Registered Heritage Structure
Porter House
Port de Grave, Newfoundland and Labrador

View of front facade, Porter House, Hibb's Cove, Port de Grave, December 2004.
Photo: HFNL 2004
- Built
- 1904
- Recognized
- 1999
- By
- Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador
The register’s text, word for word
Description
The Porter House is a modified gambrel, two storey house located in Hibb’s Cove, Port de Grave. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.
Heritage value
The Porter House has been designated a heritage structure because of its architectural and social values.
This house is a good example of the type of house built by fisherman in the early 1900s. The timber framed structure is rather simple in both design and decoration, reflecting the vernacular architecture of outport Newfoundland. Early on in the history of this house the roof had been cut down slightly, and modified from a gable to a gambrel, a modification made by many in Newfoundland following the introduction of improved roofing material. The layout of the house is a central hall plan with a small porch at the back.
For the people of Hibb’s Cove, the Porter house is symbolic of a time when the fishery was vital to the survival of the community. Set atop a steep hill overlooking the cove, this house is rare example of how the community looked in the early 1900s. Besides being a fishing residence, the Porter house has, in the recent past, been the home of an art studio belonging to George Noseworthy. Its presence has brought many noted artists, both regionally and nationally, to the community.
SourceHeritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador, unnumbered property file, Port De Grave - Porter House
Character‑defining elements
All original features which relate to the age and style of the house including:
- Modified Gambrel roof
- Symmetrical façade
- Stone wall foundation
- Narrow Clapboard
- Simplicity of decoration/exterior detailing
- Location in respect to Fisherman’s Museum
- Interior layout
- All interior features that reflect the age and usage of the building
End of the register’s text
Location
Port de Grave, Newfoundland and Labrador, A0A, Canada
47.60062° N, 53.18499° W
Get directions (opens in a new tab)Being on the register doesn’t make a place open to visitors. Many are private homes or businesses; please view them from the street.
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Nearby
Burnt Head Arch Municipal Heritage Site3.7 km · Cupids
Butler Property4.8 km · Cupids · 1905
Cable Building National Historic Site of Canada5.2 km · Bay Roberts · 1913
Western Union Cable Building Municipal Heritage Site5.2 km · Bay Roberts · 1913
Western Union Cable Building5.2 km · Bay Roberts · 1913
Cable Avenue Registered Heritage District5.3 km · Bay Roberts · 1913
Similar places
Places whose register descriptions are closest to this one.
Porter HouseGrand Bay-Westfield, New Brunswick
Benjamin Barbour HouseNew-Wes-Valley, Newfoundland And Labrador
Benjamin B. Porter HousePort Maitland, Nova Scotia
Goodland HouseHarbour Grace, Newfoundland And Labrador
015 Portugal Cove RoadSt. John's, Newfoundland And Labrador
PY Porter HouseTownship of Langley, British Columbia
From the Canadian Register of Historic Places, as last updated on December 12, 2025. The register’s text is shown word for word.