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Burrage’s Stage Municipal Heritage Site

New Perlican, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Formally Recognized: 2009/06/30

View of the left and front facades of Burrage’s Stage, New Perlican, NL. Photo taken 2009. ; HFNL/Andrea O'Brien 2009
Burrage’s Stage, New Perlican, NL
View of the front and right facades of Burrage’s Stage, New Perlican, NL. Photo taken 2009. ; HFNL/Andrea O'Brien 2009
Burrage’s Stage, New Perlican, NL
Picture of Southern Cove School in Southern Cove, Heart’s Content, NL circa 1930. The school was dismantled and rebuilt as Burrage's Stage in New Perlican, NL. ; Mizzen Heritage Society 2009
Southern Cove School, Heart's Content, NL

Other Name(s)

n/a

Links and documents

Construction Date(s)

1962/01/01

Listed on the Canadian Register: 2010/01/29

Statement of Significance

Description of Historic Place

Burrage’s Stage is a wooden, two storey, low pitch roofed building clad in narrow wooden clapboard. Constructed in 1962, it is located on the north side of Harbour Road in New Perlican, NL and it is the largest fisheries building on the community’s waterfront. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

Burrage’s Stage has been designated a municipal heritage site by the Town of New Perlican due to its historic, cultural and aesthetic values.

Burrage’s Stage has historic value due to its extended use as a fisheries premises and its earlier use as a school. The building was originally the Southern Cove School in Southern Cove, Heart’s Content. The school was built circa 1888/89 and had a small attached chapel. The school housed grades one to six and contained two rooms. All grades were taught in one room, the second room being used only during the winter months. The chapel was only used during the Lenten season. Southern Cove School was closed in 1956 and its students moved to a newer structure in Heart’s Content.

Alex Burrage Sr. of New Perlican purchased the rights to dismantle and remove the old school building for the price of $35.00. During the fall of 1962, the building was dismantled and moved to New Perlican by truck. Some portions were also transported to New Perlican by boat. The building was reassembled in its current location in 1963 for use as a combination twine loft and stage. The lower floor was used for curing salt fish and the upper level for storing fishing equipment. Following the cod moratorium of 1992, this was the only building in New Perlican supporting an active fishing enterprise, which was operated by Alex Burrage’s sons, Gordon and Alex Jr.

Burrage’s Stage has cultural value as it is a physical reminder of a tradition that existed in many small communities in Newfoundland and Labrador, namely recycling materials from unused buildings in the construction of new buildings. It was a common practice for people to disassemble buildings and use the materials in another building at another location.

Burrage’s Stage has aesthetic value as it is a good example of an intact fisheries building in the community of New Perlican. Such buildings were designed for practical use and had to endure the rigours of a harsh environment. The use of rough materials, simple design elements and utilitarian construction techniques exemplify these fishery buildings. It has further aesthetic value as it adds to the architectural continuity along the waterfront of New Perlican - an area of the community that boasts several traditional fisheries buildings.

Source: Town of New Perlican Regular Council Meeting Motion 2009-051 June 30, 2009

Character-Defining Elements

All elements that define the simple vernacular design of Burrage’s Stage including:
-low pitch roof;
-number of storeys;
-exterior narrow wood clapboard sheathing;
-corner boards;
-window size, style, trim and placement;
-size, style, trim and placement of exterior doors;
-wooden cribbing and post building supports;
-original form, scale and massing of store, and;
-dimension, location and orientation of store.

Recognition

Jurisdiction

Newfoundland and Labrador

Recognition Authority

NL Municipality

Recognition Statute

Municipalities Act

Recognition Type

Municipal Heritage Building, Structure or Land

Recognition Date

2009/06/30

Historical Information

Significant Date(s)

n/a

Theme - Category and Type

Developing Economies
Extraction and Production

Function - Category and Type

Current

Food Supply
Fisheries Site

Historic

Education
Primary or Secondary School

Architect / Designer

n/a

Builder

Alex Burrage Sr.

Additional Information

Location of Supporting Documentation

Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador
1 Springdale Street
St. John's, NL A1C 5V5

Cross-Reference to Collection

Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier

NL-4547

Status

Published

Related Places

n/a

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