Melanson Settlement National Historic Site

Granville Ferry, Nova Scotia

Type: Archaeological Sites
Address: 3870 Granville Road, Granville Ferry, NS B0S 1K0, Canada
Get directions
Hours: https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/ns/melanson
Phone: (902) 532-2898

Participating in #HISTORICPLACESDAYS

Acadian settlers lived here on the banks of the Annapolis River in the 17th and 18th centuries with a unique system of cooperative dykeland farming. A short loop trail (193 m) guides the visitor from the parking lot to a lookout where the uplands, marsh, and river are all visible.

Amenities

Family-Friendly
National Historic Site
Parking
Parkland
Pet-Friendly
Washrooms

Fun Facts

Stroll the path through shady green trees to reach the lookout over what used to be the Melanson Settlement, a close-knit community of families and neighbours farming together on the dykeland. See original artwork on interpretive panels to learn more about the life that was once lived here.
Situated on uplands along the Annapolis River, this open field is the pre-Deportation site (circa 1664) of an Acadian settlement established by Charles Melanson dit La Ramée and his wife, Marie Dugas. The site reveals patterns of dyke-land agriculture and settlement that, although unique in North America, were common throughout the Port-Royal area and in other parts of Acadia.