June 2022
Specific to Port Union
Port Union
Port Union was established in 1916. It is the only “union-built town” in North America. William Ford Coaker and the members of the Fishermen’s Protective Union (FPU) settled the town with the aim of developing a new type of commercial and economic footing for Newfoundland’s fishermen. The row houses were constructed by the FPU to provide affordable housing for the workers/members who moved to Port Union to work in the Union business. Row housing in Newfoundland is unique, sadly, these sit on Canada’s National Trust as endangered properties.
St. John’s
St John’s
The colorful houses of St John’s are all over the town and probably the most photographed feature. As much lore as there is about why so much of the town is painted bright colors, it is really about commerce. The town began painting bright colors in the 1970s to help boost its declining downtown.
St John’s Water Street
In 1892, a large portion of St John’s downtown was destroyed by fire. The 1892 “Great Fire” was economically and socially devastating. Two thousand houses were destroyed and about 11,000 of the city’s 30,000 people made homeless. The buildings above are unique in that they survived the fire, making them some of the oldest buildings in town.
A survivor of the 1892 fire
Fogo Island
Constructed in the early 1830s, The Lane House is the oldest house in Tilting. It is a typical saltbox style, common in Newfoundland during this time period. In the late 1800s, the ceilings on the second floor were heightened, and green trip was added to the exterior of the house to display the outline of the original home. The house was built by Augustin MacNamara.
Saltbox-style houses first appeared in the United States around 1650, making them among the oldest examples of American Colonial-style architecture. This type of construction is all over Fogo Island, although, by now so altered as to be somewhat difficult to discern. The original houses were so small, modern life would never fit into them.