*Illustration by Sarah Fisher
About
The Cow Bay Hall is a community hall located at 1493 Cow Bay Road, Cow Bay, Nova Scotia. It is available for public and private bookings. Please refer to contact information below to book and make sure to check the calendar below which lists upcoming events.
The Cow Bay Hall is administered by the Social and Beneficial Society of Cow Bay, a registered not-for-profit society.
Contact
General inquiries and bookings: cowbayhall@gmail.com
Price: $60/day
A Brief History of the Cow Bay Hall
In 1887 the Social and Beneficial Society of Cow Bay was established to discuss the construction of a place where residents of Cow Bay could gather to address their social and recreational needs. In the ensuing year, these residents worked to achieve their goal, and with milled lumber being transported for the Eastern Shore, they built the Cow Bay Hall in 1888. They proved to be exacting builders with a structure which has withstood the test of time for 131 years!
Over the years, the Cow Bay Hall has had many caretakers, including the original Society and the Womens’ Institute, culminating with the reincarnation of the Social and Beneficial Society of Cow Bay in November of 1993 which continues to ‘look after’ the Hall.
Since that time, this voluntary not-for-profit, registered under the Registry of Joint Stock Companies of Nova Scotia, has dedicated itself to the restoration and preservation of the Cow Bay Hall, with the help of monetary grants from various sources, and generous donations of items and hard work from local volunteers. During the 1990’s and early 2000’s the interior of the Hall was almost completely gutted; the ceiling was raised to its original height, ceiling and walls were insulated, a storage space constructed above the kitchen, new lighting systems were installed, a much needed bathroom was built, the shed erected to contain a water holding tank, running water was installed, as were a septic system and a new roof. Much of this work was completed by a company which specialized in the restoration of antique buildings.
Presently, the continuing preservation of and improvements to the Cow Bay Hall are achieved through fund raising activities and events, such as the Winter Wreath Social and the well-attended Cow Bay Teas, in addition to rentals to community members for special occasions. Recently, a group of Cow Bay Residents has begun the Cow Bay Concert Series which brings engaging musical entertainers to the Hall – an activity which certainly echoes the activities of the original founders, as do our other activities.
The work continues with continual maintenance and improvements by a group of volunteers who hold the same ideals as those original residents of 1887 and 1888. We continue this labour of love to preserve the wonderful Cow Bay Hall for our children, our grandchildren and for future generations.
Prepared by Carolyn Scott
May, 2019