Formal Recognition Type

Registered Heritage Structure

Heritage Value

The William Pye House, and associated outbuildings, was designated a Registered Heritage Structure in 2002 by the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador due to its aesthetic and cultural value. The William Pye House has aesthetic value as it is an excellent, intact example of a type of vernacular design once common in the region. Of particular note is the construction technique which employs vertical studs and splines, with planks placed vertically side-by-side on a wooden sill. This type of construction technique was common in the Bonavista area into the twentieth century. The well preserved outbuildings add to the aesthetic value of the property. There are very few examples of outport homes with their original outbuildings still remaining. Such buildings were designed for practical use, employing rough materials, simple design elements and utilitarian construction techniques. An interesting feature of the Pye property is a wooden wall which runs from the main dwelling to one of the outbuildings, creating a simplified courtyard. The William Pye House has cultural value because of the role it played in community life. For over two decades the Brooklyn community post office was located in the house. In smaller communities it was common to establish postal outlets in private homes. These places became the scene of social gatherings where local news was shared and recent events were discussed. As such outlets give way to centrally located post office boxes, locations such as the William Pye House stand as reminders of an earlier time. Source: Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador property file “Brooklyn – William Pye House – FPT 1733”

Character Defining Elements

Those pertaining to the residence including: -steep gable roof; -wooden roof shingles; -return on eaves; -number of storeys; -narrow wooden clapboard; -wooden corner boards; -window size, style, trim and placement; -size, style, trim and placement of exterior doors; -raincaps on windows and doors; -style and placement of chimneys; -placement of entrance porch on facade facing Main Road; -location of porch on side facade; -stone and wood post foundation; -dimension, location and orientation of building, and; -features relating to its use as a post office. Those pertaining to the outbuildings including: -wall running from main dwelling to shed; -original form, scale and massing of outbuildings; -narrow wooden clapboard; -wooden corner boards; -window size, style, trim and placement; -size, style, trim and placement of exterior doors, and; -dimension, location and orientation of outbuildings.

Community

Brooklyn

Municipality

Not specified (Newfoundland)

Civic Address

Main Road

Construction (circa)

19700101 - 19700101

Builder

Captain William Pye

Style

Rectangular Long Façade