining camp. Nineteen mining companies had flocked to participate in the discovery by 1869 and Sherbrooke boomed. The boom lasted approximately 20 years, a time which could be described as Sherbrooke's Golden Age.
Mining was reactivated in the early part of the 20th but never reached the same success. Lumbering continued as a major industry. Until the Restoration Project was established, the chief visitors to this area were sportsmen fishing for salmon in the pools of the St. Mary's River.
The Sherbrooke Village Restoration area was established in 1969 to conserve a part of Sherbrooke as it was during the last half of the 1800s.
Sherbrooke Village is administered by the Sherbrooke Restoration Commission under the direction of the Nova Scotia Museum, part of the Department of Tourism & Culture.
From Sherbrooke Village