People in a small community in Nova Scotia's Cumberland County say part of their history has been stolen.
Thieves broke into a 175-year-old house stole artifacts from inside and ransacked the historic Seamon House.
Members of the Minudie Heritage Association are still trying to account for all the stolen artifacts that used to be in the home of the descendants of Amos Seamon.
When the last descendent died, the vacant home was given to the local heritage association.
“It makes me very sad to think that somebody would come into this house, where they had no place to be, and would remove artifacts and materials that tell the story of the community of Minudie,” says Sharon Gould, president of the Minudie Heritage Association.
Among the items taken were an old pot-bellied stove, antique oil lamps, and a large, beautiful bookcase that was ripped from the wall with the books inside strewn about the house. Some of the stolen items date back to the 19th century.
Members say the damage, and theft, is like a slap in the face of history.
“We're having a hard enough time, given the age of the population, to get volunteers and to get grant money and this was just a kick in the teeth,” says Anthony Boudreau, a member of the heritage association.
Says Gould: “This sets us back. It really sets us back.”
The good news is that some of the most valuable items had already been removed for safe storage. That followed the theft of some artifacts last fall.
“We hope that some of these items that have been stolen from this house can be tracked down, found, and eventually returned to where they came from,” Gould says.
The heritage association doesn't have the money to replace any of the items that were stolen.
Gould asks anyone with any information to contact the RCMP.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Dan MacIntosh.
