Formal Recognition Type

Fisheries Heritage Preservation Program

Notes

Located a few metres from a smooth, sandy beach, this store was built by John Perry in the early 1900s. The lower level was used for storing dried salt cod in the summer, as was the upper level in the 1950s and 1960s when the local fishery experienced a boom. During the winter months the top loft was used for knitting, mending and storing cod traps and other fishing gear, while the lower floor was the site of boat repair, building and storage. A stove warmed the building in the winter as members of the Perry family completed their winter’s work and played host to neighbours who would often drop by for a chat. The store was in need of extensive repairs when owner Benjamin Perry, John Perry’s grandson, decided to apply for assistance under the Fisheries Heritage Preservation Program. Aside from the usual repairs needed to counteract weathering, Benjamin’s biggest challenge was to straighten a building that had basically twisted from the ground up to the roof. By using a system of pulleys and blocks and tackles, the building was stabilized while undergoing restoration and was eventually straightened out and made level. Another phase of the restoration process included the installation of five new windows and two new doors, all built on traditional models. The entire structure was clad in new wooden clapboard and corner boards. Floor sills and wall studs had to be replaced on two sides as they had rotted. New floor joists and foundation shores improved the strength of the lower floor. The project was capped off with a new roof covering and a coat of red paint on the exterior walls.

Community

Newtown

Municipality

Town of New-Wes-Valley

Construction (circa)

1910 - 1915

Builder

John Perry

Style

Rectangular Short Façade