Kent Cottage is a historic dwelling in Brigus, Newfoundland, now used for artist-in-residence and writer-in-residence programs. The surrounding property is known as Landfall.
History
Kent Cottage was originally a small
Georgian-style
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1714 and 1830. It is named after the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I, George II, Geor ...
structure built by the Pomeroy family around 1786. It was built near Brigus Bay, on the Battery (which is named for the gun emplacements that were there in the 1740s during
King George's War
King George's War (1744–1748) is the name given to the military operations in North America that formed part of the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–1748). It was the third of the four French and Indian Wars. It took place primarily in t ...
). The area was also known as Freshwater, as there are several streams which were historically a source of water for sealing fleets. The Pomeroy family used the structure as a dwelling for many years but eventually turned it into a barn.Heritage Web Site retrieved 28 May 2018
The American artist and writer
Rockwell Kent
Rockwell Kent (June 21, 1882 – March 13, 1971) was an American painter, printmaker, illustrator, writer, sailor, adventurer and voyager.
Biography
Rockwell Kent was born in Tarrytown, New York. Kent was of English descent. He lived much of ...
lived in the cottage for about a year and a half in 1914–1915. Trained as an architect, in 1915 he rebuilt the structure and added a studio and second bedroom on the west side. While living in Brigus, Kent made many paintings and prints inspired by the surrounding landscape, many which include depictions of the cottage. There are still several small paintings by Kent on the cottage's interior walls and doors.Canada's Historic Places retrieved 28 May 2018
In 1930 the cottage was purchased by
Albert Edward Harris
Albert Edward (A. E.) Harris (c. 1870 – 24 October 1933) was a British engineer and artist, known for his depictions of the Newfoundland landscape.
Harris emigrated to Newfoundland in 1907. Initially employed the Reid Group of England at their ...
, an English artist and engineer who had been employed by the Anglo-Newfoundland Development Company. An Englishman, he named the house Kent Cottage after his home county of
Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
. Harris restored and expanded the cottage, and sometimes included it in his paintings. After his death in 1933, the cottage was inherited by George White. It remained vacant for twenty years until Rupert Bartlett purchased it.
In 1953 Kent Cottage was occupied by Bradley Jacob Folensbee, Jr. ("Jake"), an American artist, teacher and war veteran. Folensbee purchased the property in 1955, and named it Landfall. He spent summers at the cottage, and until his death in 2004 he invested considerably in preserving and restoring it, including acquiring surrounding land to protect its character. Folensbee bequeathed the property to the Landfall Trust, which now owns and maintains Kent Cottage and the surrounding of land.Landfall Trust of Brigus, Newfoundland and Labrador retrieved 28 May 2018
The cottage was designated a Registered Heritage Structure in 1988 by the
Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador
The Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador (HFNL) or Heritage NL is a non-profit Crown corporation of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador established in 1984 by the Historic Resources Act. Its mandate is to stimulate an unde ...
.
Modern use
Kent Cottage is now used for the Landfall Trust's artist-in-residence and writer-in-residence programs. It is also used for vacation rentals from May through October and is only occasionally open for public viewing.