Arichat is an unincorporated village in the Municipality of the County of Richmond,

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. It is the primary settlement on Isle Madame, off the southeastern tip of

Cape Breton Island Cape Breton Island (, formerly '; or '; ) is a rugged and irregularly shaped island on the Atlantic coast of North America and part of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. The island accounts for 18.7% of Nova Scotia's total area. Although ...

Toponym

The name derives from a

Mi'kmaq The Mi'kmaq (also ''Mi'gmaq'', ''Lnu'', ''Mi'kmaw'' or ''Mi'gmaw''; ; , and formerly Micmac) are an Indigenous group of people of the Northeastern Woodlands, native to the areas of Canada's Atlantic Provinces, primarily Nova Scotia, New Bru ...

word meaning camping ground, or worn rocks.

History

Arichat has a deep and protected natural harbour which made it an important fishing and shipbuilding centre in the 1800s. Jerseyman Island, which protects the harbour, was visited by Europeans fishermen as early as the 1500s. The village was sacked by

John Paul Jones John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 – July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-born naval officer who served in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War. Often referred to as the "Father of the American Navy", Jones is regard ...

during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

, after which two cannons were installed above the village. The LeNoir Forge was an important boat building site and is now a museum. The first classes of

St. Francis Xavier University St. Francis Xavier University is a public undergraduate liberal arts university located in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is a member of the Maple League, a group of primarily undergraduate universities in Eastern Canada. History St. Fran ...

began at Arichat in 1853, later moving to

Antigonish Antigonish ( ; ) is a town in Antigonish County, Nova Scotia, Canada. The town is home to St. Francis Xavier University and the oldest continuous Highland games outside Scotland. It is approximately 160 kilometres (100 miles) northeast of Hal ...

. The Catholic Cathedral of Notre Dame de l'Assomption was constructed in 1835, having since been rebuilt. It is the oldest surviving Roman Catholic Church in Nova Scotia. St. John's Anglican Church was built in 1828, destroyed by fire and rebuilt in 1895. Considered to be the second oldest Anglican congregation in Cape Breton, the Church is noted for its amazing acoustic properties, a signature of its architect. Lighthouses were built in the 1850s, since replaced with replicas in 2017-2018. In 1970, struck Cerberus Rock, releasing over 10,000 tons of oil, devastating the fishing industry. It is now a popular dive site.

Gallery

ArichatGuns.jpg, Arichat seen from Cannon Look-Off. Cap Auguet Lighthouse.jpg, Lighthouse of Marche Point, standing at the edge of Cap Auguet St John's Anglican Church, Arichat.jpg, St John's Anglican Church, the second building, completed in 1895 and designed by William Harris. Notre Dame de L'Assomption Arichat.jpg, Notre Dame de L'Assumption

References

{{Coord, 45, 30, 40.17, N, 61, 0, 46.5, W, region:CA_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki, display=title Communities in Richmond County, Nova Scotia 1785 establishments in Nova Scotia Populated coastal places in Canada