The African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church quickly spread throughout the United States, into Canada, and later, into Africa. In 1856, many of the Canadian congregations broke off from the American branch of the AME because of the Fugitive Slave…
This is a permit application for an extension to the Africville school shows that the community was growing and investing in future generations. The fact that there were residents pushing for a larger school demonstrates that Africville’s population…
A photograph of Matilda Newman inside her grocery and confectionary store in Africville, this image captures Newman within the context of the everyday rhythm of her work. She's standing in front of shelves stocked with the goods she would have been…
This is a 1957 building permit application submitted by Matilda Newman, a resident of Africville. The permit, approved by the City of Halifax’s Office of the Building Inspector, is a record of Newman’s request “to occupy” a building within the…
This repair permit for the Seaview United Baptist Church highlights both the church’s significance in Africville and Deacon Ralph Jones’s commitment as an individual community leader. The permit shows that residents actively worked to maintain and…