Newfoundland Gothic by Peter Coffman

How did an architectural style synonymous with medieval Europe become the style of choice in remote towns and outports of nineteenth-century Newfoundland and Labrador? From the city of St. John’s to isolated, wind-swept colonies like Battle Harbour, Labrador (cover), the Gothic style left an indelible mark on this unique and dramatic landscape. Newfoundland Gothic explores how and why the style came to the colony, the many forms it took, and what it meant to the people who used it. Gothic Revival architecture came to Newfoundland and Labrador at a time when architectural style was laden with social meaning. The style arrived on the shores of British North America through the Established (Anglican) Church, and for that Church, the colonies were a torrid battleground. The enemies were heathenism, Romanism, and decadence; one of the key weapons in the fight was architecture, and the shape of that weapon was “Pointed,” or Gothic. Copiously illustrated with original colour photographs showing many previously unpublished monuments, Newfoundland Gothic reveals a fascinating and unique chapter in the history of Canadian architecture and the history of architecture in the British Empire. Le prix Phyllis-Lambert Prize