The village of Hillsborough has seen through many name changes throughout its 300-year history. 

First named Blanchard's Village in deference to the founding family of Acadian settlers, then later Petitcoudiak for the river on which it is situated (originally the Mi’kmaq called it Pet-koat-kwee-ak - meaning 'river bends round in a bow'), it was finally bestowed the name Hillsborough - an apt description of its location, nestled amongst the surrounding hills.

It was the wide salt marshes and easy accessibility to the waterway of the Petitcodiac River, which first attracted the Acadian settlers to the area and it is that same fertile marshland which adds to the quaint beauty of the village today.

The village has a diverse cultural history, first being settled by the Acadians, then by Pennsylvania Dutch Immigrants in the mid 1700’s. Yorkshire, Scottish and Irish immigrants followed, then after the American Revolution, the area offered refuge and a new start for displaced Loyalists.

The names of those first Pennsylviania Dutch settlers are still prominent today:

• Steeves (Stief)
• Lutes (Lutz)
• Ricker
• Trites (Tritz)
• Wortman
• Sommer

Every summer, descendants of the first German settlers – Heinrich and Rachel Stief, who came from Germany via Pennyslvania in 1766, gather in Hillsborough for the Steeves Homecoming Festival.

Hillsborough has a rich geological background.  Pure white gypsum deposits located around the village added to its prosperity in the 19^th and 20^th centuries.  Millions of tons were exported around the world. There are still extensive deposits left today, but the manufacturing ceased many years ago.  The storage silos still stand at the river's edge.

The area is also famous for the discovery of large reserves of an unusual black rock called "Albertite", first written about by N.B. geologist, Abraham Gesner in 1839. Albertite was a coal-like substance like none other in the world and the village of Albert Mines grew to support the mining process.  Great quantities of Albertite was shipped south and used to light the lamps in the streets of Boston during the 1800’s.  The mines provided much profit and employment until the supply was exhausted a mere 30 years later.

For the outdoor enthusiast, natural undeveloped gypsum caves can be found nearby as well as a unique underground lake.  You can explore them by contacting Baymount Outdoor Adventures. 

Baymount offers group biking tours and daily caving adventures to visitors of all ages in addition to the opportunity to kayak around the world’s most famous flowerpot rocks at Hopewell Cape's Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park.

While the beautiful heritage homes show that this was a hustling, bustling economic center in the 1800’s, the main industry today is tourism.  The village continues to grow, while and the population  increases as families migrate from the cities to the country in search of a quieter lifestyle in the midst of history and a tranquil countryside.  

Visitors enjoy Hillsborough's:

• beautiful heritage B&B’s and churches
• restaurants
• unqiue shops
• pottery
• sculptures
• stained glass
• homemade soap
• flower and herb farms.

You will also find the Salem and Hillsborough Railway – with its restored railcars of the 1800’s and fascinating railway museum in Hillsborough. The nearby Wetlands Park and Grey Brook Marsh have walking trails and opportunities to birdwatch, while the nearby Burro Hills provides a challenging  course for the golfing enthusiast.  

Surrounding the golf course is a 650 acre recreation area with trails for hiking, mountain biking and winter activities,

W. H. Steeves was one of the Fathers of Confederation and his colonial style home was built in 1812.  Open to the public during the summer months, the William Henry Steeves House is a popular stop for those interested in history. 

   For a listing, see Crafts and Artisans

  For a listing of accommodations, see Bed and Breakfast accommodations