BIRCHTOWN & THE BLACK LOYALIST HERITAGE CENTRE

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The Black Loyalist Heritage Site in Birchtown, Nova Scotia, including the Old Schoolhouse Museum and St. Paul's Anglican Church began in 1989, and a larger Centre opened in 2015. In July that year, I visited while participating in the Founders' Days Festival in Shelburne as a re-enactor with the 84th Regiment.  I photographed plaques on a wall inside  the Church. They were placed in recognition of monies donated by the United Empire Loyalists' Association (UELAC) for new windows.

Below plaques to UELAC and windows
in St. Paul's Anglican Church 

Birchtown is important as the site of the largest free Black settlement in North America during the late 18th century.  It was established in 1783–1784 and named after British Brigadier General Samuel Birch. He helped oversee the evacuation of Black Loyalists from New York to Nova Scotia  and signed the certificates of freedom—known as "General Birch Certificates"—for many of the formerly enslaved people.

Brigadier General Birch oversaw a joint British and American commission known as the "Birch Trails" which met at Fraunces Tavern in New York and led to the recording of the names of approximately 3,000 Black Loyalists in the Book of Negroes who were evacuated between April and November 1783.

The Halifax - Dartmouth Branch of the UELAC presented a cheque to the Black Loyalist Heritage Society at Birchtown in 2007 for $5,000 as reported with the photo below that appeared in the Spring 2007 issue of The Loyalist Gazette. 

UELAC Branch donation 

The new Heritage Centre at Birchtown which opened in 2015 was funded by the Government of Canada (Heritage Canada), the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, the Province of Nova Scotia, private and corporate donors, and fundraising by the Black Loyalist Heritage Society. 

Black Loyalist Heritage Centre 

In May 2022, I visited the Burial Ground at Birchtown and prepared this video. Unfortunately the wind can be heard at times.


Further Reference:

Birchtown and St. Paul's Anglican Church, by Brian McConnell. UE,  published by UELAC in 2015

The Birch Trails overseen by Brigadier General Samuel Birch. Video made 22 June 2025 in FrauncesTavern, NewYork.


Historian & Author; Member of United Empire Loyalists ' Association of Canada, Genealogical Association of Nova Scotia, Ulster Historical & Genealogical Guild (Life)

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