The seaside village of St. Martins, Gateway to the Fundy Trail, is nestled on miles of quiet, unspoiled Bay of Fundy beaches. Home to the World`s Highest Tides, the beautiful, picturesque village has a rich history. Besides miles of unspoiled, quiet, accessible beaches, two covered bridges, a light-house, garden-park, and an active harbor, the city also boasts world famous Sea Caves. Originally the area was called Quaco, but it is uncertain why, and today the area west of the city is now called West Quaco. (quack ko) The Village is a magnet for artists and photographers wishing to capture the unspoiled beauty of the area. A small community of artisans produces pottery, jewelry, paintings and sculptures.
In 1783 a group of loyalist soldiers known
as the King`s Orange Rangers settled here. In 1776, at the end of the American
Revolution, the loyalists were sent to garrison duty in Nova Scotia. The Rangers originated from Orange and
Duchess Counties, New York and disbanded at Halifax. What was known as New
Brunswick at that time was part of `New Scotland` or Nova Scotia.
The newly settled
community was christened St. Martins by Matthias Moran, one of the original
grantees, after his ancestral province in France. Moran was also the founder of
the prolific Moran Shipbuilding Company. Together the Morans and the Vaughan
family built the most number of ships at St. Martins shipyards, although there
were 37 other builders. This little village became the third largest producer
of wooden sailing vessels on the North America eastern seaboard.
The first ship, Rachel named for his wife was launched in 1803 by David
Vaughan. Of Vaughan’s 11
children, 7 of the 9 sons became master mariners. The
last vessel, Salina K. Goldman was
launched in 1919. When the days building sailing vessels ended, many men who
comprised the talented workforce of the village found employment at the Saint
John Shipbuilding Company using their expertise to produce the great modern
commercial and naval vessels used today. The last vessels were the Halifax
Class Frigates built for the Canadian Navy in the 1990`s.
The unique architecture of the
village was often copied from Europe. The intricate designs brought back by sea
captains were incorporated into their own homes. European artisans often came
to decorate ceilings and wall panels of village homes. Unfortunately, little of
that art remains. Local cabinet-makers produced furniture and doors.
A disastrous 1900 fire destroyed over 68
village buildings. However, the wealth of the shipbuilder has left a lasting
architectural legacy in the grand homes remaining.
The village of St Martins has a very high
volunteer mentality. The fire department is a volunteer one. The museum relies
on volunteers. This volunteerism starts in the school system. All over town we
came across small lending libraries. Each ‘little house on a pole’ was stocked
with books and instructions of take one, leave one. They were darling and the
system was run by students.
All along the main street were lovely
sturdy wooden benches with a large square flower box at each end. The boxes
about three feet high were planted with herbs and edible plants like
strawberries. A hand written sign invited you to take what you wanted but to
leave some for the next person. Unfortunately the berries were not ready for
eating yet! These little things lend charm to the village.
The Quaco Museum and Library opened in
1978. The maritime museum contains the permanent collection of artifacts and
archival material relating to the history of the area.
A short hike into Fuller Falls provided me
a new experience of climbing up and down a cable ladder. These large roaring
falls were lovely!
The village with a population of 314 has several
guesthouses/B&Bs to accommodate visitors as well as some good restaurants. It
was a positively lovely week and stay in the quiet village that does not have a
traffic problem. The village is very walkable.
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