Description of Historic Place

The International Pulp and Paper Company Staff House is a two storey timber frame building located on 2 Poplar Road, Deer Lake, NL. Built between 1923 and 1924, the designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

The International Pulp and Paper Company Staff House is designated because of its historical associations, architectural significance and environmental values.

The building is of historical importance because of its associations with the early days of large scale settlement in Deer Lake and industrial development on the west coast of the island. While during the mid 1800s some loggers and trappers had made homes in the area around what is now Deer Lake, large scale settlement did not occur until the Newfoundland Power and Paper Company began construction of a hydro-electric power generator on the site in 1922. Between 1923-1925, three thousand men were employed in the developing community constructing the plant, dams and canals, necessitating the building of such structures as the Staff House. Acquired by the International Pulp and Paper Company upon its completion in 1925, the power plant provided much of the electricity for the growing Corner Brook paper mill. Deer Lake continued to grow as industrial labour needs increased and workers migrated to the new community to fulfill the demand.

The Deer Lake Staff House is also historically significant because of its long term use as a Masonic Lodge, Lodge Humber 1475, Roll of the Grand Lodge of Scotland. It has been in continual use as a lodge building from 1952 to present day.

The building has architectural value as it is a good regional example of planned company housing. Built between 1923 and 1924 as a staff house for employees of the Newfoundland Power and Paper Company Limited, the building is a worthy example of the type of staff quarters built by industrial enterprises in Newfoundland and Labrador during the first half of the twentieth century.

The International Pulp and Paper Company Staff House also has environmental value because of its placement within the community of Deer Lake. The structure stands alone in an open space with views across Deer Lake and its environs. It is located on a main thoroughfare in the town and is in close proximity to other significant structures, such as the power plant, and recreational areas.

Source: Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador property file # M-046-010, Deer Lake - International Pulp and Paper Company Staff House

Character-Defining Elements

All those exterior features that are reflective of the early twentieth century institutional design and construction of the building, including:
-flat roof;
-number of storeys;
-narrow exterior clapboard;
-original window size, style and placement;
-original window trim style;
-original size, style and placement of exterior doors;
-original style and location of portico on front facade;
-dimension, location and orientation of building.