Thursday, June 8, 2017

Day 2 of 30 on our 2017 Canadian Maritime Caravan with Yankee RV Tour

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 saw several historic churches, but I really can’t remember which is which … but the architecture is awesome on all of them!




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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