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THE HISTORICAL
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Near Welshpool in Campobello Island, New Brunswick — The Atlantic Provinces (North America)
 

Friar's Head
⎯⎯⎯
Le Cap Friar

 
 
Friar's Head / Le Cap Friar Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 23, 2011
1. Friar's Head / Le Cap Friar Marker
Inscription.

Friar's Head takes its name from the stone pillar or stack (photo 1) that rises from the beach directly below the observation deck. While occupying Eastport, the British navy was said to have used the stone pillar for target practice, altering its outline to that of a hooded monk or Friar in deep contemplation.

Native American Passamaquoddy legend referred to this rock as the Stone Maiden. The legend speaks of a young brave leaving on a long journey, telling his lover to sit and wait for his return. Many months passed and the brave did not return. The young maiden was terribly upset and sat on the beach below the head and waited. When the brave finally returned to the village, he found his young maiden turned to stone, forever to wait and watch.

Tucked under the crest of the headlands, the Friar is only visible from the shore (photo 2). You can visit him only when the tide is down. You must first follow the trail in front of you to the right and downhill to a trail intersection. At the intersection, walk left to the steps at the shore. Follow the shore to the left. Remember, seaweed and algae-covered rocks on shore are very slippery.

In 1881, the Campobello Company constructed a roofed pavilion on Friar's Head (photo 3). A hike or carriage ride to the headland was an enjoyable outing
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for summer visitors. Hotel guests and cottage owners picnicked at the pavilion and enjoyed the view from the summit (photo 4). The observation deck on which you stand is located on the foundation of the old pavilion.
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Le cap Friar doit son nom à la vaste formation rocheuse qui s'élève près de la plage au dessous du belvédère. Lors de l'occupation de Eastport par la marine militaire britannique, il semble que celle-ci aurait procédé à des pratiques de tir au canon sur le cap Friar, ce qui aurait sensiblement modifié sa silhouette. Celle-ci ressamble maintenant à un moine coiffé d'un capuchon (ou un "Friar") plongé dans de profondes méditations.

D'aprés une légende amérindienne de la tribu des Passamaquoddy, cette vaste formation de roc est surnommé le Stone Maiden. La légende raconte qu'un brave jeune homme, avant de partir pour un long voyage, demanda à la jeune femme qui l'aimait de s'asseoir à cet endroit pour y attendre son retour. Plusieurs mois passèrent et le jeune homme ne revint pas. Terriblement attristée, la jeune femme s'est assise sur la plage en dessous de la crête pour attendre le retour de son amoureux. Lorsque le jeune homme revient finalement au village, il retrouva sa jeune amoureuse transformée en pierre, en attente perpétuelle.

Caché sous le crête, on ne peut apercevoir le cap Friar que de rivage (photo 2). Celui-ci
Friar's Head / Le Cap Friar Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 23, 2011
2. Friar's Head / Le Cap Friar Marker
ne peut qu'être visiter qu'à marée basse. Veuillez d'abord suivre le sentier devant vous vers la droite et descendre vers l'intersection du sentier. Une fois à l'intersection, continuez vers la gauche jusqu'aux marches qui mènent à la rive. Suivez la rive vers la gauche. Veuillez toutefois être très prudents en raison des algues marines qui recouvrent le roc et rendent la surface du sentier glissante.

En 1881, la Campobello Company érigea un pavillon couvert servant à abriter l'emplacement du cap Friar (photo 3). Une randonnée à pied ou en carrosse jusqu'au sommet du cap apportait énormément de plaisirs aux plaisanciers. Les visiteurs faisant des séjours aux hôtels et les propriétaires des résidences d'été profitaient pleinement des airs de pique-niques au pavillon et pouvait admirer le paysage à partir du sommet (photo 4). Le belvédère sur lequel vous vous trouvez repose sur les fondations de l'ancien pavillon.
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Photo 1.
The Old Friar / L'ancien "Friar"

Photo 2.
Friar's Bay and Friar's Head circa 1882. Engraving by A. Lindsay Sr. from drawing by Fred B. Schell.
La baie Frair et le cap Friar (vers 1882). Gravure pars A. Lindsay Sr., d'aprés une ébauche par Fred B. Schell.

Photo 3.
Friar's Head pavilion / Pavillon du cap Friar

Photo 4.
Campobello Company directors picnicking
Photo 1 on Friar's Head / Le Cap Friar Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Roosevelt Campobello International Park, undated
3. Photo 1 on Friar's Head / Le Cap Friar Marker
circa 1880.
Les directeurs de la Campobello Company lors d'un pique-nique (vers 1880).
 
Erected by Roosevelt Campobello International Park.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: EnvironmentParks & Recreational AreasSettlements & SettlersWaterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1881.
 
Location. 44° 52.575′ N, 66° 58.315′ W. Marker is near Welshpool, New Brunswick, in Campobello Island. It can be reached from no nearby street. Marker is at the Friar's Head/Cap Friars Observation Deck accessed off Provincial Road 774, about 0.7 miles west of the main entrance to Roosevelt Campobello International Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Welshpool NB E5E 1A4, Canada. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Charlotte County and the Fundy Isles. It is also in the Maritimes and in Atlantic Canada. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony, the Viceroyalty of New France, and Acadia.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Mulholland Point / La Pointe Mulholland (here, next to this marker); Passamaquoddy Tribe / La Tribu Passamaquoddy (here, next to this marker); Campobello Company and Hotels (here, next to this marker); Panoramic View of Cottages (here, next to this marker); Roosevelt Campobello International Park / Le Parc International Roosevelt de Campobello (here, next to this marker); Passamaquoddy Tidal Power Project (here,
Photo 2 on Friar's Head / Le Cap Friar Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by A. Lindsay, Sr., circa 1882
4. Photo 2 on Friar's Head / Le Cap Friar Marker
next to this marker); President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (approx. one kilometer away); Roosevelt Campobello Park (approx. one kilometer away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Welshpool.
 
Also see . . .  Visit Campobello. Website homepage (Submitted on June 3, 2025, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.) 
 
Photo 3 on Friar's Head / Le Cap Friar Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Unknown, circa 1880s
5. Photo 3 on Friar's Head / Le Cap Friar Marker
Photo 4 on Friar's Head / Le Cap Friar Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Unknown, circa 1880
6. Photo 4 on Friar's Head / Le Cap Friar Marker
Friar's Head Observation Deck Sign image. Click for full size.
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr.
7. Friar's Head Observation Deck Sign
Turn here to get to the markers
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on June 3, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 4, 2013, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,454 times since then and 71 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on March 4, 2013, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.   7. submitted on March 2, 2013, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
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Jun. 17, 2026