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Temporary Exhibits
Court in Session: Crime and Justice in Kings County
This exhibition uses historic artifacts from our collection to explore the story of justice in Kings County. From handcuffs and legal documents to photographs and a judge’s robe, these pieces offer a glimpse into how law enforcement and the court system have changed over time.
Also featured are several true crime stories from our local history— cases that once had the whole community talking. These stories reveal the human side of crime and show how our ideas of right and wrong have evolved.
As you explore the people, events, and decisions that helped shape our justice system, we invite you to reflect on how the meaning of justice continues to change— even today.
Kings County Poor Farms
The opening of poor-houses in the Annapolis Valley did away with the boarding house system of caring for the needy – a system newspapers called “wasteful, inefficient and ill-suited to looking after certain classes of the poor,” – i.e. people with physical and mental disabilities. In some cases, however, the poor-houses or poor farms as government reports called them, were worse than private boarding rooms. While government reports on early county poor-houses gloss over what life was really like in these institutions, enough was said to paint a terrible picture.
Permanent Exhibits
The Bishop Clock
The Bishop clock was crafted in Horton Township in the late 1700s by John Bishop and given to his daughter, Ameila, upon her wedding to Charles Dickson, of Horton in 1772.
Since 1772, the Bishop Clock, a remarkable example of early Nova Scotian ingenuity and woodworking, has found itself in many different homes and, most recently, in Annapolis, Maryland where it was taken care of by descendants of John Bishop. The clock returned home to Nova Scotia in July 2025, accompanied by Stephen Sieracki, and found a new home at the Kings County Museum where it will be preserved for generations to come.
More about the Bishop clock
1772 Clock Comes Home Click to watch
Historic Courtroom
This courtroom was the site of many famous legal dramas during the past century, including bank robberies, cattle-rustling and murder.
Completely refurbished in 1981, the 4-1/2 foot high dado paneling in the courtroom has been hand grained to simulate oak. The process, carried out by Bradford Forsyth of Millville, Kings County, was begun by first stripping off the many layers of paint applied over the years. The trim and paneling was then covered with a base coat of white paint, followed by a coat of stain. The stain was “grained” with the skillful use of various pieces of cloth and metal combs resulting in the paneling taking on the appearance of natural grain.
Mr. Forsyth’s art work contains cleverly camouflaged images of animals in the pattern of the grain. Rabbits, bears, goats and fish are among the figures to be found in the beautifully refurbished woodwork.
New England Planters
In 1755 the Acadians were expelled from Acadia, and forced to leave their homes, livestock, and all their possessions behind. Three years later, in 1758, Governor Charles Lawrence issued a proclamation to the people of New England inviting them to settle the fertile Nova Scotian farmlands left vacant following the expulsion of the Acadians. By 1768, approximately 8000 New Englanders, known as the “Planters” had made the move.
To commemorate this history, the Kings County Museum in conjunction with Parks Canada has established a National Commemorative Exhibit to the New England Planters.
