An Acadian foundation of a house was found at a marsh, located upriver
from Annapolis Royal and about a mile from Girouard Village. It was settled
by 1679. By 1755, there may have been as many as 30 houses along the margins
of this marsh called the Belleisle marsh.. The settlement was abandoned
and destroyed in that year and only three house foundations survive as archaeological
features today. The house was a substantial wood framed structure on a basalt
fieldstone foundation and is an example of the French construction method
known as charpente. A massive hearth, oven and chimney stood at one
end of a single room. The walls were partly filled with clay and the roof
was thatched.
In 1983, one of these foundations was excavated by archaeologists, providing
valuable insights into early Acadian life. The archaeologists recovered over
5000 artifacts and important structural information relating to pre-expulsion
Acadian house construction. Note the circular oven base attached to the foundation
of the image below.
