Seaview African United Baptist Church

The beating heart of Africville is the church.

The original “little brown church” was a casualty of First World War development and had to be torn down; the congregation requested and received permission from the city to build a new church on city-owned property in the Africville area. That became the church that is remembered in photos and stories.

Reverends came out from churches like Cornwallis Street Church, Saint Thomas Church in Preston or elsewhere. When they could not come, we had our deacons.

This was our town hall. Our business centre and the place where we had Bible classes and youth clubs, everything.

If you wanted something done in Africville, best start at the church. Matter of fact, the church was where we had our meeting with the city about the resettlement. But let’s talk about good things.

Easter Sunday.

Now you had to get up early for that. Get to the church early. Service starts with the sun up so that means you’re there for four or five in the morning. That was a big day, with people getting ready with the best clothes they had.

People came from all over. Africville. The city. Truro. New Glasgow. White and Black. The service was well known and ran till noon. Then it’s baptism time.

A long procession went down to the Bedford Basin and with the singing voices of those there, the salt water of the Atlantic washed over the newly baptized.

Someday soon that church will rise again in that place. You'll see. Africville lives on in spirit and through the community.

The Africville Genealogy Society gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Department of Canadian Heritage for this project.
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