Description of Historic Place

Located on the north side of Harbour Breton at the base of Gun Hill, Hunt’s Point is a grassy point of land that extends approximately 75 metres from Main Road North to the seashore. The designation is confined to that piece of land known locally as Hunt’s Point.

Heritage Value

Hunt’s Point has been designated a municipal heritage site by the Town of Harbour Breton because of its historic and cultural values.

Hunt’s Point has historic and cultural values because of its association with Charlie Hunt, who was possibly the first Hunt to live on the point. A nearby brook is also referred to as Charlie Hunt’s Brook. Oral tradition reports that in the 1860s, at the age of 12, Charlie Hunt came to Harbour Breton from Ireland by hiding in a puncheon onboard a Newman and Company vessel. He married Hannah Dowding of Jersey Harbour and the family lived on Hunt’s Point. Charlie was a fisherman and sold his fish to Mr. Hugh Coady. He also worked as a labourer for the Harbour Breton Trading Company, under manager Henry Elliot. As well, Charlie Hunt assisted Newman and Company vessels leaving Harbour Breton. Charlie Hunt would tie waiting vessels to a ring-bolt driven into a rock on Hunt’s Point, wait for the vessel to position itself for the wind conditions, then give a signal and let the rope go. This rock is now referred to as Ring-Bolt Rock.

Charlie was known as a colourful character. Although he was not a big man, he was apparently a rough and rugged individual who was often at the centre of scuffles among local fishermen. Charlie was also the inspiration for the Noddy family in Newfoundland author Ted Russell’s "The Chronicles of Uncle Mose". Russell taught school in Harbour Breton during the early 1920s. In a book written about Ted Russell by his daughter Elizabeth Russell Miller, called "Uncle Mose: The Life of Ted Russell", a passage quoting Ted Russell states that Charlie “was a bit of a hangashore, a model for the Noddys. He used to wait till after dark, then run his punt under Coady’s wharf, come up through the hatch when the store was locked for the night, and make off with a quintal of fish. Next day he’d bring the same fish to the store to sell.” As years went by, Charlie became somewhat of a recluse, and was known to spend long periods of time alone in Harbour Breton Bay, including one Christmas season.

A tragic incident that occurred off Hunt’s Point involved Charlie’s sons James and Samuel. On New Year’s Eve 1919 a strong northeast gale hit the harbour. High winds, waves, and blowing snow threatened the safety of a moored dory belonging to James and Samuel Hunt. The two men boarded a small row-dory and went to retrieve the moored dory. Rowing was quite a challenge and onlookers could see a dangerous situation developing. The wind drove the smaller dory onto the stem of the moored dory, causing it to capsize. Samuel was killed instantly but James managed to swim ashore to Ring-Bolt Rock. He could not pull himself to safety and was swept away by the sea. Their bodies were recovered the next morning. James Hunt was 43 years old and Samuel Hunt was 26. They are buried together in the old Church of England Cemetery in Harbour Breton.

Several families lived on Hunt’s Point for many years, surrounded by their stages, wharves, homes and gardens. During the 1930s a landslide occurred on Gun Hill and debris slid down across Hunt’s Point and on to the seashore. Fortunately, there were no injuries or property damage. Around the same time period, a large rock came down from Gun Hill and went partway through old Charlie Hunt’s house. No one lives on Hunt’s Point today, as families of Hunts have relocated to other areas of the harbour.

Source: Town of Harbour Breton Regular Council Meeting Motion 09-:027:B April 29, 2009.

Character-Defining Elements

All those elements which represent the historical and cultural values of Hunt’s Point, including:
- the name Hunt’s Point,
- association with the Hunt family, and;
- any future development to be in keeping with the historic usage of Hunt’s Point.