Samuel Abbott House and Fishing Premises (Bonavista)
Located on Newman's Point in Bonavista and built by Samuel Abbott, this wooden two and a half storey house, with a steep gable roof, is a good example of a nineteenth century fisherman's dwelling. Such homes were made from local materials, employed simple construction techniques, utilized symmetrical design elements and presented a plain, neat facade. Constructed around 1850, the house was home to several generations of Abbott's who fished from the Newman's Point property, living within close proximity to the source of their livelihood.
An important element of the property is the intact fishing premises, including a net store and fish flake. They are good examples of intact fishing structures in the region. Of particular note is the fish flake associated with the net store. These structures disappeared from the built landscape of rural Newfoundland with the decline of the salt fishery, in favour of fresh fish processing, in the mid 1900s.
Samuel Abbott House and Fishing Premises stands as a physical and visual reminder of a way of life tied to the sea and its resources. Its location on the waterfront speaks to the importance of the ocean's resources in the lives of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.
Samuel Abbott House and Fishing Premises were declared Registered Heritage Structures by the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador in April 1998.
Also view the Samuel Abbott House and Fishing Premises Registered Heritage Structure, the Samuel Abbott House and Fishing Premises Municipal Heritage Site and the Samuel Abbott Fishing Premises (Fisheries Heritage Preservation Program) on the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador web site. The Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage Web Site has on its site only a portion of the registered heritage structures in Newfoundland and Labrador. To view a complete list or search for a particular structure visit the Heritage Foundation's Property Search page.
