Description of Historic Place

Hodge Brothers Premises is a wooden, two-and-a-half storey, mercantile style building located on the water’s edge at 18 Path End, Twillingate, NL. Construction of the building was completed in 1914. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

Hodge Brothers Premises has been designated a municipal heritage site by the Town of Twillingate due to its aesthetic and historic value.

Hodge Brothers Premises has aesthetic value as a wooden building featuring many elements of a multi function mercantile structure. Its decorative elements are somewhat unique for such a utilitarian building. The façade is comprised of a traditional storefront with large glass windows and a moulded sign band flanked by large brackets. Eaves brackets support the extended eaves of the gable and flat roofs, giving the structure an elegant appearance. The rear of the building extends beyond the high water mark into the harbour. This rear section accommodated the ongoing business conducted from the water by boats and schooners, some of which were owned by the Hodges. The building is the last standing of several owned by the Hodge family and is the only original building of its type remaining on the north side of Twillingate.

Hodge Brothers Premises has historic value for its association with the Hodges of Twillingate, who were involved in the fish and retail trade in Twillingate from the 1870s until the 1960s. In the 1870s, Richard Hodge and his brother Thomas Hodge acquired these premises, which were formerly owned by the Slade merchant firm. They operated in partnership with William Waterman & Company until the 1880s. Around this time, Thomas Hodge moved to St. John’s and Richard Hodge continued to oversee the business in Twillingate. Richard Hodge reputedly became insolvent in 1895 and John Wheadon Hodge took over the business at the Hodge premises. Richard continued his involvement in the firm and upon his death, his sons Arthur and Cyril took over the operation of the business under the direction of John Wheadon Hodge. John retired to Toronto in 1918, at which time Cyril and Arthur independently operated the business under the name Hodge Brothers. The firm offered hardware, dry goods, coal and provisions for retail and exported fish, fish products and berries.

Both Cyril and Arthur were active in community affairs in Twillingate. Arthur was a justice of the peace, sat on the first board of directors for Notre Dame Hospital, served on the hospital’s Committee of Stewards and was a member of the Twillingate Masonic Lodge. Cyril was active in church affairs and was a choir master of the North Side Church. The brothers died within a few months of each other in 1963 and their business ceased operations the same year.

Source: Town of Twillingate Regular Council Meeting Motion 07-205 November 5, 2007.

Character-Defining Elements

All those elements which represent the aesthetic and historic value of Hodge Brothers Premises, including:
-number of storeys;
-gable and flat roofs;
-eaves brackets on extended eaves of gable and flat roofs;
-narrow wooden clapboard;
-wide corner boards;
-use of clapboard on the bias on front and back gables;
-use of vertical board on first storey façade;
-storefront façade;
-moulded sign band with large brackets;
-window size, style, trim and placement, including large storefront windows and multi paned windows with wide moulding, rain caps and sills;
-size, style, trim and placement of exterior doors;
-form, dimension, location and orientation of building, and;
-date 1914 on main façade.