The evolution of folk house forms on Trinity Bay, Newfoundland

Abstract

This dissertation attempts to describe and interpret the evolutionary pattern of folk housing in Trinity Bay from the period of initial occupance in the late Seventeenth century through to the mid-twentieth century when the truly traditional house types and building practices in the area began to decline. The principal objectives of the study are (i) to collect data on as many traditional houses, both extant and extinct, as possible in the study area; (ii) to establish a typology and delineate stages in the evolution of house forms; (iii) to study the effect of architectural renovation on the evolution of existing folk structures; (iv) to establish the chronological range for each house type and analyse architectural persistence and change. The problem of Old World antecedents for both the basic house forms and the construction techniques are also considered. Data on 258 folk houses were collected during nine months of field research. An evolutionary sequence of house forms involving four distinct stages or generations for the two hundred year period has been established. The Trinity Bay house was deeply rooted in the English vernacular tradition, but was modified by local, social, economic and environmental conditions. While the basic floor plan of the house and the traditional construction process showed great persistence, elements of the house changed rapidly, especially after ca.: 1860, and technological innovations developed elsewhere were quickly assimilated into local building practices.