Kent Cottage facts for kids
Kent Cottage is a very old house in Brigus, Newfoundland. Today, it's a special place where artists and writers can live and work. The land around the cottage is called Landfall.
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A Look Back: The History of Kent Cottage
Kent Cottage was first built around 1786. A family called the Pomeroys built this small house. It was made in a style called Georgian architecture. The cottage sits near Brigus Bay, on a spot known as the Battery. This name comes from old guns placed there in the 1740s. The area was also called Freshwater. This is because many streams there provided water for ships. The Pomeroy family lived in the house for many years. Later, they even used it as a barn.
Rockwell Kent's Time at the Cottage
The famous American artist and writer Rockwell Kent lived in the cottage. He stayed there for about a year and a half. This was between 1914 and 1915. Rockwell Kent was also trained as an architect. In 1915, he rebuilt parts of the cottage. He added a studio and a second bedroom. While living in Brigus, Kent created many paintings. These artworks were inspired by the beautiful landscape around him. Some of his paintings even show the cottage itself. You can still see small paintings by Kent on the cottage's walls and doors.
New Owners and New Names
In 1930, an English artist named Albert Edward Harris bought the cottage. He was also an engineer. Mr. Harris named the house Kent Cottage. He named it after his home county of Kent in England. Harris worked to fix up and make the cottage bigger. He also included the cottage in some of his own paintings. After he passed away in 1933, George White inherited the cottage. It stayed empty for 20 years. Then, Rupert Bartlett bought it.
Jake Folensbee and the Landfall Trust
In 1953, an American artist named Bradley Jacob Folensbee, Jr. moved into the cottage. People called him "Jake." Jake Folensbee bought the property in 1955. He was the one who named it Landfall. He spent his summers at the cottage. Until he passed away in 2004, he worked hard to protect and restore it. He even bought more land around the cottage. This helped keep its special character safe. Folensbee left the property to the Landfall Trust. This trust now owns and takes care of Kent Cottage. They also look after the 11 acres of land around it.
In 1988, Kent Cottage was recognized as a Registered Heritage Structure. This was done by the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador. This means it's an important historical building.
Kent Cottage Today: A Place for Creativity
Today, Kent Cottage is used by the Landfall Trust. They run special programs there. These are called artist-in-residence and writer-in-residence programs. This means artists and writers can live and work at the cottage for a time. It's also rented out for vacations from May to October. The cottage is only open to the public for visits sometimes.
