Early Black Communities

The first record of community in the area around Africville is from 1761. While it was not called Africville at that time, a few Black families had settled in this area on the outskirts of Halifax. Africville was made up of formerly enslaved people, Jamaican Maroons, and, later, Black refugees from the War of 1812. In 1848, Black settlers William Arnold and William Brown bought land in Africville, and soon after, other Black families followed suit. Africville is one of many African communities in Nova Scotia that date to the 18th century. It was a close-knit and thriving community despite the injustices residents faced. The Seaview African United Baptist Church was the central hub of the community. In addition to providing a place where residents could grow spiritually, it was also used for social gatherings. Africville had various stores, a school, a post office, and a hockey team – the Africville Brown Bombers – that participated in the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes. By the 1960s, when the City of Halifax decided to raze the community, approximately 400 people lived in Africville.