Martock, Nova Scotia Explained

Martock is a rural Canadian agricultural community located in the Avon River valley of western Hants County, Nova Scotia.

The community was named after Martock House which was the original estate in the area. The Georgian style mansion was built circa 1790 and originally boasted more than 4000acres of land. Col. John Butler of England was the builder and original owner. Col. Butler named Martock House for Martock, Somerset, England, his birthplace after he came back from the Colonies and was rewarded with the land and slaves by George III.[1] [2] The home was owned by the Sweet family through much of the 19th and all of the 20th century.[3] It was the family home of Canadian painter Susan Sweet, as well as Canadian photographer and writer, Michael Ernest Sweet. In 2019, the home was sold to its current owner, A&R Tran, formerly of Vancouver BC.

The hills forming the Avon River valley in Martock, part of the original Martock House Estate, host the Ski Martock ski resort, the only ski resort in southwestern Nova Scotia.

The area is about 70 kilometers from Halifax.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Place-names and Places of Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia Archives. Province of Nova Scotia. 15 September 2017.
  2. Book: Hamiton. William Baillie. Place Names of Atlantic Canada. 1996. University of Toronto Press. 0802075703. illustrated, reprint. 15 September 2017.
  3. Web site: Ancestry.com . Ancestry.com . December 26, 2015.