Temperance halls sprung up all over the province in the 1800s in Nova Scotia as communities battled the evils of alcoholic drinks. The entrance door to the upstairs hall still has the original “breathalyzer” hole for meeting goers to blow into. If those inside the meeting could detect alcohol on a person’s breath they were denied entrance.
At the turn of the nineteenth century the upstairs came to be used for a variety of functions from pie aids to community dances. For many there are fond memories of these early times when dances were lit by oil lanterns on walls and music was provided by local people that could play an instrument or whoever showed up that could play music.
Provided by association
History of the Port Joli building
The Port Joli School/Hall appears to have been built in 1868 as Nova Scotia School Reports state that a building was erected in that year in Port Joli. Prior to this students in Port Joli were taught school in a room in a private home chosen by residents in each area. The building has two storeys; the lower floor was used to accommodate the community school and the community/temperance hall was upstairs, accessed by a separate outside door.
- Number of views : 737
- Rate
- Top of the page
