Barbour Living Heritage Village

Cape Freel's Heritage Trust

About Us

The Barbour Living Heritage Village is the anchor tourist attraction on the Kittiwake Coast offering visitors a taste of history at the turn of the 19th Century into the mid 1900s (1873 to 1960). The Village is nestled in a picturesque corner of Newtown, right on the Tickle. Learn more about us by exploring our website, then come visit and see for yourself.

The Village features living interpretation of the life of the Barbours, a well-known and prominent family involved in the fishing and sealing industries in Newfoundland. There are 19 buildings in the Barbour Living Heritage Village, three of which are designated as registered structures by the Newfoundland Historic Trust. Over the next several years two others are expected to also receive that designation.

The Village’s historic homes are furnished with their original contents and provide an excellent opportunity to give insight into the family life of one of Newfoundland’s most distinguished families. Read more about the family and the properties in the History section of our website.

Cape Freels Heritage Trust

Governance

The Village is managed by the Cape Freels Heritage Trust, a community-based, non-profit, entity established in 1991 to protect and celebrate the cultural heritage of the area. The volunteer Board of Directors and the staff at the Village take a great deal of pride in preserving the heritage of the premises and in making that heritage come alive for people in the area and tourists alike.

It is “Where The Past Meets The Present”.

Board of Directors

Executive – 2024

President:  Tina Difuscio 
Vice-president:  Geoff Goldsworthy
Secretary:  Yvonne Humphries
Treasurer:  Winston Perry

Directors – 2024

Director: Isaiah Lewis

email: barboursite@nf.aibn.com
Phone: 709-536-3220

Management and Staff

The Barbour Living Heritage Village is one of the biggest employers on the area. During peak season, May to October, there will be anywhere from 30 to 50 employees on site.

There are three permanent staff:

  • Judy Stagg, Heritage Manager
  • Marilyn Goodyear, Finance Manager
  • Diane Goodyear, Projects Manager

email: barboursite@nf.aibn.com
Phone: 709-536-3220
Fax: 709-536-3150

Our Focus

Our priority is to restore the image of rural Newfoundland as the last of the world`s great adventurers of seafaring commerce and settlement, a tenacious and inventive people who, against all odds, built a nation and successfully traded around the world.

The Barbour Living Heritage Village depicts the extraordinary richness of the character of rural Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. It is this theme that permeates all exhibits, interpretations and other activities.  As well, our state of the art Sealing Interpretation Centre with an actual life-sized schooner inside, demonstrates our legitimacy in the sealing industry both during the past and today.

 

The tools, the boats, the gear, the workplaces are fascinating, but, in the end, are lifeless artifacts. In terms of heritage interpretation, they set the stage through which to understand a people, their community and work. It provides us with the means to experience the history and heritage of this region of Newfoundland.

The Services We Offer

Onsite Accommodations |Dining| Interpretive Tours | Experiential Culinary Activities | Entertainment | Shopping | Group Functions

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