It was a leisurely morning in St Andrews, NB. We had a tour
scheduled with a 9 am departure. Yankee RV Tours color is red … today we took
our bus tour of St Andrews on a red school bus, with our driver, Bob and our
tour guide, Jenny. Jenny is a biologist by trade, but loves people and history.
So, several years ago, she transitioned into being a tour guide and shop owner.
The first place we stopped was just outside the campgrounds,
at the Bay. It is not the Bay of Fundy, but the waters do come from there …
This is the Bay of Passamaquoddy.
Deer Island, is the island we can see from our campsites.
This bay and the Bay of Fundy have several whales that migrate here …
Humpbacks, Minke Whales, Finback Whales and North Atlantic Right Whales. Up to
12 species of whales are to be found in the Bay of Fundy during the summer
months. The whales use the bay as a feeding ground, nursery and play area. They
feast on the enormous amounts of krill, squid and schools of young herring,
pollock and mackerel found in the bay as a result of the powerful Fundy tides.
The North Atlantic Right Whales, these slow giant used to be plentiful in the
Atlantic Ocean, but was over hunted in the 19th century. The right whale gets
its name because according to hunters it was the “right” whale to kill. They
are slow swimmers, easy to approach, rich in blubber reserved for oil, and have
long baleen plates (used previously for umbrellas, combs, corsets). This catch
was also easily towed in because it floats once killed.
Our campground was once used by the Passamaquoddy Indians,
making this campground the oldest campground in New Brunswick. They had
seasonal patterns of settlement. In the winter, they dispersed and hunted
inland. In the summer, they gathered more closely together on the coast and
islands of St Andrews, and primarily harvested seafood, including marine
mammals, crustaceans, and fish.
Herring are a big export in this area. You may not know it
as that … Did you know that Sardines are actually herring. The term sardine was
first used in English during the early 15th century and comes from the
Mediterranean island of Sardinia, around which sardines were once abundant. In
Canada, sardines have been abundant for hundreds of years! The Connors Brothers
have been operating in the small coastal village of Blacks Harbor, New
Brunswick for about 120 years. Some of the processing is still being done in
the traditional way, with workers using scissors to cut the fish by hand.
We learned the most prevalent seaweed in this area is
rockweed. It is a seaweed that has air pockets in the ends. This allows the
weed to float, so they can photosynthesize the light.
We drove toward the town and saw the oldest lighthouse on the
mainland of New Brunswick. It was constructed in 1833, it is commonly referred
to as Pendlebury Lighthouse. For the name of the family that tended the light
for almost 100 years, until the 1930s. Sand Reef (Tongue Shoal) Lighthouse
(1876) and Navy Bar Lighthouse (1904) were later built just offshore from St.
Andrews to better guide vessels to the town’s harbor. But the St Andrews
Lighthouse is the only one of the three that remains standing. Located at the
tip of a peninsula in Passamaquoddy Bay and at the entrance to the St. Croix
River, the Town of St Andrews was founded in 1783 by Loyalists who left the US
after the Revolutionary War. St Andrews is the county seat of Charlotte County
and was an important seaport in the early days of the Colony of New Brunswick.
Driving through town, we learned about the trap doors in
some of the shops that were used to smuggle goods in and out. These buildings
were built over the water, so the boats could come underneath to make the
transactions. One of them is in the Harbor Front Restaurant, where we ate last
night!
At the other end of town is the St Andrews block house, is
the British’s form of defensive structure. This block house was built for the
war of 1812 and contains elements of the oldest blockhouse in New Brunswick.
Situated on the Niger Reef on Passamaquoddy Bay, it provided an excellent
vantage point for soldiers keeping a watchful eye. This was one of 12 such
structures used to defend New Brunswick during the war between Britain and the
US.
It was partially destroyed by fire in 1993, but has been carefully
restored. Today it looks much the same as it did in 1812, when British soldiers
stationed there were on the lookout for American invaders. Jenny, our tour
guide pointed out that the cannons still point toward the US … ha ha ha
The Church of England cemetery on upper King Street was
established in 1794 as “a public burying place” on land obtained for one
farthing, one quarter of a penny, from Jeremiah Pote. In 1821 an adjoining lot
was obtained from Colonel Thomas Wyer. These gentlemen were prominent among the
town’s Loyalist founders. The cemetery served all the residents until other
churches set up their own burial grounds, beginning with the Presbyterians in
1824. The cemetery is the last resting place of many of the town’s Loyalist
settlers, soldiers from the local garrison, later arrivals, assorted family
members and strangers. It was closed in 1867 when provincial authorities
prohibited burials within municipal limits. The iron and stone fence and gate were
erected in 1905 with a bequest for that purpose from Owen Jones, a local lad
who achieved success in England. As the cemetery contained his parents’ graves
he acted to set it off in a more permanent way from the many wooden fences
which had come and gone over the years. It was called “Roary’s fence” in
reference to his boyhood nickname. The cemetery is under the care of the
Anglican Parish of St. Andrews and can be visited by arrangement with the
Parish Office next to All Saints Church on King Street. Jenny also told us a
tale about one of the graves may belong to the bastard child of King George IV.
We toured the old jail and County court house. The court
house was constructed in 1840 adjacent to the Charlotte County Jail. The
building features a pediment portico, onto which a large Royal coat of arms was
added in 1858 by Charles Kennedy. Back in the 1800s, the local courthouse was
often the place where the community gathered. Such was the case for the
Charlotte County Courthouse, built in 1839-40. In its early years, the building
was a focal point for local activities such as elections, fairs, parades, and
official visits.
Thomas Berry designed this historic building in
classical-revival style. It combines the plain practicality of a one-story
clapboard structure with a remarkable temple facade, complete with a roof
pediment supported by Tuscan columns. Still in use today, it is the oldest
courthouse in continuous use in Canada. It is recognized as a National Historic
site and Provincial Heritage Place.
Appropriately enough, the county jail sits right next door.
This building is a little older, dating back to 1832, and is a Provincial
Heritage Place. In fact, it was still used as a jail right up until the late
1970s. The jail was constructed in an attempt to correct all that was wrong
about the previous one, no more dirt floors! It was built in 1832 on Frederick
Street in St. Andrews. Massive slabs of gray granite were cut in Perry, Maine
and laid as the floors, ceilings and walls of the prison.
Cell doors were made of solid iron, each with a sliding bolt
to keep the door closed at all times. The only source of light was the small
hole in the door used for delivering food to the prisoners and a small window
measuring four inches wide and twelve inches high.
Doorways were made very
narrow so that a prisoner, no matter their size, would have trouble
overpowering the jailer. The only source of heat was a small wood stove at the
end of the corridor outside of the cells. There were ten cells were used
exclusively for male prisoners. They occupied the first floor of the jail.
The cells are six by eight feet in size and housed 1 or 2
prisoners each, at times. The cells are cold, claustrophobic and bereft of any
comfort, which was the exact intention of their construction. Upstairs in the
jail were four cells intended for women, children and children. These were much
more comfortable than the ones downstairs as they were larger in size and had
larger windows for more light. Children would be admitted to prison if their mother
had committed a crime and there were no other caretakers available. Children
were imprisoned for truancy. Debtors made up a large bulk of the prison
population until the practice of imprisoning debtors ended in 1939. After
spending time in there, it’s not hard to grasp the harshness of the early
justice system.
We enjoyed an exquisite lunch at Rossmount Inn.
Even though
the season is over, we enjoyed Fiddlehead Soup. Early spring in New Brunswick
is fiddlehead season, they grow wild in swampy areas and are only available for
a short time. Our entrees were Salmon or Chicken and our desert was Panna Cotta
with Strawberry Rhubarb Compote with a Brandy Snap. Everything was delicious!
The Rossmount Inn is a 3-story Country Inn. It is situated
on over 80 acres at the base of Chamcook Mountain. Along with the beautiful
view of the Passamaquoddy Bay and Minister’s Island, it also holds some
remarkable history. The property was first owned by one of the Townsend
brothers of Chamcook who were shipbuilders and cabinet makers. The building was
painted a straw color with brown trim and the roof had a maroon tint, colors
that remain today. The carriage house, built in 1889, still remains behind the
Inn. This scenic site formed part of the Townsend property which was for sale.
When the Rosses purchased the property they renamed it “Rossmount”. Records
indicate they paid $4,500 in 1902.
Once the Rosses owned the Chamcook Estate, it became the
focal point in their lives. From 1910 to 1914 major improvements were accomplished
in the estate, both on the interior of the house and on the grounds. In 1909,
when Mr. Ross retired from the ministry, Rossmount became their permanent home
for a few years. After the responsibility of taking care of Mr. Ross’ adoptive
parents was over, the Rosses became world travelers. The Rosses entertained their many visitors by
daily drives to surrounding areas plus boat trips, picnics, clam bakes and
lobster boils. World travelers and collectors of fine artifacts, Henry Phipps
Ross and his wife Sarah Juliette Ross lived at their beautiful “Rossmount”
until their deaths within eight days of each other in 1945.
In 1961, the house was destroyed by a fire but soon after
the Simes family of Saint John built the present Inn on the magnificent site.
The building was built on top of the original foundation, incorporating the
still standing chimneys and front steps. The builder John Sime searched the
world for the chandeliers, woodwork and the furnishings. A chess master
designed the staircase and hand carved chess figures that pose along the
banister.
The current owners and operators, for the last 15 years, are Chris
and Graziella Aerni. Chris is the Chef that prepared our delicious lunch! They,
along with their staff, will provide you with true Maritime hospitality and
ensure that your visit will be a memorable one.
After lunch, Nancy and I had a leisurely afternoon walking
around town, peeking in and out of shops, and taking funny pictures.
Some of the homes and businesses in St Andrew have historical
placards. They indicate the origin of the buildings and some of the history.
The markers were created and installed by the local historical society.
We visited the shop that our tour guide, Jenny, owns. She
has a turtle theme, including an aquarium of turtles! We were too late for the
town wide yard sale in May and we were too early for the St Andrews Seafood
Festival in June! St Andrews is host to many festivals year round!
We even walked out on the only wharf in town. It gives you a
different perspective of the town. Naturally, it was low tide again. The one
striking feature of the wharf, was how cold the wind was out there!
While we were walking downtown, Nellie & Dave Barnard
(friends from our home, Majestic Oaks) tracked us down. It was so good to see
them! It has been 5 or 6 years, since they have been to Florida for the winter!
We had conversed on Facebook, about crossing the border … but I had made the
assumption that they were passing by. I did not realize that they lived in
Calais, Maine!
We all enjoyed dinner on our own and had our night before a
move meeting to review the road log and enjoy some fellowship!
I know I am missing a bunch of things we did and saw today ... but ... I have the memories!
See you on day 3!
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