Sackville Harness Shop

Sackville Harness Shop

Sackville Harness Shop

The Sackville Harness Shop, situated on the Old Post Road in Lower Sackville, is a two-storey wood frame structure built around 1846. As one of the earliest commercial buildings in the area, it holds historical significance.

Designated as a Local Historic Place, the Sackville Harness Shop is recognized for its Gothic Revival architectural style and for being the home of the Harness Shop, one of the only producers of handmade horse collars in Canada.

Sackville Harness Shop

The history of the Black enterprises in the Sackville area began when Samuel Freeze Black arrived in Middle Sackville in 1839 and established a store along the Post Road. In 1846, he relocated to Main Street, where he purchased a property and built both a store and a “mansion,” which still stand today in Lower Sackville. In addition to selling dry goods, boots, shoes, and groceries, Black dealt with horses, cattle, sleighs, and farming utensils at this new location.

Sackville Harness Shop

In 1877, he sold the business to the firm of Bowser and Dickson. Sackville Harness Limited was established in 1919, and since its incorporation in 1920, the company has been renowned for offering a complete range of harnesses and handmade straw collars for draft horses in Canada and the United States.

The company changed ownership multiple times, and in 1995, it was acquired by Bill Long, a former long-time employee. In 2003, the Historic Sites Committee, on behalf of the Town of Sackville, placed a heritage plaque on the building.

The Sackville Harness Shop closed in May of 2021. 

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One thought on “Sackville Harness Shop

  1. I first visited Sackville Harness in May of 1994. What a wonderful shop. Since then e very Christmas I have ordered several harness bells on a strip of leather. They were such wonderful gifts. I have two strips and I just can’t part with either of them. I so hope I can still get these strips. Ellie Donahue, Victoria, B.C.

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