It’s our 5th anniversary and we want everyone to share our excitement. Amherst Area Heritage Trust (AAHT) has dedicated itself to preserve, protect, and promote this area’s built-heritage and history, however and wherever we can.
In 1917, a loosely-knit group interested in Amherst and Cumberland’s unique history and heritage decided to get serious about recognizing our wonderful old houses, streetscapes, and, of course, some of the oldest history in Canada. To do this, we registered under Nova Scotia’s Joint Stock Registry in January 2018 as non-profit, member-supported volunteer organization.
We currently have 40 very active members, a Facebook page with 1,200 followers. And most posts get over a 1,000 views. In fact one of our recent posts was seen by 17,000 people. We are definitely on the map and so is Amherst.
Check us out on Facebook at “Amherst Area Heritage Trust” and “like” us if you can. The more people who follow us, the more leverage we will have. And that’s what we are all about, getting things happening in our community. And we will soon have a webpage soon too.
Then, of course, you may have read that our iconic Colonel James Layton Ralston Armoury, the place where thousands of Cumberland people signed up, practiced, and marched off to two World Wars is not secure. It has been a centre for community activities and hometown pride for more than a century. Who’s working to prevent the disappearance of this wonderful red sandstone façade, built in 1915 to reflect Amherst’s downtown streetscapes? That’s AAHT too!
Did you know that the artifacts held in the military museum at the Armoury are likely worth more than $1,000,000?
Here’s another “Did you know”. AAHT has created an inventory of Amherst’s older buildings (dates, owners and builders, architectural details and lots of stories? There are 150+ buildings that merit a place in AAHT’s inventory?
And we will be publishing books, pamphlets, and brochures in the very near future. The first is likely to be a “Then and Now”, a publication focusing on local sights a hundred years ago or more, paired with photos taken from the same perspective today. Several of our members have extensive post card collections while others have strong photographic skills.
AAHT’s vision is to create a community in which heritage structures and sites are recognized, valued, and promoted as positively enhancing our community’s quality of life as well as providing both social, economic, and environmental benefits for everyone. We look to a time when these assets are cherished and well protected through a combination of regulatory, fiscal, and technical supports and the option of best practices where the conservation, management and care of heritage assets are taken for granted.
AMHERST AREA HERITAGE TRUST NEEDS LOTS MORE VOICES TO PROTECT, PRESERVE AND PROMOTE HERITAGE IN AMHERST AND AREA.
Email us at [email protected] if you’d like to join our group
