Description
Hampshire Cottage is a large, handsome two and a half storey Georgian style house located on a large lot in the Heritage District of Harbour Grace. The designation includes the house, property and the rock wall surrounding the property.
Statement of Significance
Formal Recognition Type
Registered Heritage Structure
Heritage Value
Hampshire Cottage was designated a Registered Heritage Structure by the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador in 1992 due to its aesthetic and historic value. Hampshire Cottage has aesthetic value because it is an excellent vernacular version of the British classical tradition of domestic architecture. Constructed for John Bayley, a wealthy lawyer and a sub-collector of customs, the house bespeaks the high status of the occupants. The principal façade is characterized by clarity, symmetry and proportion. The front door is carefully centered, the upper and lower windows are lined up and the chimneys are balanced at either end of the ridge. Details such as the three-light windows, cornices above the windows and the pilaster cornerboards add to the restrained, yet elegant façade. While the front façade is symmetrical and balanced the rear façade shows an uneven appearance. The central boxed staircase, which rises to the attic level, is lit by a single, tall window projected beyond the outer wall. This house also contains a linhay and a two storey extension at the rear. Many interior features are original and the layout is typical of early 19th century style. The Hampshire Cottage has further aesthetic vaue due to its environmental setting. It occupies a strategic area of Harbour Grace, located directly across the street from what was the Customs House, and near the courthouse and Anglican and Roman Catholic churches. An original, free-standing, dry-laid stone wall runs the entire length of the property and is one of the few remaining such walls in the town. It defines the property boundaries and adds context to the historic nature of the home. Hampshire Cottage has historic value because it is considered one of the oldest homes in Harbour Grace, thought to have been constructed in 1826. It is one of the last remaining houses located in the affluent, historic area of town. Also referred to as Garrison House, it was built during the town’s most prosperous period and was occupied by many important people, including John Bayley, lawyer and Collector of Customs, E.E. Brown, member of the House of Assembly, Joseph Godden, Collector of Customs, and British Military officers were possibly billeted there between 1841-55. Source: Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador property file “Harbour Grace – Hampshire Cottage – FPT 1555”
Location and History
Community
Harbour Grace
Municipality
Town of Harbour Grace
Civic Address
Water Street
Construction (circa)
1826 - 1826
Style
Rectangular Long Façade
Location
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