Description of Historic Place

Pierre Dugua de Mons Habitation is a commemorative site consisting of a piece of land on the St. Croix River, facing St. Croix Island. More specifically, the site is located in Bayside, a small rural community situated between St. Stephen and St. Andrews near the Canada-U.S. border.

Heritage Value

Pierre Dugua de Mons Habitation is designated a Provincial Historical Site for its association with the first inhabited settlement in Acadia and for its archaeological potential.

Pierre Dugua de Mons Habitation is recognized for its association with the first Acadian habitation on what is now New Brunswick soil. In order to supply the inhabitants of the first permanent French settlement in North America, located on St. Croix Island, with food and water, Pierre Dugua de Mons ordered the construction, in 1604, of a habitation on the mainland with gardens, a source of drinking water, and a source of firewood. Some men were assigned to this habitation in order to ensure a constant link between the island and the mainland. The location of this commemorative site offers a view of St. Croix Island.

The heritage value of Pierre Dugua de Mons Habitation also lies in its archaeological potential. The banks of the site may contain vestiges of the former habitation or its gardens.

Source: Department of Wellness, Culture and Sport - Heritage Branch - Site File: Vol. IX-115

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements that describe Pierre Dugua de Mons Habitation include:
- the location being the site of the first Acadian habitation on what is now New Brunswick soil;
- viewplanes between this mainland site and St. Croix Island that are reminiscent of their shared history as an early Acadian settlement;
- yet-to-be identified artefacts, structures or land features directly related to the activities of the habitation, especially those relating to the supplying of food, water and firewood to St. Croix Island, as well as those relating to the habitation itself.