Our mission, our people, and our commitment to preserving heritage.
Allenville Church & Cemetery is a registered Canadian nonprofit organization (CRA Registry ID: 806893434RR0001) dedicated to the care, preservation, and promotion of one of Nova Scotia's most enduring historic sites. Situated on Blueberry Lane in the rural community of Allenville, just outside the town of Parrsboro in Cumberland County, the church and its adjoining cemetery represent over two centuries of faith, family, and community.
Our organization was formally incorporated to ensure that this irreplaceable heritage landmark — beloved by descendants of the original settler families and by heritage enthusiasts from across Canada and beyond — would be protected, maintained, and celebrated for generations to come.
We are guided by the belief that preserving history is an act of community care. Every gravestone we restore, every record we archive, and every event we host connects the present generation to the stories and sacrifice of those who came before.
Everything we do is grounded in these core commitments to heritage, people, and place.
We actively restore, archive, and protect the physical and documentary heritage of Allenville Church & Cemetery, ensuring it endures for future generations.
Our doors and our records are open to all — regardless of background, denomination, or ancestry. This history belongs to everyone who calls Nova Scotia home.
As a registered nonprofit, we operate with full accountability to our community, our supporters, and the regulatory requirements of the Canada Revenue Agency.
From school visits to genealogical workshops, we believe that understanding the past enriches the present. We actively share our knowledge with the public.
We tend our grounds with care for the natural landscape, using sustainable practices to maintain the beauty and ecological health of the cemetery and churchyard.
Our strength comes from our volunteers. From ground maintenance to record-keeping to event planning, community hands power everything we do.
From a frontier settlement chapel to an active heritage organization — the story of Allenville Church & Cemetery spans more than two centuries.
Early settlers of the Allenville community, many of them Loyalist descendants and New England Planters, gather to establish a place of worship on the hillside above the Parrsboro basin.
The adjacent burial ground is formally consecrated, with the earliest recorded interments dating to founding families including the Blois, Morrison, and Fulton families.
The original log chapel is replaced with a more permanent wooden structure, featuring the distinctive bell tower that still stands today as an architectural landmark.
Following the First World War, a memorial section is added to the cemetery to honour community members who served. Stained glass windows are dedicated to fallen soldiers.
The church is recognized by the Nova Scotia Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage as a site of significant historic and architectural importance.
The Allenville Church & Cemetery organization is formally incorporated as a registered Canadian nonprofit, with a mandate to preserve and promote the site's heritage.
A major restoration of the bell tower and exterior cladding is underway, and all cemetery records have been digitized and made available to genealogical researchers worldwide.
Our dedicated volunteer committee works tirelessly to preserve and promote this treasured piece of Nova Scotia's heritage.
Chair & President
A descendant of one of Allenville's founding families, Margaret has served as Chair since 2012 and leads our heritage education initiatives.
Vice-Chair & Chaplain
Reverend Blois provides spiritual guidance to the organization and leads our annual commemorative services at the cemetery grounds.
Secretary & Records Keeper
Sandra oversees the archiving and digitization of our historical records, managing over 500 burial records and decades of church documentation.
