Summerville is an unincorporated community in the Canadian province of

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

, located in

West Hants Regional Municipality West Hants, officially named the West Hants Regional Municipality, is a List of district municipalities in Nova Scotia#Regional municipality, regional municipality in Hants County, Nova Scotia, Hants County, Nova Scotia, Canada. It occupies t ...

. As of 2015, the population of Summerville was estimated to be 248.

History

The identities of the Acadians who settled this community prior to the

Expulsion of the Acadians The Expulsion of the Acadians was the forced removal of inhabitants of the North American region historically known as Acadia between 1755 and 1764 by Great Britain. It included the modern Canadian Maritime provinces of Nova Scotia, New Br ...

are unknown. After the

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

, Summerville,

Hants County Hants County is a historical county and census division of Nova Scotia, Canada. Local government is provided by the West Hants Regional Municipality, and the Municipality of the District of East Hants. History Formation The county of Hants ...

was first settled by

American Loyalists Loyalists were refugee colonists from thirteen of the 20 British American colonies who remained loyal to the British crown during the American Revolution, often referred to as Tories, Royalists, or King's Men at the time. They were opposed by ...

Captain John Robert Grant. A large wharf was built at Summerville in the late 19th century to export

gypsum Gypsum is a soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate Hydrate, dihydrate, with the chemical formula . It is widely mined and is used as a fertilizer and as the main constituent in many forms of plaster, drywall and blackboard or sidewalk ...

. It was also used to repair ships and later became a vessel graveyard for old sailing ships converted to gypsum

barges A barge is typically a flat-bottomed vessel which does not have its own means of mechanical propulsion. Original use was on inland waterways, while modern use is on both inland and marine water environments. The first modern barges were pull ...

. Trace of the hulls of several of these large sailing vessels may still be seen at low tide, including the hull of the Barque ''Hamburg'', the largest barque ever built in Canada.

Climate

Shuffleboard Team

Since 2007, Summerville has been the home of the Summerville Daryns who practice and play in the area.

Notable residents

William Hall (VC) William Nelson Edward Hall (28 April 1827 – 27 August 1904) was the first Black person, first Nova Scotian, and the third Canadian to receive the Victoria Cross due to his actions in the 1857 Siege of Lucknow, amid the Indian Rebellion. In ...

– Summerville-born winner of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...

during the

Indian rebellion of 1857 The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against Company rule in India, the rule of the East India Company, British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the The Crown, British ...

. Hall was the first black person as well as the first Nova Scotian to receive the award.

References

Endnotes Sources
T. Watson Smith. Loyalist History: John Grant. ''Acadiensis'' 1903. pp. 6–18
* Edith Mosher. ''Land of a Loyalist The Story of John Grant'. (1988, Lancelot Press)
Bergen Family History – History of John Grant and wife Sarah Bergen

External links

Summerville on Destination Nova Scotia
* Communities in Hants County, Nova Scotia Unincorporated communities in Nova Scotia {{HantsNS-geo-stub