Friday Sept 20th I had the great pleasure to visit the Eastport Peninsula. In particular the community of Burnside.
Burnside is a small fishing community at the northernmost tip of the peninsula and is also the point od departure for the ferry to St. Brendans, one of the few island communities left where there were thousands. I will be visiting St. Brendans in the futre.
The community has done a very good job at preserving many of the 100+ year old structures that exist there. many have been modernized and renovated while maintaining much the style and character they had from the beginning. Even the few houses I discovered that don't look to have been occupied for some time were in excellent condition for now.
My first discovery was a very nice saltbox located on what is known as Squid Island.
This property looks to be well over 100 years old and it had some very nice features, such as wooden pegs in the outer windows and what looks to be a locally made front door. I will say that the owners must have had some issues in the past with folks doing SOMETHING at the house or on the property. I didn't take a picture of it, should have, but there was a very stern note written on a piece of plywood in the door stating that should this happen again they would call the authorities.
It actually raises an interesting point which I will speak to at the end of the post.
Such a wonderful old-timer. As always I very much wanted to get a look at the interior features of the house. If you are reading this and you might know who owns this property, or any other property I post here I would love to know who they are so I can see if arrangements can be made to get in and have a look around.
From the Squid Island house I drove through the town without seeing another house of interest, many beautiful properties but nothing of the sort of building I am interested in recording. I was not convinced that I saw everything I needed and looped back around the town when through the trees I spied the roof of what looked like a promising property. I turned onto the access road and was NOT disappointed.
This house really struck me as presenting of a house of importance. I don't know what the history of the property might be but with the numerous outbuildings, the unique detail to the front doors and the overall stance of the house, I am convinced it was built by a merchant or some similar professional. Anyone know for sure?
From there continued to explore and a little further down the road was thrilled to discover a couple of boats that are in the process of returning to the earth. Old boats are a passion of mine and are actually what started me on the path f documenting these old homes, stages etc. It speaks volumes of the way of life we are leaving behind as these relics fade from view and memory.
On the way out of town I spied this wonderfully weathered and beautifully located home...
I know I missed many houses, stages, boats etc on this trip. I intend to revisit the area and spend a weekend exploring not just Burnside, but the other communities of peninsula.
So, a little earlier I spoke about people warning folks away from their old homes. Its a real fear for me as a photographer and explorer. I want to respect peoples properties and privacy while still collecting and documenting these treasures before they fade. I generally post on social media prior to visiting a community to ask about properties I should visit. This has two purposes, it hopefully gives me a chance to speak to a property owner prior to visiting, it also ensures I don't miss any hidden treasures.
At the end of the day, I try to respect and honor the properties. I approach each of these building with a very keen awareness of the stories that must be in the wall, I try and depict these houses in a way that speaks of pride. I will never take a picture or share an image that diminishes the beauty and stature of these places. I would hope that the owners of the properties can see that in the care I take with these photos.
I should also mention that the images in these blogs are meant to document the visit, and to show what I have captured in my journey. From these and the 100's more I take on visits I will draw a number of captures for further editing and consideration for inclusion in the Unsettled project, both the eventual exhibition and book.
Those images will be featured in the site gallery, you can click the link at the top of the page to view those.
That's it for my visit to Burnside. Hats off to the community. It is so very obviously loved and it showed in the clean grounds, well kept properties and general good vibrations of the town.
Thanks for having me!