“That the whole may be a prettie streete”: an analysis of the 17th- century cobblestone street at Ferryland, Newfoundland

Bethune, Eileen (2021) “That the whole may be a prettie streete”: an analysis of the 17th- century cobblestone street at Ferryland, Newfoundland. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

The daily activities associated with the 17th-century cobblestone street at Ferryland, NL are analyzed here through an examination of architectural remains and material culture. Guided by built form and taskscape theories, this research will help interpret how the residents of Ferryland interacted with each other, and with the different industries set up around the street. Early modern streets were both public and private areas, and along with roadways were not uncommon in English colonies. But this paved street—13 feet (4 m) wide by 400 feet (121 m) long—is one of the oldest examples known in North America, and one of Ferryland’s most distinctive features. Research reveals that the street was built within the first decade of the colony’s founding in 1621 and was in use throughout the century and, to a lesser extent, even after the colony’s destruction in 1696. Although the street functioned as the spine of the Ferryland colony, with most of the settlement closely adjacent to it, very little research has been conducted in regards to the street itself since it was uncovered in 1994. This project seeks to show how the idea of permanent settlement was reinforced by this large-scale construction, how the street adapted to changes within the colony and even survived it, and how the street shaped and was shaped by the day-today interactions of those who lived and worked in 17th-century Ferryland.

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