Burgess Fishing Property (Fisheries Heritage Preservation Program)

Whiteway, NL

Fisheries Heritage Preservation Program

Description

Note: First picture taken after restoration, second picture taken before restoration.

The Burgess Fishing Property is a prominent landmark in a large, open cove in Whiteway, NL. It stands alone in an area that once held many fisheries buildings, wharves and flakes. These buildings were a vital part of the cod fishery. Boats unloaded fish at stage heads, fish were gutted and split in stages and then bulk salted in salting sheds similar to this one.

The Burgess Fishing Property was built by Richard Burgess and his brother Charles circa 1900 as a salting shed. The lower part of the building was filled with framed pounds used for bulk salting the split cod fish. The salted cod was dried on flakes and later stored in the top loft. Originally the only access to the lower part of the shed was through a small door facing the water. The larger door was added later by William Burgess (Richard’s son) to allow for storing his boat and fishing gear. The steeply pitched roof provided headroom inside the loft while allowing snow and rain to slide off the roof with ease. During the off-season the salting shed was used for the storage of fishing gear.

Over the years the building had become very deteriorated and unstable. The Town of Whiteway applied to the Fisheries Heritage Preservation Program with aims to restore the building to its former state and repair the damages sustained with the passing of the years. By 2007 the building was raised on one side to allow for the installation of a new floor beam and new braces were added to the interior walls. New wooden shingles were applied to the exterior walls, new roof felt was installed and new windows and doors were constructed.

Statement of Significance

Location and History

Location

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