Places to Stay

Belle View Manor Inn

Built in 1878, Belle View Manor Inn is a majestic waterfront property in Bears Cove, Harbour Grace, which houses five guests rooms or suites.

Rooms & Suites: 

The Rose Room Suite offers decadence and luxury, with an exceptional view of the ocean.

The other four guest rooms speak to the centuries-old history of the town:

• The Peter Easton Room is named for the notorious pirate who made his headquarters in Harbour Grace in the early 1600s.
• The Amelia Earhart Room is named for an American aviation pioneer, who started her famous transatlantic flight in Harbour Grace in 1932.
• The SS Kyle Room is named for the famous vessel moored in Harbour Grace since 1967.
• The Bennett Room is named for Thomas R. Bennett, who had the house built in 1878.

Further event rental packages can be found on Belle View Manor Inn’s website.

History

This century old house on Water St East is actually two houses. The contract for the building of the front house was let in September 1878. An agreement drawn up at the time between Thomas R. Bennett and Edward Comer, master carpenter, specified that Bennett would supply materials and Comer would be paid £85 in three instalments for his labour.

The back of the house was a preexisting structure, which craftsmanship indicates may predate the 1879 house by forty or fifty years. It was possibly moved a short distance to the present site, to be joined to the newer house.

A native of Windsor, Nova Scotia, Bennett moved to Fortune Bay in 1853, where he established a fishery supply business. This business proved profitable, particularly in trade with the antebellum southern United States. He eventually ran for politics, serving as MHA for Fortune Bay from 1865-74 and as Speaker of the House of Assembly from 1869-73. He was appointed to the bench in 1873, holding the post of Judge of the Northern District Court at the time he built his home in Harbour Grace. He served as magistrate for 25 years, from 1873-98. He died in Harbour Grace on August 13, 1901.

In 1902 Bennett’s widow sold the unit to James Maxwell Cron, a prominent Harbour Grace merchant; Cron owned a draper’s shop on Water Street and raised his ten children at the house, which became known as Thornhill, after Cron’s hometown in Scotland, and, later, as Bellevue. (Coincidentally, Bennett’s mother-in-law’s maiden name was Thornhill, too.) Notably, Thornhill was the childhood home of Dr. Charles Cron–a son from James Cron’s first marriage to Frances Katherine Ross–the McGill-educated, well respected local doctor.

James Cron occupied the house until his death in 1935. He willed the property to Frederick Robert Cron, a son from his second marriage to Emma Martin. Robert raised his family at Thornhill, living there until his death in 1972.

The house now serves as a bed-and-breakfast and event space, Belle View Manor Inn.

Read more on the Conception Bay Museum’s website.

Rothesay House Inn

Located in the Heritage District of historic Harbour Grace, Rothesay House is a Queen Ann-style home, originally constructed in 1855 at Brigus for the Mundens, a mercantile family. The home was subsequently acquired by the Munn family, dismantled, transported by schooner, and reconstructed at its current location in Harbour Grace, circa 1906.

With an oceanfront view, Rothesay House offers 4 beautifully appointed guest rooms, each with private bathrooms, some with queen beds and fireplaces.

Come and enjoy a relaxing evening curled up in front of the sitting or parlour room fireplaces. Experience the ambiance of exquisite candlelight and fireplace dining in the Rothesay Dining Room during your stay. Relax on the veranda and watch the boats go by.

Call and reserve and come home to Rothesay House Inn. Before you get here, visit www.rothesayhouse.com.

History

Captain Azariah Munden originally constructed Rothesay House in Brigus in 1855. His daughter Elizabeth married Robert Stewart Munn, of Harbour Grace, and the house was later passed to their son, Robert Stewart Munn II.

In 1905 Willis Davis, a merchant, sold a piece of Water Street property to another merchant, Ernest Simmons, in Harbour Grace. Simmons constructed a three-storey dwelling house on part of the land, known as “The Maples” for the large maple trees on the property.  He sold the neighbouring parcel of land to Elizabeth Trapnell, wife of Robert Stewart Munn II, for $400.00.

In 1906, after his marriage to Elizabeth Trapnell, Robert had the house dismantled and shipped via schooner to Harbour Grace. This move was responsible for some architectural changes to the house. In its first location it was set upon a high wall at the base of Brigus Harbour. When it was moved to Harbour Grace it was put in a low, flat lot where several structural features were no longer necessary, like pillars, archways and a wide front deck. Upon its reconstruction the pillars and arches were never put back, and the current corner tower was instead constructed.

In 1942 the property was sold to Arthur G. Godden, a prominent local businessman, for $6,000.00. The Godden family lived there until the property was sold in 1995 to Daniel Beniot and Byde Warford, who were responsible for much of its restoration. In 1996 Rothesay House was sold to Ron and Terrilynn Brazil. In 1998 Rothesay House was bought by Lloyd and Maxine White. Lynn and George Butler currently own Rothesay House, operating the House as an inn.

Today, Rothesay House remains a great example of the Queen Anne style of architecture. The house is also noteworthy for its original 1906 garage located at the front of the property, the large mature property with native trees and English-style garden, and the original wrought iron fence surrounding the property.

The Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland & Labrador designated Rothesay House a Registered Heritage Structure in 2005.