Fort Beauséjour – Fort Cumberland National Historic Site
CEAAC Collection - Université de Moncton
Virtual exhibit: 100th anniversary of designation
Did you know that 2020 marks Fort Beauséjour – Fort Cumberland’s 100th anniversary as a designated National Historic Site of Canada?
While 2020 did not go as planned for everyone, we decided to celebrate virtually and invite people to dig into their souvenirs and memorabilia, and help us build a memorable exhibit in celebration of the fort’s milestone!
We divided the memorabilia items received into four categories:
Lovely landscapes
In this 1979 photo, long slivers of light pierce the sky and illuminate Cumberland Basin, as an old barn stands as a lonely sentinel over the Tantramar Marshes below the fort. Credit: Thaddeus Holownia Parallel lines of railway and fence run across the dykelands towards Tonge’s Island and Fort Beauséjour-Fort Cumberland. Credit: Thaddeus Holownia Beautiful black and white aerial view of the star-shaped fort looking south, and highlighting the importance of farmlands surrounding the fort in the early 1900s. Credit: Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, P1-149.11 Fun viewpoint of the cannons inside the spur area of the fort, circa 1930s. Credit: Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, P93-W-133 Clear skies and old cars! This picture showcases the British powder magazine, well and museum in the foreground. The lodge, caretaker’s cottage, Drury Lane Steakhouse building and barns are in the background, overlooking Cumberland Basin and Tonge’s Island. Credit: Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, PB3-111 Desert like view of the marsh in winter. Can you spot the train on the horizon? Credit: Thaddeus Holownia Hand-drawn view of the fort by artist Arthur Wendell Phillips Lawson, Canadian, 1898 - 1952, print: Fort Beausejour, before 1939, etching on wove paper. John Clarence Webster Canadiana Collection. Credit: New Brunswick Museum, W319 West view from the fort overlooking the dykelands in the summer. Credit: Thaddeus Holownia
Fort features
Painstakingly brushing the dirt off a glass bottle is meticulous work for this archaeologist! In the late 1960s and early 1970s, there was much archaeology done at Fort Beauséjour-Fort Cumberland. Credit: Parks Canada This beautifully preserved wooden barrel is being carefully unearthed by an archaeologist at Fort Beauséjour-Fort Cumberland in the 1960s. Supplies such as flour, dried beans and peas were stored in these barrels. Credit: Parks Canada This impressive aerial view let’s you see the perfect star-shaped fort. Credit: Parks Canada Notice something different in this photo? It was originally a black and white image, color was added afterwards to make it more interesting! Credit: Centre d’études acadiennes Anselme-Chiasson, CP1.0309 Remains of the stone British powder magazine, circa late 1890s. Credit: Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, P33-136 From inside the ruins of the stone British powder magazine, we see the well, and up on the bastion, the cairn and the mortar. Credit: Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, P93-W-64w View from outside the fort, looking at the old British well, the powder magazine and the stone curtain wall. Notice the vintage signage? Credit: Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, P93-W-136 Interior of the original chateauesque Museum, built in 1935-36 by Ambrose Wheeler. Note the high ceiling, large windows and tile floor. A variety of artifacts, including flintlock muskets, Colonel Joseph Morse’s chair, a bell, maps, plans and images, are all symmetrically displayed in this beautiful room. Credit: Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, P93-W-230 The opposite side of this same beautiful room, showcasing more exhibits and artifacts. Can you find the Mi’gmaq basket decorated with porcupine quills, the Acadian sabot and the metal candle molds? Credit: Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, P93-W-233
Faces at the fort
This 1890 photo shows a 5800 pound cannon being moved from a wagon to a platform, using a “gin” structure. The man in the dark vest and pants is believed to be John Clarence Webster, one of the first members of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada and the Honorary Curator of the Fort Beauséjour Museum. Credit: Parks Canada Inside the fort, six unidentified workers move a cannon in the 1930s by rolling it over wooden planks. In the background, is a stone cairn and the building which would later become the Drury Lane Steakhouse. Credit: Parks Canada Unidentified workers at the fort take a break from their hard work with stone, and pose for the camera. We would love to know who these men are. Any ideas? Credit: Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, PB3-064 People all dressed up to visit the new museum, built by Ambrose Wheeler of Moncton in 1936. Note the copper roof and the fleur-de-lys motif in the window shutters. Credit: Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, PB3-110 These folks are standing beside the newly built fort museum. Can you guess the date of this photo by looking at the cars - 1930s, 1940s? Credit: Provincial Archives of New Brunswick, P253-285
Postcards and publications
These 5 black and white postcards were printed and sold to promote the Fort Beauséjour – Fort Cumberland National Historic Site years ago.
The original 1734 bronze bell from the village of Beaubassin Credit: Centre d’études acadiennes Anselme-Chiasson, CP1-0307 The powder magazine Credit: Centre d’études acadiennes Anselme-Chiasson, CP1-0307.1 The museum building Credit: Centre d’études acadiennes Anselme-Chiasson, CP1-0307.2 An aerial view of the star-shaped fort Credit: Centre d’études acadiennes Anselme-Chiasson, CP1-0307.5 The interior of the museum Credit: Centre d’études acadiennes Anselme-Chiasson, CP1-0307.7 This original stamp, depicting Fort-Beauséjour-Fort Cumberland, was issued by Canada Post in 1983 as part of a commemorative series of 10 selected forts across Canada. Credit: Parks Canada
Those interested in contributing to the exhibit can safely share their photos, postcards, stories or #ParksMemories as they relate to the Fort by sending them to the site’s staff via email at: pc.fortbc.pc@canada.ca
To learn more about the history of the fort, visit our History and culture page.
