John Quinton Limited Residence Registered Heritage Structure

John Quinton Limited has been designated because of its historical, aesthetic and cultural value.

The buildings are historically important because of their association with the Quinton family and their role as merchants in the community. John Quinton Limited serves as a representative example of the roots of outport autonomy, when locals began to set up their own merchant premises independent of larger outside firms. In the late 1800s, these small outport mercantile and provisioning operations concentrating on the salt fish trade began to supply smaller communities, gradually replacing outside agents representing merchants from larger commercial centres. While still participating in the truck system, outport residents now had more choice in terms of the firm they dealt with.

The John Quinton residence has aesthetic value as is a good example of outport merchant class housing in the late 1800s. The scale and massing of the house set it apart from others in the community and speak to its ownership by an affluent family. It is an excellent outport example of Second Empire style housing, with its concave-curved mansard roof, dormers, decorative eaves and symmetrical facade.

The buildings are culturally important as they are a physical reminder of a specific time and place, particularly of a time when life was intrinsically linked to the sea. The fish and salt stores served a vital purpose in a subsistence economy based on the procurement, curing and storage of fish. Withing the walls of the shop, fishermen would collect goods earned from their summer work. Both the shop and the post office would often be the scene of social gatherings where local news was shared and recent events were discussed.