FedRecognized Federal Heritage Building · 1912–1913Building 18Photo: Skinnzy · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons file
Kentville Research Station, Research Station #5 · Photo: Skinnzy · CC BY-SA 3.02historic places on the registers
History of Kentville · Canada’s heritage registers
An older town: 38% of Kentville’s homes predate 1961
Against 18% in the typical town, Kentville has 2.2 times the share. All told, the heritage lists hold 2 historic places within the town. Measured against its size, 2.6 per 10,000 residents puts it ahead of 89% of Canadian towns. On the list: 2 Recognized Federal Heritage Buildings.
Historic places
2
2.6 per 10,000 residents
Highest designations
0
National Historic Sites and Classified Federal Heritage Buildings
Other federal designations
2
Recognized buildings, railway stations, lighthouses
Oldest building
1912
the first construction date on its record
Homes built before 1961
38%
typical town: 18%
In pictures
See Kentville’s history: 2 photos
Building 18, dated 1912, is the oldest place pictured in Kentville. Both of Kentville’s designated places are pictured. Two worth a look first: “Kentville Research Station, Research Station #5” and Building 18.
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, each credited to its photographer with its licence; names open the place’s page. Tap a photo to step through them full screen.
The map
Where Kentville’s history is
Every place on the registers inside the town, by its designation.
Other federal designations
Hover a dot for its name; tap one to open its page.
The 2, by tier
2 Other federal designations
Federal designations come from Parks Canada’s directory; a province’s or a council’s own listing shows here only when Wikidata holds it and an encyclopedia covers it.
Points from Wikidata (Parks Canada’s files carry none) and from Québec’s register, as mapped there.
Other federal designations
2 more federal designations in Kentville
Recognized Federal Heritage Buildings, heritage railway stations and lighthouses. They include Building 18 and “Kentville Research Station, Research Station #5”. Each one opens its own page.
FedRecognized Federal Heritage Building · 1912–1913Kentville Research Station, Research Station #5Photo: Skinnzy · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Commons file
Around the town
9 historic places within 25 km of Kentville
Its 7 places of national rank start with Acacia Grove / Prescott House, at 10 km. They are 6 National Historic Sites, a provincial or municipal listing and a heritage railway station. Between them, 3 towns share them, mainly Kings County, Subdivision D, Kings County, Subdivision B and Wolfville.
The 9 nearest, within 25 km
| Charles Macdonald Concrete House MuseumProvincially Registered Property · 1910 · 5.8 km away, in Kings County, Subdivision B |
| Acacia Grove / Prescott HouseNational Historic Site · 1799–1810 · 10 km away, in Kings County, Subdivision B |
| Ladies' SeminaryNational Historic Site · 1878–1879 · 11 km away, in Wolfville |
| Sir Frederick Borden ResidenceNational Historic Site · 1864–1903 · 11 km away, in Kings County, Subdivision B |
| Wolfville Canadian Pacific, Wolfville, Nova ScotiaHeritage Railway Station · 1912–1913 · 11 km away, in Wolfville |
| Commemorative ChurchClassified Federal Heritage Building · 1922–1923 · 15 km away, in Kings County, Subdivision D |
| Grand-PréNational Historic Site · 1922–1924 · 15 km away, in Kings County, Subdivision D |
| Grand-Pré Rural Historic DistrictNational Historic Site · 1680–1756 · 15 km away, in Kings County, Subdivision D |
| Covenanters' ChurchNational Historic Site · 1804–1812 · 16 km away, in Kings County, Subdivision D |
Homes by age
Kentville is still building: 5.8% of homes date from 2016 to 2021, against 4.1%
Only 11% of Kentville’s homes were built from 2001 to 2015, less than the typical town’s 15%. More than half of Kentville’s housing predates 1981. In Kentville, 23% of homes date from 1961 to 1980, much as in most towns (27%).
38%
Before 1961
23%
1961–80
22%
1981–2000
11%
2001–15
5.8%
2016–21
KentvilleTypical town
2021 Census, private dwellings by period of construction (Statistics Canada); the typical town is the middle Canadian town of 2,500 or more.
Born here
7 Kentville births on record from before 1914
The last born is Don Oyler, in 1907. By Wikipedia’s reach, Austin L. Rand leads, with 17 articles. Longest lived was William Bayard, 93 years in all (1907). Of the 7, 4 were born in the decades after Confederation.
William Bayard
Arthur Wentworth Hamilton Eaton
Barclay Webster
Lewis Johnstone Lovett
Walter D'Arcy Ryan
Austin L. Rand
Don Oyler
1800182518501875190019251950
AR
Austin L. Rand1905–1982 · Canadian zoologist
Walter D'Arcy Ryan1870–1934 · American lighting engineer and inventor
William Bayard1814–1907 · Canadian physician
BW
Barclay Webster1849–1928 · Canadian politician
Arthur Wentworth Hamilton Eaton1849–1937 · Protestant Episcopal clergyman, educator, and writer
LL
Lewis Johnstone Lovett1867–1942 · Canadian politician
DO
Don Oyler1907–1989 · Canadian curler
Everyone born in Kentville → Born before 1914 (the page’s periods: Confederation to the First World War). Birthplaces from Wikidata, each checked against the person’s Wikipedia article.
Towns its size
Kentville has the 3rd most of 16 towns its size
Towns of 7,500 to 7,700 residents, by places on the registers.
Kentville2
Only Digby and University have more. The middle one has 1. 8 of them have none.
Neighbours
Kentville and its neighbours
| Town | People | Places | Highest | Oldest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentville | 7,589 | 2 | 0 | 1912 |
| Kings County, Subdivision C | 8,994 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Kings County, Subdivision B | 12,661 | 3 | 2 | 1799 |
| Wolfville | 5,587 | 2 | 1 | 1878 |
| Kings County, Subdivision D | 6,517 | 4 | 4 | 1680 |
| Berwick | 2,631 | 0 | 0 | — |
In brief
Kentville in brief
In Kentville, 38% of homes were built before 1961, against 18% in the typical town. All told, the registers hold 2 historic places. Only 2 of the 16 towns nearest its size have more historic places. Its people of the past include Austin L. Rand (1905), Walter D'Arcy Ryan (1870) and William Bayard (1814). The other figures are unremarkable: every designation dates from 1994.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- The tiers. Three tiers: the top for National Historic Sites, classified federal buildings and Québec’s classements, a second for the other federal designations, a third for provincial and municipal listings.
- The federal register. Federal places come from Parks Canada’s directory, which counts National Historic Sites, federal heritage buildings, stations and lighthouses; their statements are the register’s own.
- Provincial and municipal lists. The local and provincial lists outside Québec aren’t published openly, so this page counts what Wikidata records and pages only the places an encyclopedia describes.
- The grade. History is described, not graded, for every Canadian town.
- People and events. Persons of national historic significance come with no location; a town gets one only by birthplace (name and both life years agreeing) or by one of its own places that bears the name and whose record tells the story. Events, which can’t be tied, are left out.
- Protection. Federal recognition isn’t a planning control: buildings the federal government owns follow its heritage policy, while others are protected only by a provincial or municipal designation.
- Map points. Federal places get their map points from Wikidata, since Parks Canada’s files carry none; they are as mapped there.
Questions about Kentville’s history
How old are the homes in Kentville?
The 2021 Census dates 38% of its homes before 1961 (18% in the typical town).
How many historic places does Kentville have on the registers?
Inside Kentville: 2 historic places.
What is the oldest building in Kentville?
By its record, Building 18, from 1912 (Recognized Federal Heritage Building).
Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada (Parks Canada).
Sources: Parks Canada, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations · Canadian Register of Historic Places (federal extract) · Wikidata (CC0) for map points, other names and articles · Statistics Canada, 2021 Census (homes by period of construction). Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).