Weymouth Falls, Nova Scotia
Weymouth Falls is a Black Nova Scotian settlement within the District of Clare in Digby County, located in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.
The community was established by African-Canadians in the 1780s, near the village of Weymouth. Initially established by Black Loyalists, they were later joined by Maroons and other groups of Caribbeans of African descent. The original Baptist church in Weymouth Falls was among the first seven established in the province as part of the African United Baptist Association in 1854. Its replacement, Mount Beulah Baptist Church was erected in 1921. St. Matthew’s Anglican Church was purchased from a Yarmouth congregation in 1902. The building was moved to Weymouth Falls and reassembled by Anglican members of the community. St. Matthew's has a unique designation as the only Anglican Church in Canada to have an all black congregation. The area was once home to a prosperous lumber industry, with the community remaining agriculturally based to this day.
Weymouth Falls is the birthplace of one of the world's greatest boxers, Sam Langford. Although he was never officially crowned World Champion, he held titles from England, Spain and Mexico. In 1972, Weymouth Falls erected a plaque to his memory at its community centre. In 1996, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada recognized his contribution to Canadian sports by rating Langford as one of the top ten boxers of the 20th century.
Whylah Falls, a poetic novel written by Black Canadian George Elliott Clarke takes place in Weymouth Falls.
The number of black residents in Weymouth Falls has declined from 295 in 2001, to 115 in 2016.
