The Barbour House

This historical heritage home is found in Newtown, Bonavista Bay and was originally built for Captain Benjamin Barbour and his family of nine sons and two daughters in 1875.

Although Benjamin Barbour himself was not involved in the sealing industry, the rest of his family were involved. Fourteen of the descendants of Benjamin Barbour became captains and ten of those were sealing captains. The Barbours were considered one of the most prominent sealing families in Bonavista Bay.

The Barbour Home is typical of the larger merchant houses built in many Newfoundland communities in the latter part of the nineteenth century. The interior also has 32 rooms including 12 bedrooms, two dining rooms, one upstairs parlour and two kitchens.

The house was owned for a number of years by Benjamin Barbour's grandson, the late Captain Carl Barbour, who used it primarily as a summer home.

The Heritage Trust currently uses the house as a museum, preserving many of the artifacts and furniture for visitors to see, although the Barbour family still have access to the home for their own use.