Description of Historic Place

The Hudson’s Bay Company Net Loft is a one and a half storey wooden structure, located in Rigolet, Labrador. Built in 1876, it is one of few Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) buildings remaining in the province. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

The Net Loft has been designated as a heritage structure because of its historical, aesthetic and cultural value.

The Hudson’s Bay Company Net Loft has historical value as it is one of the oldest surviving Hudson’s Bay Company buildings in Labrador. The HBC played an important role in the establishment of the community of Rigolet and of Labrador in general. HBC provided employment which encouraged small scale commercial settlement, which was followed by residential settlement as Inuit and European planters moved to the area. What resulted was a way of life which revolved around the seasonal procurement of salmon and other natural resources.

The Hudson’s Bay Company Net Loft has cultural value as it is a physical reminder of a particular time and place. The seasonal round of labour was, and remains, an important component of life on the northern coast of Labrador. Much of the permanent settlement on the coast is as a result of the exploitation of these resources by outside interests. Much wealth was extracted from the region, while new European settlers arrived and native cultures adapted to permanent settlements.

The Hudson’s Bay Company Net Loft has aesthetic value as it is an excellent intact example of the type of structure commonly built by the HBC on the northern coast of Labrador. The design of these buildings was very utilitarian and uniform. They were constructed from locally cut wood and often insulated with moss and sod. Mud was also used to plaster many of these buildings. Uniformity was evident in the colour scheme of HBC buildings as well. Until the late 1920s they were limed white with black roofs. Due to the unavailability of black paint and tar in Davis Inlet one year, HBC buildings there were painted white and red. District manager Ralph Parsons liked the colour scheme and white buildings with red roofs and trim became the norm, as shown on the Rigolet net loft.
Source: Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador property designation file M-030-026, Rigolet - Net Loft

Character-Defining Elements

All elements that define the building's vernacular design including:
-mid pitch roof;
-number of storeys;
-wooden roof shingles;
-narrow clapboard;
-corner boards;
-window size, style, trim and placement;
-size, style, trim and placement of exterior doors;
-dimension, location and orientation of building;
-white paint on exterior walls with red trim and red roof.