LOCATION:
Situated between Indian Harbour and West Dover,
Peggy's Cove is accessible by Route #333.
WHAT'S IN A NAME?
The fishing village of Peggy's Cove at the entrance
to St. Margaret's Bay was originally known simply as Eastern Point
Harbour because it is situated at the eastern side of the bay.
Eventually it was changed to Peggy's Cove, perhaps in honour of the
wife of one of the first settlers, an Irishman by the name of
William Rogers. Apparently, he did not stay long but moved on to a
land grant on Caribou Island in Pictou County.
There is a romantic folktale that offers another
explanation concerning how the cove got its name. Young Peggy was
travelling by ship to Halifax to meet her fianc� when her ship
foundered on the rocks. She was rescued by local folk who took care
of her. When one would go visit her, they would say they were going
to see "Peggy of the Cove." Though a nice story to believe
there is no evidence to substantiate either this or the tale of
William Roger's wife. What is more, a deed issued to six families in
1809 names the area Peggy's Cove but records that no one was living
there at the time.
SETTLEMENT HISTORY:
Six families - two Troop (Troup) brothers, three
Isenhauer (Isnor) brothers, and a man by the name of Kayzer -
divided the land around the cove into six lots, which were further
divided and now twenty-five families live in the village. Many are
related to families in Indian Harbour or Hackett's Cove, with such
names as Manuel, Crooks, Croucher, Daubin and Garrison.
FAMOUS RESIDENT:
A most famous resident of Peggy's Cove was William
deGarthe, an artist and sculptor who had emigrated from Finland. He
often came to the cove to paint marine life, the residents of the
cove and their way of life. In 1954, he bought a home at the head of
the Cove, which today serves as an art gallery displaying his work.
He also carved a memorial to the courage of the fishermen living in
the cove. The sculpture, which took him ten years to complete,
covers a 30-metre granite outcrop of rock in his backyard. Depicted
are St. Michael, guardian angle of fishermen, several fishermen,
their wives and children, Peggy of the Cove, and deGarthe's pet
seagull Joe. The Provincial Government now maintains the upkeep of
the William E. deGarth Memorial Park.
THE PEGGY'S COVE LIGHTHOUSE:
The lighthouse at Peggy's Cove is probably the most
photographed in the world. It was built in 1914 and today serves as
a post office for tourists during the summer months. The lighthouse
is unmanned but the light still burns to warn sailors of the rocky
coastline.
PEGGY'S COVE TODAY:
Peggy's Cove was only kilometers from the site of a
tragic plane crash in 1998 in which all 229 passengers and crew of
Swissair Flight 101 were killed. The residents of the small
community heroically pooled all their energies and resources into
the massive search effort, and were greatly affected by the tragedy.
An official memorial was erected at the site of the
crash for mourners and visitors who wish to pay their respects to
the passengers and crew of the flight.
"one City...Many Communities" co -
published BY Halifax Regional Municipality AND Nimbus, funded BY
the HRM Millennium Committee.Author : Alfreda Withrow
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©
1999-2004 by Halifax County NS Canada GenWeb and/or it's contributors
RETURN
TO NOVA SCOTIA GENWEB
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Halifax County Genweb Project
gratefully acknowledges the following sources:
Historical Information on many
community pages is from : One
City...Many Communities" co - published by Halifax Regional
Municipality and Nimbus, funded By the HRM Millennium
Committee.Author : Alfreda Withrow.
Mapeeze: Free map linking on
Destination Nova Scotia.
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