The Morgan House
(Seal Cove, Conception Bay South)

This small, sharp-peaked gable one and a half storey house is a good surviving example of a mid-nineteenth century house type, and one of the few remaining examples of the type in the region. It was constructed for Henry Morgan, by himself and his brothers Abraham and John, in the community of Bareneed. On July 19th, 1888 the three brothers received a Crown Grant of land in Seal Cove, Conception Bay South, and oral history maintains that the house was dragged across the Conception Bay ice to Seal Cove. Henry Morgan occupied the northeastern portion of the land, with Abraham and John sharing the southern portion.

Morgan House, Seal Cove, Conception Bay South, NL

Morgan House is a good example of a type of dwelling rural Newfoundlanders constructed in the 1800s.

© 1998 Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador

While living on the property, Henry added a rear porch, and built a barn sometime around 1900. He grew vegetables and berries and raised horses, cows, sheep, pigs and turkeys. After his death in 1929, his son, William J. Morgan took possession of the property, and held it until his own death in 1959. His wife, Esther Morgan, continued to reside on the property until 1971. Upon her death, Esther's daughters, Annie Sweetland and Minnie Dawe, sold the land to Arthur and Rita Symonds. In October of 2000, it was sold to Kenneth Power and Jennifer Newell.

The Morgan House was the first structure designated by Conception Bay South under the Municipalities Act as a Heritage Site, and was presented with a special award by Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson when she visited CBS on June 4th, 2000. It was designated as a Registered Heritage Structure by the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador on December 2nd, 2000.