Burrage’s Stage Municipal Heritage Site

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.