Port-Royal was
established by France in 1605 and
preceded the settlement of Jamestown by several years. It was primarily a fur trading post that
established a relationship with the natives who traded pelts for European goods. In 1613, the British destroyed the outpost and forced the French to move to what
is now known as Annapolis Royal up the coast about 20 miles.
In 1939, the
government decided to reconstruct this historically significant outpost and
create a living site to demonstrate how life at the settlement was in the early
1600's The settlement had a number of
firsts including: the first tended crops, the first staged play, the first
social club and the first water mill.
Touring the site, you
learn how life in this outpost was lived with the aid of the reenactment staff
providing information and answering question about the settlement. It was a great history of the site and
prelude to touring the settlement that replaced it.