TWILLINGATE, N.L. — Ross Ashbourne will always remember the uniqueness of the family home in Twillingate.
Known locally as the Ashbourne House, the home where he grew up had been a fixture of the town for over 100 years.
Inside those walls, there was history. At one time there were four marble fireplaces — three downstairs and one upstairs in the master bedroom. It had nine-foot ceilings and a turret that gave it a different look than other houses in the region.
His father, Bill Ashbourne, bought the home in 1948 and it remained in his family until 2004, when it was sold.
Around 11 p.m. on Thursday, fire tore through the century-old structure, leaving it in ruins. It was felled by the same fate that had destroyed its predecessor. That was in 1908, and in 1909 it was rebuilt it on the same property.
“I’m disappointed,” Ashbourne said of learning of the home’s destruction. “It is still a historic feature of the town.
“It was one of the attractions.”
All that is left are charred walls and a set of lawn ornaments that included a boat.
It was built as a doctor’s house and later was the home of an insurance company.
“There have been plenty of people pass through the house,” said Ashbourne.
Lately, the house had been used as a tea room in the community.
It also attracted tourists with cameras, and newlyweds looking for the perfect backdrop for their photos.
“It was one of the most beautiful homes on the island,” said Twillingate Mayor Grant White. “It was probably one of the most photographed homes on the island.
“So, to see it (Friday morning) in the state that it was in was devastating.”
Twillingate Fire Department Chief Craig Clarke said his department pager went off just after 11 p.m. Thursday.
On the way to the fire hall, Clarke and another firefighter passed the Ashbourne home and saw the situation they were charged with facing.
Flames were shooting out parts of the upper levels and smoke billowed out of other parts.
Moments later, Clarke arrived with 18 other members of his department to try to douse the flames.
Those firefighters didn’t leave the scene until 8 a.m. Friday.
“It was hard going,” said the fire chief, noting the materials used in the construction of the house posed some problems. “The house is over 100 years old.”
The Ashbourne home had two large chimneys that made doing an interior attack of the fire difficult. One of those chimneys collapsed during the blaze, while the other still stands amid the wreckage.
No firefighters were injured while responding to the call.
Clarke said there was little danger to surrounding properties, as a slight rain helped keep the grass around the property damp and prevented the fire from jumping.
Just down from the home are the Ashbourne Office, Ashbourne Longhouse and Ashbourne Shop, provincial historic buildings that exist as “physical reminders of Twillingate’s history as a vibrant and prosperous port town driven by the fishing and shipping industries,” according to an entry from the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador.
The house was the only part of the Ashbourne historical complex that was not a designated heritage structure.
“A part of the context of that complex of buildings has been lost,” said Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador executive director Jerry Dick. “Lets hope to God that the other ones are protected.
“We could have lost them all.”
Firefighters managed to save an old barn behind the building, and a pair of horses that were inside.
Houses like the Ashbourne home weave themselves into the tapestry of any community.
Neighbours and visitors alike have a story about those buildings, and the Ashbourne House is no different.
In the wake of its destruction, there were dozens of social media posts from people who remember the historic building.
One woman said her granddaughter called the building her castle, while another had dreamed of living in the home since she was eight.
Others lamented what losing the house will mean for the community.
With each day, people tie a piece of their identity to the houses that define their communities.
“These are important touchstones for communities and when you lose them, I do think that people feel it on a personal basis,” said Dick.
Hearing the news in Halifax Thursday evening was hard for Ashbourne.
There was a lot of history tied up in it. Pieces of furniture that came out of the house were sent to local museums.
“It was such an enchanting house,” said Ashbourne.
Nicholas Mercer is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter covering central Newfoundland for SaltWire Network
