Hawthorne Cottage National Historic Site of Canada

Natural Wonders & Cultural Treasures

History

Hawthorne Cottage Gateway © Parks Canada / J-P. Jérôme HRS 0652

Hawthorne Cottage National Historic Site of Canada

The oldest of 11 children, Bob Bartlett was born into a family of skilled fishing and sealing captains. Bob first tasted the thrill of Arctic adventure when he joined the Peary expedition in 1898 as first mate under the watchful eye of Peary's navigator, John Bartlett (Bob's uncle). (insert image 1 here) Peary recognized the skill and daring that would make Bob his most vital asset in attaining his lifelong goal. The Canadian Arctic expedition of 1913-18 under Arctic explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson on the ill-fated Karluk, earned Captain Bob Bartlett the following citation from marine historian Thomas Appleton: "the finest feat of leadership in Canadian Marine history."

Captain Bob commanded more than twenty expeditions to the Arctic region. Many of these voyages were devoted to advancing scientific knowledge of the North. During the First World War he worked for the U.S. Army Transport Command in North America. During the Second World War, he and his famous schooner, Effie M. Morrissey, were commandeered by the U.S. Navy for hydrographic and supply work in Frobisher Bay and Greenland. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s many young American boys enjoyed the thrill of sailing north with Captain Bartlett on the Effie M. Morrissey. No matter how far north he sailed, Captain Bob seldom returned to his home in New York City without docking in Brigus for a few days. Here he enjoyed time with friends and family at Hawthorne Cottage.

Hawthorne Cottage came into the Bartlett family through Bob's mother, Mary Leamon Bartlett. It was built in 1830 by her grandfather, Brigus merchant John Leamon. The house was moved three years later from its original site in Cochranedale 10 kilometres (six miles) to its current location.

The cottage combines features of Newfoundland vernacular architecture enhanced by picturesque architectural details. The architecture of Hawthorne has been recognized by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada as typifying the refined lifestyle of Newfoundland outport merchant families of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Commemorating Canada's History