Timeline

Historical Timeline
1761
The land on which Africville stood was granted to the following family names: Bulkeley, Jacobs, O’Brien, Calbeck, Hill, Sibley, Shape, Greenoak, Catherwood, Deschamp, Waite, Best, O’Brien, Mason, Casteel, Twinhoe, Burridge and Woodmansel. All lots of Division Letter K were owned by white persons, referred to in the property deeds as “merchants and gentlemen.” (1)

Some local area landowners (eg. Joseph Gerrish, Joseph Fairbanks and Joshua Mauger) owned slaves. Maugher, a prominent merchant who imported and sold slaves, had large land dealings with Richard Jacobs. (2)

1. (Registry of Deeds, County of Halifax, Allotment Book, p. 172 / Crown Land Records, Books 10 & 11)
2. (T. Watson Smith, “The Slave in Canada”, Vol X of Collections of the Nova Scotia Historical Society 1899, p. 32)

1793
Richard Jacobs, by purchase and Crown assignment, possessed lots 1, 3 and 9-16 of Division Letter K, totalling approximately 200 acres.

By the early 18th century, Godfrey Jacobs owned lots 1-3 of Division Letter K, as well as acquiring lots 4 through 8.

1812
Two thousand Black refugees sail to Nova Scotia between September 1813 and August 1816 on both naval and chartered transports. Once here, they encounter resentment and repeated attempts at removal. Though Lieutenant Governor Lord Dalhousie recommends they be returned to the United States or sent to Sierra Leone, he later remarks “none of them are willing to return to their masters, or to America.” Many settle in Preston. Perry Brown was part of this group, settling in Hammonds Plains.

(PANS, Vol. 419, Document 119; PANS, Vol. 422, Documents 19 & 33)

1816
Deed shows original land grants of Henry Hill and Bennett Fletcher in the Preston area, on Lake Echo at the time of the War of 1812 Black refugee influx. Their land grants were adjacent, and it seems that they were also connected through marriage.

(PANS, Vol. 419, Document 29)

1818
James Fullerton purchases Lots 1-3 of Division Letter K from Godfrey Jacobs.

(Registry of Deeds, Book 44, p. 339)

1835
Census indicates that William Brown occupied a lot owned by another black person in Hammonds Plains, though his name is not among those who received food allowances in 1838 or those who owned houses in the census of 1838.

(PANS, Vol. 422, Document 45; PANS, RG 1, Vol. 448, Census for the County of Halifax, 1838)

1836
Construction of Campbell Road around the northeastern end of the peninsula provides an alternative to the main thoroughfare between the town of Halifax and outlying communities.

1837
Eppy Carvery is one of the signers of an early Preston petition requesting land grants be made final. (PANS, Vol. 422, Document 46)

1838
Census shows both Perry Brown and William Brown as “men of colour” in Halifax.

Since the Africville area was within town limits, it is possible that the Browns had already settled there but had not yet purchased land.

Census shows Isaac Grant and Henry Bailey occupied neighbouring lots in Hammonds Plains.

1842
Henry Hill and Eppy Carvery receive title to lots in Preston.

(C.B. Ferguson, “A Documentary Study of the Establishment of Negroes in Nova Scotia”, Bulletin No. 8, PANS, 1948, Appendix XXIV – references to lot #7 in Division C and lots #17 & #31 in Division D)

1848
William Arnold and William Brown (both black settlers) purchase separate parts of lots 1-3 of Division Letter K from James Fullerton, who bought the lot from descendants of the Jacobs family, original lot owners in the place where Africville stood. (1)

Eppy Carvery, Henry Hill and Bennett Fletcher purchase an acre in common from William Arnold (2) – within a week of Arnold's purchase of the land.

1. (Registry of Deeds, Book 90, p. 323 & Book 92, p. 255)
2. (Registry of Deeds, Book 90, P. 350)

1849
A church is organized at Africville, suggesting that black families may have been living in the area prior to 1848. (1) First baptism takes place in the Bedford Basin.

The eight original (black) families in Africville: Brown, Carvery, Dixon, Arnold, Hill, Fletcher, Bailey and Grant (early deeds and a list of the first church officers). Origins of these families can be traced to Hammonds Plains and Preston, with the possible exception of Dixon, whose former place of residence is not known. (2)

1. (P.E. MacKerrow)
2. (Clairmont / Magill)

1851
Census records Henry Bailey as occupying property, perhaps leased by William Brown.

1852
William Arnold dies and leaves his estate to his son Charles, who in turn sold it to a white Halifax merchant.

(Registry of Deeds, Book 101, p. 361)

1853
The basin-side portion of the former Arnold estate is sold to two white brothers named Drillio.

1854
Construction begins on the Intercolonial Railway; land on Campbell Road's south side is expropriated for it and a few houses are removed; compensation for this expropriation is the purchase of a section of the Drillio lot.

(Registry of Deeds, Book 156, p. 132)

1858
Eppy Carvery purchases both Hill's and Fletcher’s lands in Africville, though the Fletcher name reappears in deed transfers in 1882 and 1901.

(Registry of Deeds, Book 124, pp. 466-67; Registry of Deeds, Book 238, p. 577)

1860
Africville petitions the government for financial aid to support a qualified teacher. (1)

Earliest documentary evidence of “Africville” is found in a petition from William Brown – “That your Petitioner is the owner of a lot of land situate at Africville in the city of Halifax...” (2)

1. (PANS, Africville File, Assembly Petitions – Education 1860)
2. (PANS, Africville File, Document One)

1861
William Brown’s sons and Henry Bailey (whose homes were relocated) receive title to parts of the former Drillio land.

(Registry of Deeds, Book 139, p. 337; Book 161, p. 321; Book 256, p. 12)

1862
Henry Bailey purchases an additional quarter acre from William Brown.

(Registry of Deeds, Book 256, p. 13, dated May 1, 1862, though the deed was not registered until January 14, 1886)

1866
First land deed to use the name “Africville” occurs when a portion of the remaining Drillio land is sold to a member of the Brown family.

(Registry of Deeds, Book 156, p. 132)

1867
City Council minutes refer to the community as “Africville,” while earlier it was referred to as “Campbell Town” (1852) and the “Black Settlement” (1854). The Province of Canada (now Ontario and Quebec), New Brunswick and Nova Scotia join to create the Dominion of Canada.

(“Minutes of the Halifax City Council”, October 27, 1852, p.283; January 11, 1854; and late 1867)

1874
The Reverend James Thomas conducts one of the largest baptisms on record in the Halifax area at Africville (46 candidated).

The Infectious Diseases Hospital is built on the hill overlooking the community at this time. Typically these institutions were located away from community populations.

1878
Area Map

1882
Land owned by the Fletcher family is occupied by Eppy Carvery. Heirs to Fletcher insist on their claim to this property.

(Registry of Deeds, Book 348, p. 577)

1883
A school is established under the jurisdiction of the City government.

Prior to this, a community resident had taught Africville children.

(“Report of the Halifax School Commissioners”, City of Halifax, 1883, p. 11)

1901
Some land in the Africville area are purchased by a Carvery from a Fletcher heir.

(Registry of Deeds, Book 348, p. 520)

1907
The City purchases the Tully property, situated “between the slaughterhouse and the Colored Settlement,” and also resolves to expropriate property within the community of Africville.

(“Minutes of the Halifax City Council”, January 11, 1907, p. 252)

1912
A grandson of Eppy Carvery purchases land from a white doctor who had acquired it at a tax auction at the turn of the century.

RMS Titanic survivors and the dead are brought to Halifax. The dead are buried in the nearby Fairview, Baron de Hirsch Jewish and Mount Olivet cemeteries.

1915
A meeting of the Halifax City Council states, “The Africville portion of Campbell Road will always be an industrial district and it is desirable that industrial operations should be assisted in any way that is not prejudicial to the interests of the public; in fact, we may be obliged in the future to consider the interest of the industry first.” (1)

The Imperial Oil Company puts a bid in for Africville land but decides to locate elsewhere, citing “difficulties in connection with the Africville site for Oil Refinery purposes.” (2)

1. (“Minutes of the Halifax City Council”, December 9, 1915, p. 211)
2. (Minutes of the Halifax City Council, December 9, 1915, p. 309)

1916
Africville's congregation receives permission to build a new church on City-owned property in the Africville area to replace the “little brown church,” which was a casualty of the First World War.

(“Minutes of the Halifax City Council”, April 27, 1916)

1917
The northern peninsula provides some protection from destruction in the Halifax Explosion, however four Africville residents die: James B. Allison, 40, Aldora Andrews, 8, Esther Roan, 52, and Charles Henry Simonds, 20. (1)

Africville receives little of the reconstruction and none of the modernization that were invested in other parts of the city after the explosion. (2)

1. (Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance)
2. (M.H. Boyd, “Enriched by Catastrophic Social Work and Social Conflict after the Halifax Explosion.” Fernwood Publishing, 2007.)

1918
Another grandson of Eppy Carvery purchases property to the west of the original Brown-Arnold purchase. (1)

This land had been owned by two Byers brothers since 1906. (2)

Several Carvery homes are established on this property.

1. (Registry of Deeds, Book 483, p. 317)
2. (Registry of Deeds, Book 378, p. 33).

1940
Railroad expansion results in the expropriation of the 1818 Carvery property, allotting $5,500 for the purchase of land immediately above his former property and the relocation of the Carvery homes to this new piece of property. No doubt this expansion was brought about by the increase in traffic to the Port of Halifax during the early years of the Second World War.

(Registry of Deeds, Book 820, pp. 732-34)

1945
The Civic Planning Commission recommends development of the Northern Slope of the city as a residential, park and shopping centre complex, while removing the residents of the district (Africville) to “decent minimum standard housing elsewhere.”

On a larger scale, the Second World War closes with victory in Europe and the Pacific.

(The Master Plan for the City of Halifax, p. 19)

1947
Halifax City Council approves the designation of Africville as industrial land – “the property could be cleared in case some industry might want to go there”; the question of extending water and sewerage to this area was raised due in part to the destruction of seven homes by fire that year.

(“Minutes of the Halifax City Council”, January 15, 1948, p. 10)

1948
City Council approves the borrowing of funds to provide water and sewer services, but these are never installed.

Residents rely on local springs that become contaminated by the railway and surrounding industrial waste.

1953
The Africville school is closed by the City and the children are transferred to larger, racially integrated schools.

1955
The relocation of the city dump nearby in the mid-fifties adds to Africville's alienation by the rest of the city community.

1956
Council, the Province and the Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation commission Professor Gordon Stephenson from the University of Toronto to study housing conditions in Halifax. His mandate is to suggest suitable areas for rehousing, based on the new federal funding requirements of “highest and best use,” leaving the final interpretation to local council.

1957
The Stephenson report is released by Council and it recommends plans for industrial development. The result is an adopted motion to expropriate all the land for the Industrial Mile, with the exception of the property belonging to Canadian National Railway. (1)

This then becomes part of the North Shore Development Plan. The NSDP calls for an expressway running through Africville, with preliminary plans for removal of Africville in place for 1962. (2)

1. (Minutes of the Halifax City Council , May 16, 1957. Pp. 338-339)
2. (J. Nelson, “Razing Africville: A Geography of Racism”, University of Toronto Press, 2008)

1962
The Halifax City Planning Board approves engineering and cost studies for development of the north shore of the Bedford Basin – a limited access expressway, development of industrial sites and outward expansion of the Bedford Basin shoreline.

A. Alan Borovoy, a lawyer with the Canadian Labour Congress and Ontario Labour Committee for Human Rights, encourages Africville residents to organize and continue meeting to discuss their rights. This results in the organization of a white-black political alliance – The Halifax Human Rights Advisory Committee. After a meeting of nearly 100 people at the Seaview African Baptist Church, The Mail Star reports the desire to remain in the community is unanimous. (1)

Halifax City Council adopts recommendations to remove the “blighted housing and dilapidated structures in the Africville area.” (2)

1. (Mail Star, August 9, 1962)
2. (Minutes of the Halifax City Council, October 25, 1962)

1963
The final baptism takes place in the Bedford Basin at Africville.

Dr. Albert Rose, University of Toronto social work and welfare expert, reviews the city's decision on Africville. He reports that city officials and experts were well informed.

Rose's future recommendations would further promote the relocation project, as he closed any non-relocation options to residents. Rose spent no more than two hours in Africville and referred to the area as a “bottomless pit” in terms of infrastructure investment.

(Clairmont and Magill)

1964
The City appoints a social worker (Peter MacDonald) to negotiate settlement prices, assist relocatees in finding alternative housing accommodation, arrange for occupational and educational retraining and act a liaison between the City and residents of Africville.

The Mail Star reports the first property purchase of the Africville acquisition program. (Mail Star, July 17, 1964)

Halifax City Council votes unanimously to accept the recommendations of Dr. Rose for the relocation of all Africville residents, while 37 Africville residents vote to accept the report. That number is construed to be 90 % in support, based on 90 % of those who voted. But the actual percentage of all residents who voted was just 10 %.

1965
The Mail Star quotes the Welfare Director as saying, “the City has fallen down on its responsibility to Africville. Providing proper water and sewerage facilities for these people, when needed, would have enabled them to give as good an account of themselves as any other families in the area and would make relocation unnecessary.”

(Mail Star, April 26, 1965)

1967
Settlement negotiations conclude.

After overseeing negotiations with the City, Relocation Social Worker Peter MacDonald, reporting to Development Department Officer Robert Grant, leaves Halifax. Grant had ultimate authority on the relocation program and worked to support and justify the City Council Africville Policy.

Canada, meanwhile, celebrates its 100th birthday with Expo 67.

1968
“Ever since I was old enough to understand, they (city officials) were talking about relocation. They talked about it so much that we thought it would never happen.” – Elderly relocatee

“The government is a powerful machine to fight against. They will use their power to defeat you. That is why I was one of the first families to move from Africville (at the time of relocation).” – Church Deacon

The Seaview Credit Union is established to provide short-term assistance to those in pressing need.

1969
The last remaining resident of Africville – Aaron "Pa" Carvery – relinquishes hold on his property days before the close of the decade, on December 30, 1969, when the City gives him a cheque for $14,387.76. Pa moves out on January 2, 1970.

Pa had refused earlier offers from city officials with a “suitcase of money stuck under my nose so as to tempt me … I got up and walked out of the office.”

Pa remarked: “The City gave the Africville people no deal at all. Some were put into places far worse than what they left. Also when people lived in Africville, they were not on welfare.”

Post-relocation

Africville Today
Today, the site is an underused park called Seaview Gardens Memorial Park. Seaview used to be the name of the African Baptist Church. Africvilleans and their descendants have kept the name and history of Africville alive and the Africville Genealogy Society is also working toward that end, this project being ones of those means.

In 2008, the Africville Festival at Seaview was attended by over 1,500 people from all parts of Canada, the US and beyond. The Gala celebration at the Westin Nova Scotian brought the Paramount Chief from Ghana to address the gathering. The Freedom Schooner Amistad moored off the shore and Joe Sealy (an Africville descendant) performed his acclaimed Africville Suite at Neptune Theatre. Hopes are to turn the annual reunion into an annual festival.

1992*
Africville: A Spirit that Lives On - national touring exhibition organized by AGS with Mount Saint Vincent University Art Gallery, National Film Board - Atlantic Centre, and the Black Cultural Centre of Nova Scotia, along with accompanying video documentary and a book.

2002
Africville named a National Historic Site by the Government of Canada.

2005*
Africville community approved AGS strategic plan that established objectives of the construction of a replica Seaview United Baptist Church and creation of an interpretive centre.

2006*
Completion of a detailed feasibility study and business plan for the Seaview Church replica and Africville Interpretive Centre.

2008*
Twenty-fifth reunion attended by over 1,500 people from all parts of Canada, the US and beyond. Paramount Chief from Ghana addresses Gala gathering. The Freedom Schooner Amistad visits and Joe Sealy (an Africville descendant) performs his Africville Suite at Neptune Theatre.

2009*
Renaming of Service Road to Africville Road.

2010*
Negotiated settlement with HRM including: transfer of land for the church replica and interpretive centre; financial support for capital construction and endowment; employment contract for maintenance of Seaview Park; renaming of Seaview Park to Africville; establishment of African Nova Scotian Affairs function within municipal government; and a formal acknowledgement of loss and apology.

* Excerpted in part from The HRM website regarding Africville [External Link] .

Timeline

The Early 19th Century:

The Africville Genealogy Society gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Department of Canadian Heritage for this project.
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