Society of United Fishermen SUF Lodge #9 Municipal Heritage Building

The Society of United Fishermen Lodge #9 is important for its historical associations, cultural value and aesthetic value.

The building is historically important because of its association with the Society of United Fishermen in the region. In 1862 Rev. George Gardner, a Church of England minister, formed a support group called the Heart's Content Fisherman's Society. The society later began to expand its membership into other outports and became known as the Society of United Fishermen (SUF). The fraternal organization provided fellowship and established a mutual support system for its members at a time when few services were available to fishermen and their families. The SUF Hall in Bonavista was constructed in 1875, a year after the organization established itself in the community, and continues to be a gathering place for the SUF.

The building has cultural value considering the use of SUF symbolism on its exterior. A triangle surrounding a Maltese Cross was chosen as the symbol of the SUF. The triangle represents Newfoundland's approximate shape, with Cape Bauld, Cape Race and Cape Ray being the points of the triangle. The Maltese Cross represents the eight Beatitudes that members are taught to learn and observe. The mass of the building establishes its place in community life and speaks to a tradition of institutional use of the structure.

Aesthetically, the building is of value as it is a good example of an early fraternal gathering hall in an outport context. Unique design elements on the exterior of the building permit creativity in an otherwise formal, uniform structure.