BRIEF HISTORY OF CHESTER
FOUNDED 1759
The village of Chester was first settled by English and German
immigrants. In 1759, a wave of settlers arrived from New England, mainly Massachusetts,
and a grant was given to Timothy Houghton for "Shoreham", the original name for
the village.
The Blockhouse was built shortly after 1759 and was at one point the
residence of Dr. Prescott. 
He was responsible for the militia and the defense of the town.
With the help of the women, children and old
men he organized a plot that foiled an attack on the town in 1782 by American Privateers.
Three ships sailed into the harbor and opened fire on the Blockhouse. Capt. Prescott
returned fire 
and managed to
hit one of the ships. They retreated behind Nauss' Point and moved over land to the edge
of the Front Harbor. There they hailed the Blockhouse 
and requested permission
to bury their dead. Capt. Prescott, fearing a land attack, and without the support of the
militia who were away in Lunenburg, stalled for time.
He invited the American Captains for a meal and during the meal let
it be known that the milita had arrived from Lunenburg and were now billeted in Houghton's
Barn. This of course was not true, but a ruse. The Americans fearing trouble returned to
their ships.
In the morning the women, with gray capes turned to show the red
lining, and carrying brooms and muskets reported to the Blockhouse. They marched around
the perimeter of the Blockhouse, much as English soldiers would do on guard. From a
distance the red capes and brooms appeared to the Privateers 
to be English militia.
The Privateers thinking the town well defended sailed away. The village had been saved.
Unfortunately for Lunenburg, the same three ships attacked and sacked the town the next
day.
Two of the canons, 
part of the battery set up to defend the village, are now mounted outside the
Legion Hall. They were cast during the reign of George II and they each weigh 3800 lbs.
During the War of 1812, privateers once again threatened the area.
The Young Teazer was one such ship. She was chased into the bay by a British ship and was
trapped. Rather than be captured one of the crew threw a brand from the galley in through
the magazine hatch. The resulting explosion was felt and seen by hundreds of people around
the bay. Only eight men survived. The next day the figurehead and the foreward part of the
ship were towed into Chester Bay and beached on Nauss' Island, now known as Meisner's
Island. The hull was sold to George Mitchell who used it in the foundation of his store 
which is
now the Rope Loft Restaurant. A wooden cross was made from part of the keelson and is kept
in St. Stephen's Church. 
Two of the seamen are buried in St. Stephen's Cemetery. It is said that even today the
ghost of the Young Teazer can still be seen haunting the coast and exploding into a ball
of fire.
The village became the center of the Township and by the end of the
eighteenth century was supplying Halifax with lumber and farm produce. By 1850 tourism had
become an important factor in the life of the village. Hotels were built to
accommodate the
visitors and many arrived by train from Halifax. Many American tourists built summer
residences here and returned year after year. Their generosity, over the years, has
enhanced the village.
Chester was the site of many large hotels which catered to the
travelers passing through and to tourists.
The village was the site of the only
road connection between Halifax and the Annapolis Valley and travelers would sail by boat
to Chester, put up at a hotel and catch the stage to the valley. With the opening of a
road between Halifax and Chester the traffic increased and the village grew. The Halifax
and South West Railway linked Chester with Halifax by 1903. Pictures show the tracks laid
right up to the doorstep of the Cullen Smith homestead. The house was eventually torn down
to make way for the railroad. The Canadian National Railway used the line until rail
service was discontinued and the tracks dismantled in 1993. The station was closed in 1980
and is now the home of the Chester Municipal Heritage Society. (see opening picture)
During the World War II the Hackmatack Inn was turned into a
convalescent home for Norwegian sailors. A number of those men stayed in the area at the
end of the war. The Hackmatack is now demolished but the smaller houses that made up part
of the complex are still in use today. In 1994 the Norwegian government placed a memorial
in the Parade Square to mark the gratitude of the Norwegian people to the village of
Chester for their assistance during this period. With development of roads from Halifax
connecting to the Annapolis Valley, travelers no longer used the Chester route. Tourist
traffic declined and the large hotels ceased to be profitable. The Lovett House, was torn
down as was the Mulgrave House directly across the street. The Legion Hall now sits on the
site of the original Lovett House.
The Parade Square is home to the War Memorial 
designed by Scottish
sculptor, J. Massey Rhind, and donated to the village in 1922. Close by is the band stand
and the Chester Yacht Club. The band stand is a favorite spot to watch the yacht races
held throughout the summer months in the Front Harbor.
Many land- locked older sailors offer
colorful comments and criticisms on the race
in progress.
Chester Golf Club, originally leased to the village by Joseph N. Pew
Jr., in 1953, was originally started by Jack Miller and his brother Alexander who wanted a
place to play golf. They rented the land, Prescott's Point, from from Winton Smith and
began to convert the land into a golf course. 
Over the years more land was purchased and finally the Smith farm
itself. The farmer still lived on his farm and became the greens keeper. During World War
I, when the owners were off to war, sheep kept the grass short on the fairways and caddies
helped to keep the grass on the greens cut. Wild blueberries grew along the fairways and
in the rough.
The course was active until 1952. In 1954 Mr. Pew purchased the land
and and leased it, under the control of a Board of Trustees, to the village of Chester.
The board was to administer the lease to be granted to the Club. This opened the way for
an independent incorporated club which today has been expanded to eighteen holes, one of
the most beautiful in the province.
The Church Memorial Park, donated to the village by Senator Charles
E. Church, is the site of the Chester Brass Bank Practice Hall, The Eleanor Pew-Morris
Memorial Rink and Chester Curling Club Complex and the Chester Tennis Club. It is used by
municipal groups and citizens for events such as garden parties, displays and ball games.
Today Chester is a village of approximately 1250 people. It is still
a tourist destination with many large summer homes. The population almost doubles during
the summer months. The town is a mecca for yachting enthusiasts during the summer months.
Of keen interest are the older wooden boats, 
know as the "C-Class" boats,
constructed locally. Unfortunately they are a dying breed. The village is a connecting
link to Big and Little Tancook Islands, located five miles off shore. The ferry, William
G. Ernst, 
makes trips daily between Chester and the Tancooks. A ferry schedule is
included on the main page. Students travel to school by ferry daily from the islands. The
older homes and buildings in the village reflect the heritage and life of the inhabitants.
Photographs courtesy of Edward Rutherford, Chester, N.S. and Sky Shots, Chester, N.S.