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Developed as a timber town in the early nineteenth century, SHERBROOKE boomed when gold was found near here in 1861, the start of a short-lived gold rush that fizzled out within the space of twenty years, though a handful of mines struggled on until the 1940s. Most of the population checked out after the gold rush, and Sherbrooke returned to the lumber trade but without much success: the decline of the industry gradually whittled the population down to the 400 of today. One result has been the creation of the open-air museum of Sherbrooke Village (June to mid-Oct daily 9.30am-5.30pm; $7.25), which encompasses those late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century buildings that are, for the most part, now surplus to requirements. It's a large site, several streets situated beside St Mary's River just beyond the modern part of the village, and costumed "interpreters" preside. Amongst the thirty-odd buildings highlights include the Neoclassical lines of the surprisingly grand 1850s Court House and the Victorian luxury of the high-gabled Greenwood Cottage nearby. Also of special note are the assorted baubles and throne-like chairs of the Masonic Lodge, which still meets on the second floor of the Masonic Hall; the Temperance Hall of 1892; Cummings Bros General Store; and the jail, where jailer and prisoner lived cheek by jowl right up until the 1960s. Finally, a replica nineteenth-century water-powered sawmill has been built about 600m outside the village. Allow two to three hours to do the place justice. There are three main ways to reach Sherbrooke: from the west along Nova Scotia's southeast shore, and from the north by turning off Hwy 104 (the Trans-Canada) either along Hwy 347 just east of New Glasgow or down Hwy 7 about 50km further east still near Antigonish. The most agreeable of the four places to stay in Sherbrooke is Vi's B&B (tel 522-2042; $40-60; June-Sept), in the centre of the village. The tiny Riverside Campground (tel 522-2913; mid-May to Oct) is near the sawmill. There's not much choice about where to eat, but fortunately the central Bright House is an excellent restaurant - be sure to try the seafood casserole. The Main Street Cafe sells competent snacks and pizzas.
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