Conclusions
This project was made possible by the extreme interest and enthusiasm of a local community group in preserving their heritage and a willingness on behalf of the professional community to lend a helping hand in a time of need. It is through this spirit of cooperation that the West Pubnico aboiteau was saved from certain destruction. It can now be placed in an exhibit to be enjoyed by many generations to come.
|
Early Acadian aboiteaux consisted of a large log hollowed out with axe, adze and chisel to form a trough. Slabs of wood were fastened to the top of the trough with wooden pegs to form a roof. After the appearance of saw mills in the late 1600s to early 1700s, sluices could be made of squared timbers. This method of aboiteau construction continued through the nineteenth century and on into the early twentieth century. An exact date of construction for the squared timber aboiteau found at West Pubnico is unknown at present. Historical documents relating to local settlement pattern, availability of milled lumber and trends in early aboiteau construction methods are needed to place the aboiteau in a proper temporal context.
|