For two centuries people have gathered at the Old Meeting House for township business and religious worship. Designated as a Canadian National Historic Site, this New England–style meeting house is the oldest non-conformist house of worship in Canada and among the oldest in North America. Built in 1765 by Congregationalist fishermen and farmers from Cape Cod, known as the New England Planters, the Meeting House was a building-in-progress for its first hundred years until the windows, doors, box pews, and a pulpit were added in the mid-1800s.
Inside you will see period “graffiti” and listen to the remarkable acoustics as you speak from the pulpit. Visitors are encouraged to try writing with a quill and ink, blowing bubbles and playing games, 18th-century-style.
Outside, viewing the landscape and the graveyard, you can hear the stories of the first people to inhabit Menistukek/Barrington, the Mi’kmaq, as well as learn about the early French, Acadian and Planter settlers of l’Acadie and the Township of Barrington.
During your visit to the Old Meeting House Museum, take a guided tour to learn how this area was settled and hear stories about the original settlers. Weekly concerts, presentations, and events take place during the season. Please check our website or social media accounts for details.
A tax-free gift shop featuring museum-made and locally sourced items is an added feature at this historic site. This museum site is a part of the Nova Scotia Museums as well as the Barrington Museum Complex which includes four museum sites all within walking distance of each other along the scenic Barrington River.
