Discover Port Maitland

Explore Port Maitland through its local history and an arts offering featuring goods from Nova Scotia. The Port Maitland Cattle Pound, Calvinist Baptist Cemetery and Hubert and Belle’s Art Shop represent different aspects: a historic structure, a cemetery connected to church history, and a selection of paintings, carvings and pottery.

Historic Places in Port Maitland

The Port Maitland Cattle Pound is a small, square enclosure made of a stone wall. It was built in the village around 1871 as a pen for stray cattle. Each side measures about thirty feet; the side parallel to the road has an opening with a gate. The structure was built on a small parcel of land expropriated in equal shares from the two adjoining properties.

Stray cattle were temporarily held in a pen like this until their owners paid a fine and reclaimed the animals. Cattle pounds of this kind were usually built beside a stream or another source of water. The Port Maitland Cattle Pound is believed to be the last surviving cattle pound in Yarmouth County. The structure thus combines its square stone form with a clearly defined historical function.

The Calvinist Baptist Cemetery offers another glimpse into the area’s history, reaching further back in time. It was established around 1859, when a Calvinist Baptist church was built on the site. The cemetery is one of three abandoned cemeteries in the Port Maitland and Beaver River area that were taken over by a local cemetery preservation society. Its founding connects the site to a specific moment in church history; its preservation also makes it part of a shared conservation effort.

Hubert and Belle’s Art Shop adds arts and crafts and goods from Nova Scotia to these historical connections. The shop sells colourful paintings, carvings, pottery and unique goods from the province. It is located at the back of a Victorian sea captain’s house dating to around 1879. Here, the focus is on art and goods in a house with its own historical context.

More Perspectives in Yarmouth County

For trip planning, it helps to distinguish between the two: the historic places and arts offering described here are in Port Maitland; other distinct cultural and nature themes can be found in the wider Yarmouth County. Acadian Skies & Mi’kmaq Lands in Yarmouth County was the first destination in North America to receive Starlight Certification.

Le Village Historique Acadien de la Nouvelle-Écosse in West Pubnico includes an old Acadian cemetery and five 19th-century buildings. The visitor reception centre offers interpretive exhibits on Acadian history and culture in Nova Scotia and other areas, as well as a gift shop with items by local artisans. As operating details can change, it is worth checking the latest visitor information before your visit.

Ellenwood Lake Provincial Park offers a 1.5-kilometre hiking trail through traditional Acadian forest, as well as opportunities for swimming, boating and fishing. In the off-season, the park grounds and trail are suitable for walking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing; the buildings and summer facilities are closed then. This seasonal difference is also important when planning your trip: outdoor activities are available while the buildings and summer facilities are closed.

Chebogue Meadows is also an interpretive trail in Yarmouth County. Together with the trail through traditional Acadian forest, it offers a different focus from the historic structures and arts offering in Port Maitland.

Discover more destinations: Yarmouth, Argyle, Pubnico, Tusket, Kemptville

For the wider travel overview: Yarmouth County.