Description du lieu patrimonial

Bell Rock is a large, glacial erratic boulder located on Port Kirwan Road in the community of Fermeuse, NL. The designation is confined to the rock and five metres of land extending from its base.

Valeur patrimoniale

Bell Rock has been designated a municipal heritage site by the Town of Fermeuse because of its aesthetic, cultural and historic value.

Bell Rock has aesthetic value as it is a prominent landmark in the community. It is immediately noticeable on the northeastern access to Port Kirwan Road from the Southern Shore Highway, as well as many other vantage points throughout the community. It is a well-known landmark not only to residents of Fermeuse, but to people from surrounding communities as well.

Bell Rock has cultural value for generations of Fermeuse residents who have a shared recollection of the cultural use of Bell Rock. The rock was always a popular site for the community’s children who incorporated it into their patterns of play. Countless children have spent many hours climbing and exploring Bell Rock, cementing its sentimental value into the consciousness of past and present residents of Fermeuse.

Bell Rock has historical value as it is a physical reminder of a way of life influenced by religion and communal values. Older residents of Fermeuse remember a time when a bell was once mounted on top of Bell Rock. This bell called parishioners to nearby Saint Charles Borromeo Roman Catholic Church for services. In a community whose population is almost exclusively Roman Catholic, religion played an important role in community activities and daily life. Bell Rock not only once aided in summoning parishioners to church, it is a reminder of the historic influence of religion in the lives of Fermeuse residents.

Source: Town of Fermeuse Regular Council Meeting March 8, 2006

Éléments caractéristiques

All those elements which represent the aesthetic, cultural and historical significance of Bell Rock, including:
-unobstructed view of Bell Rock from Port Kirwan Road and surrounding vantage points;
-location, orientation and dimensions of the rock, and;
-continued public access to Bell Rock.