Duntara: Located northwest of King's Cove, Duntara is situated in a cove known as Broad Cove which is entered between two spectacular bluffs.

Originally based on the topology of the land, the community was known as Broad Cove, however in 1951 it was renamed one can assume because there were several "Broad Cove's" that led to confusion with the Post Office.

The name "chosen was Duntara, and while it is known when the name changed, and what the new name was, why the name Duntara was chosen remains a mystery.
According to ENL sources, the original setter of Broad Cove went by the name of William Harty. Oral tradition has it that at some point in the late 1700s or early 1800s, William, who was working on a ship that was moored in King's Cove, left the ship and walked to Broad Cove.

He must have liked it so much, it is said that he decided to stay and "settle" down.

At one point in the late 1800s the population of Duntara stood at nearly 300, with most of its residents involved in the Labrador seal fishery, but as the seal hunt declined so did the population.

By 1951 (when the name change took place) the population was recorded to be only 151 at which point winter woodcutting became a way to supplement one's income.

Incorporated in 1961, the population has continued to dwindle over time, to the point that it is now one of the smallest municipalities in Newfoundland. The 2016 census reported a population of 30, a whopping decrease of 34.8% from the 46 who were living there in 2011.

In the town there are two significant historical structures that are open to the public. The first is the James Leo Harty House, built by the great-grandson of the original William Harty.

The second is an historical saltbox house was hand-built in 1881 as a fisherman's house, and is known as Mr. Stephen's House, built by Stephen Aylward who was born in 1863.

Below is more information on both of the houses, both of which may be of interest to you: James Leo Harty House Heritage Property: Built in the early 1900s, the James Leo Harty House is a two storey, low pitched, wood frame house with a one storey back linhay.

The property also includes a collection of outbuildings.... The designation includes the house, two outbuildings and fencing.....The James Leo Harty House and Outbuildings was designated a Registered Heritage Structure by the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador in 2000 because of their aesthetic and cultural value.

The James Leo Harty House has aesthetic value as it is a good representative example of a fisherman's biscuit box style house in the area. Enhancing the aesthetic value is the context in which the house is situated.

The building exists in a very traditional Newfoundland setting, with outbuildings in close proximity and fencing surrounding the property. There are very few examples of outport homes with the majority of their outbuildings still remaining.

Outbuildings on the Harty property were designed for practical use, employing rough materials, simple design elements and utilitarian construction techniques.

There are two outbuildings, which include an outhouse, and a larger structure which is comprised of a linked carriage shed, stable, pig barn, and cellar.

The James Leo Harty House and Outbuildings have cultural value as they are physical reminders of an earlier time and place. In the early 1900s most outport residential properties had several outbuildings, used to store vegetables grown in private gardens and to house livestock.

These buildings served a vital purpose in a subsistence economy which demanded that food be stored for both animal and human consumption. Most properties also had extensive fences as livestock were free to roam communities in the summertime.

Regulations regarding roaming livestock and a decline in the number of families raising animals has resulted in such fences disappearing from the landscape.

Mr. Stephen's House (Home of the "2 Rooms Contemporary Art Project"): 2 Rooms is based in one of the oldest buildings in Duntara. This historical saltbox house was hand-built in 1881 as a fisherman's house.

Now renovated as a gallery and museum, this local landmark's painted exterior distinctively displays the traditional architectural colours of the Bonavista region, home of some of the oldest European settlements in Canada.

Mr. Stephen's House, as it was known, is one of two original houses on Pond Lane. Stephen Aylward born in 1863 built the house at age 18 with old board from another house itself 50 or 60 years old. He was a fisherman and early settler of Broad Cove, later renamed Duntara, where he lived with his wife and 8 children.

After years of fishing, he operated a schooner to and from St. John's, providing delivery service to merchants in the area. He is also remembered as a cobbler, pounding leather on a big rock to make and repair shoes.

The site included a barn for horses, cows and sheep, root cellar, and a red building known as "the 'big store' which still stands in its original location across the lane.

At once twine loft, workshop, and meeting place, 'the big store' began as a shop selling sacks of floor and barrels of molasses. Later it was used as a community building for mass, school lessons, and rallies held by William Coaker. This building was purchased by the neighbor many years ago and is well maintained today.

Architecturally Mr. Stephen's house has some noteworthy features. Typical saltbox houses rarely had the front door so obviously off-centered.

With a centre- hall plan, windows and doors were placed strategically to balance the awkwardness of different widths of the front rooms. This builder however, created his own sense of charm with the door way off to the left.

The truncated roof is a unique marker in Duntara. Stephen Aylward cut his roof down in the late 19th or early 20th century as he approached middle age and his sons left the family home. The house sits atop a steep hill and maintaining the roof on his own would have been too dangerous.

Changing the roof was a practical decision that made life easier and reflected the internal change within the household.

Many old houses like this one have stood empty for over 20 years and are in jeopardy of falling down, many others have already been lost.

Saving what remains is a vital documentation of 18th and 19th century settlement in the area. Duntara is one of many outport communities on the north side of the Bonavista peninsula that risk losing much of their heritage.

Used with permission from "Uncovering the Origin of 1001 Unique Place Names in Newfoundland and Labrador" 2021 Jennifer Leigh Hill

Address of this page: http://nl.ruralroutes.com/Duntara