Hampton
- Visitor Information Centre
#657 Main Street - Peaceful Hours pattern
Visitors to Hampton continue an age-old tradition when they stop at the Visitor Information Centre. This building formerly served as the Hampton train station, a bustling site where passenger traffic and freight cars were loaded and unloaded. The current building is the third station to sit on this site; the first was constructed in 1859 and was both train station and home to the first station master, George Flewwelling. This building was destroyed by fire and replaced by a larger, three-storey structure in 1867. In 1922 the station was demolished in part, and renovated to the current building that now stands.
2. Station 33 Cafe & Yoga
#33 Railway Crescent - Star Light Star Bright pattern
Owners Becca and Brittany met at a neighborhood gathering and hit it off right away. While chatting they realized how much they had in common…including the fact that they were both yoga teachers, had a passion for healthy cooking and baking and both were in the early stages of opening a cafe in Hampton! The rest was history. The "Station 33" building currently hosts their health-focused, plant-based cafe, yoga classes, and accommodates wellness practioners in the upstairs office spaces. Being situated just steps from the railway and former train station, this building was historically used as an office for the St. Martins Railway staff. The sunflower pattern was chosen for this business due to their commitment to wellness, health, and sustainability.
3. Lutz Parish Gerrish
#4 Centennial Road - Bow Tie Pattern
The partners of Lutz Parish Gerrish made a huge commitment to the community when they adopted the former Post Office building back in 1996. This elegant red sandstone building with its impressive clock tower was built in 1913 by stone masons from England. The landmark was employed as the village post office until 1972. After that time, a succession of different organizations rented the site until it was taken on by the law firm in 1996. Careful renovations updated the space for modern use while respecting the period architecture inside and out. Lutz Parish Gerrish are supporters of many community initiatives – we are pleased to highlight their business with the Quilt Barn Tour!
Parking & Pictures: This busy law practice often has a full parking lot – please park at the Visitor Information Centre across the Town Square.
4. Old Kings County Gaol (Jail)
#17 Centennial Road - Court House Steps pattern
This imposing granite building has a long and storied past. In the early 1800s the jail was built in the neighbouring community of Kingston and served as the county jail until the 1860s. At that time, with the arrival of the railway, Hampton became the county capital and the seat of justice. A new Court House was built (1871) in Hampton but the thrifty community decided against building a new jail – they instead moved the old one! The building was dismantled in Kingston and the huge granite stones were pulled upriver by teams of oxen on the ice during the winter. The jail was then reassembled on this site where it was used as a correctional facility until 1971.
Today, the building is shared by the Kings County Museum, which uses the prisoner’s cells as a display space to tell the story of what purpose the building used to serve.
5. Hampton Health (Pharmasave)
#599 Main Street - Saw Tooth Star pattern
This section of the Moulton Office complex was once known as the “Sharp House”, one of the older buildings in this area of Hampton. The building is remarkably close to the street and concern about its proximity to the street even made the news back in 1899! The building has housed a wide range of businesses over its long history. Today, it still serves the business community providing a unique heritage office space overlooking the Town Square.
Visitors may park in the Pharmasave parking lot to the left of this building, or at the Visitor Information Centre parking lot to the building’s right. From here you can explore the four quilt blocks around the Town Square perimeter.
6. Saltbox Primitives
#567 Hall Road - Saltbox pattern
This lovely home décor shop is located in a new saltbox building that celebrates traditional style.
Filled with primitive décor treasures, the shop is the dream of mother-daughter duo Heather & D'Arcy. Together they've created a welcoming spot where new treasures celebrate past traditions.
7. St. Paul's Anglican
#486 Kennebecasis River Road - Sage Bud pattern
St. Paul’s dates to the days of the Loyalists in 1780s. The Parish of Hampton served a large area which originally included Rothesay, Gondola Point, Darlings Island, Norton, Upham, French Village, Smithstown, Hampton Station and the Village of Hampton. When the subscription list for St. Paul’s Church was created, it was stated that the church “be erected in the neighbourhood of Mr. John DeMille’s; provided that the inhabitants of the Parish of Norton and also those of Kingston whom it will accommodate are willing to unite with us….” From its site at Lakeside, the church offered access by water when roads were few and of poor condition.
The original church was built in 1811 and consecrated in 1826 by the Right Reverend John Inglis, Third Bishop of Nova Scotia. In 1870, the original church was taken down and the present church built. The Lych Gate at the entrance to the church yard is one of the few left in the Maritimes. There is also a Right of Way gate leading from the lake through to the churchyard, used by those who came to church by boat in summer, or over the ice in winter.
Inside, the history of the parish is captured through stained glass windows, a beautiful handmade carpet in the exact design of an original (it represents three years of labour by Miss Marguerite Davis and Miss Marion Walker). The church tower and spire houses a single bell which still calls parishioners to worship.
8. St. Paul's Presbyterian
#978 Main Street -Northern Lights Stained Glass pattern
The congregation of St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church was organized in 1885 and in 1886 built this lovely church. From this historic building, members have created a long tradition of community service, offering morning playgroups in conjunction with H.A.L.L. (The Hampton Alliance for Lifelong Learning) and the Kings County Family Resource Centre.
St. Paul’s community service stretches far beyond its own community’s borders. They are a key partner in the Piggs Peak Partnership, an international partnership to deal with HIV and AIDS in Piggs Peak, Swaziland. The partnership is reflected in their quilt block – the Northern Lights Stained Glass block is painted in the colours of the Swaziland flag!
pccweb.ca/stpauls-pc/
9. "Agricultural Hall"
#1032 Main Street - Poppy pattern
This elegant building has been a part of Hampton since 1883. Members of the “Central Agricultural Society No. 22” purchased land in 1882 for agricultural exhibitions and a meeting hall. In 1883, the Agricultural Hall was completed at a cost of just over $2000 and the first meeting of the Society was held in their new building on December 10th.
The building became a meeting place for many other groups, including the Ladies Sewing Circle, the Hampton Cornet Band and the Hampton Baseball Club. In 1928, the Hampton Legion Branch #28 also began to lease the building for meetings. In 1955 they entered into a long term lease of the building. In 1979, the Agricultural Society hosted its final fall fair and the Hampton Legion took on ownership of the building. In 2016, the building was sold to new owners and is now a location for several area health and wellness practitioners and a pet food shop who celebrate the heritage of this site.
10. Kredl's Market
#1171 Main Street - Bird pattern
Kredl’s Market has been a tradition for 40 years. The market offers customers the best selection from local farms. Fruit and vegetables, meat, maple products, local preserves, honey and more are on offer, celebrating the long tradition of farming in Kings County.
When Loyalists first settled this area in the 1780s, Loyalist Nicholas Pickle established a ferry here to cross the Kennebecasis River. Along this same shore in the 1860s-1900s, the G. & G. Flewwelling Manufacturing Company ran a lumber and match-factory business employing over 200 men and women – the financial backbone of Hampton for 50 years. The mills are now gone and the shoreline, once ringing with the sound of saws, has returned to a more natural state. Riverbank farms are growing again as locals and visitors seek out the produce that has always been a hallmark of the area.
