Norman’s Hill is centrally located in New Perlican, NL and is the piece of land separating Vitter’s Cove from New Perlican Harbour. The Flatrocks & Footprints Area is located at the top of the hill and is the site where many former residents and visitors to New Perlican would carve their footprints and initials into the rock. The designation is confined to the area of land known as Norman’s Hill Flatrocks Area.
Formal Recognition Type
Municipal Heritage Building Structure or Land
Heritage Value
Norman’s Hill/Flatrocks & Footprints Area has been designated a municipal heritage site by the Town of New Perlican due to its cultural, historic, and aesthetic value.
Norman’s Hill has cultural value for its continued use by the community. Norman’s Hill was one of the places used for the annual Guy Fawke’s bonfire night on November 5th. Goats would sometimes be used to bring bunches of sticks to the hill to fuel the fire. A favourite activity of kids and adults alike was throwing potatoes into the fire to roast and then eating them. The hill also has a large area of flat rock, known as the Flatrocks & Footprints Area, where people used to carve their footprints in the rock while waiting for the ferryboat Packett to arrive from the community of Trinity on the other side of Trinity Bay. Many of these footprints have since faded, but several are still visible.
The Flatrocks & Footprints Area has historic value as a physical record on the landscape. According to Edith Burrage’s collection Edie’s Book: Thoughts, Memories & Folklore from Trinity Bay, Newfoundland, some of the initials carved there include J.W.W. (John W. Withers), B.G., J.R. Coleman, E.W., George House, and H.I. Beckford. H.I. Beckford was a schoolteacher in New Perlican at one point. John W. Withers became the lead editor of the St. John’s based newspaper the Royal Gazette. Residents of New Perlican continue this tradition, resulting in a good number of footprints and initials still visible in the area.
Norman’s Hill has aesthetic value for the view it provides. It is centrally located in New Perlican, near the landmark Bloody Point. From the Flatrocks area of Norman’s Hill, one can view the town, the harbour, Jean’s Head, Vitter’s Cove, Peter’s Finger, and across the waters of Trinity Bay.
Source: Town of New Perlican Regular Council Meeting, Motion #2019-068, July 25, 2019.
Character Defining Elements
All those elements which represent the cultural, historic, and aesthetic value of Norman’s Hill/Flatrocks & Footprints Area, including:
-location at the centre of the community;
-untouched, natural landscape;
-unobstructed view planes to and from;
-continued public access;
-carvings of footprints, names, and initials.
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