History of the Trust
The Newfoundland Historic Trust was established in 1966 as a citizen's response to the threatened demolition of Christ Church, a small Anglican chapel (1842) in the village of Quidi Vidi on the outskirts of St. John's. There was no organized preservation effort in Newfoundland at the time, and discontent and frustration were building as more and more historic buildings throughout the province were being lost through demolition or neglect. When after six gruelling years the building was restored, the Trust turned its attention to broader aspects of heritage conservation and the cultural landscape, aiming to raise levels of public awareness and ultimately to achieve an enlightened historic resources policy. Its involvement with the Commissariat (1819), Powerscourt (1806), and the battle over Atlantic Place in downtown St. John's drew public attention to built heritage and urban design issues. At its annual meeting in November 1974 the Trust dedicated itself to the preservation of all forms of architecture reflecting the culture and heritage of Newfoundland, and to the enhancement of street patterns and streetscapes, linking social and preservation concerns.

SPECIAL PROJECTS

To encourage the appreciation of our builtheritage, the Trust has undertaken numerous special projects. Many of these have involved children: Grade Five essay contests in 1974 and 1975 on the theme of local historic landmarks; a popular scavenger-style “Treasure Hunt” for historic facts and features organized in conjunction with St. John’s Days through the 1980's; and, in 1991, a poster and colouring contest. The Trust published the “Heritage Here” brochure, another special project, was distributed to schools around St. John’s as part of this last event. In 2001 it hosted "Family Fun Days" at the Newman Wine Vaults.

A Placquing Program for structures in old St. John’s was initiated in 1988 to commemorate historical figures of note. A brochure mapping these buildings was produced in conjunction with this project. This brochure provides another interesting walking guide of the city. In 1988, the Trust’s Time Capsule Project was launched. This project allowed participating families and groups to place personal mementos and documentation in a sealed box for the benefit of future generations. One hundred and seven plastic containers were bricked into a city wall at the City Hall Annex on June 22, 1990, not to see the light of day until the bi-centennial of municipal government in 2088. The Trust heritage brochure

Over the years the Trust operated retail outlets at both Signal Hill and the Newfoundland Museum, an arrangement that eventually led to the creation of the Historic Parks (now sites) Association of Newfoundland and Labrador

RESTORATION PROJECTS

The Trust has been involved in a number of major restoration efforts in St. John’s. In addition to Christ Church there was involvement in Anderson House (Powerscourt) and the Murray Premises. Anderson House, one of the oldest buildings in St. John’s, was in a state of bad repair in the early seventies. The Trust purchased the building in 1976 and leased the property to Charles and Sylvia Cullum who restored it. The Murray Premises, which date to the mid-eighteen hundreds, were in danger of demolition in the mid seventies. Through the Trusts efforts the ,St. John’s Heritage Foundation obtained an option on the property and arranged for its restoration. Most recently the Trust has been involved in the rescue and restoration of the historic Newman Wine Vaults.

SHOWS, LECTURES AND TOURS

The Trust has mounted a wide range of special events promoting material culture. Lectures on “Tracing the Roots of Your Home” and “Historic Buildings in Halifax Urban Design”, early motion picture screenings, heritage fashion shows, antique exhibits and courses on Buying and Rehabilitating an Old House are a few of the many interpretive projects the Trust has tackled over the years.

The summers have also found a few dedicated Trust members hiring, training and coordinating student guides in order to run the Trusts popular St. John’s walking tour. The Trust in conjunction with the City of St. John’s and other groups have published a number of walking tour brochures on old St. John’s

PUBLICATIONS

The Trident, the Trust’s newsletter, was first published in the early seventies. “Gift of Heritage” and “Ten Historic Towns” were published initially in the mid seventies and have been since reprinted. The drawings in this publication were done by Jean Ball, a well known artist and long time member of the Trust. Trust stalwart Shane O’Dea, prepared the descriptions of the buildings and undertook the research for the “Architectural Heritage of St. John’s : An Evaluative Inventory.

The St. John's Heritage Conservation Area Study, published in 1976, was an undertaking of the Trust and Heritage Canada. It led to the establishment of the St. John’s Heritage Foundation which played a large part in the revitalizing of the downtown neighbourhoods of the city.

The catalogue "Models of Newfoundland and Labrador" was published in 1999 to accompany an exhibition of the same name, a joint project of the Trust and the Art Gallery of Newfoundland and Labrador.