Formal Recognition Type

Fisheries Heritage Preservation Program

Notes

Note: First and second pictures taken after restoration, third and fourth pictures taken before restoration.

The Watton Property is located in Petley on Random Island. Random Island’s early industries consisted of fishing, lumbering, shipbuilding, quarrying brickmaking and subsistence farming. The inshore codfishery was the most important part of Random Island’s fishery, but the Labrador fishery and the lobster fishery were also important. There were also a few minor fisheries, such as the herring fishery and the capelin fishery. The Watton Property was used for the prosecution of some of these fisheries. Watton’s stage was erected in 1961. Wilson Watton said of the structures, “The stage was used for salting fish in the ‘60s and ‘70s. In the early ‘80s there was a smoker added for smoking herring and capelin…..there was also a twine store….All sheds used today mostly for storage.” At the onset of the project the stage required painting and glass and window replacement. The roof needed to be reshingled and flashing replaced. New shingles were installed on the roof and one end of the stage was repaired where it joined to another building. The stage was then stained with an oil based stain. The stage head needed to be replaced as the foundation was in poor condition. It was completely dismantled by hand and excavator and rebuilt with new rock and cribbing. It was restored with the help of the Fisheries Heritage Preservation program in 2004.

 

 

Community

Petley

Municipality

Not specified (Newfoundland)

Construction (circa)

1960 - 1960

Style

Rectangular Short Façade