The scenic town of harbour Grace has a rich
history that spans almost 500 years. Visit the
well stocked Kearney Tourism Chalet located near
Riverhead at the bottom of the harbour for
information. Visitors can take advantage of many
services, including a large marina and
recreational facilities.
In 1610 John Guy referred to the town as
"Harbour de Brace". The name was most likely
transferred from Harvre de Grace, France,
illustrating the influence of French migratory
fishermen in the region. On his way to Trinity
Bay in 1612, John Guy stopped in Harbour Grace.
He noted in his journal that they spent the
night very near Peter Easton's pirates' fort in
Harbour Grace.
Harbour Grace one of the largest towns on
the Baccalieu Trail, has one of the most well
developed harbours on the Avalon Peninsula. The
town boasts many sites of cultural and historic interest. The Conception Bay Museum, which is
near the recorded site of Peter Easton's fort,
contains a number of exhibits including one on
pirates, one on aviation, and one on fishing.
The Harbour Grace Air Field figured prominently
in the history of Transatlantic flight. From
1927-1936, more than twenty flights took off
from Harbour Grace to fly the Atlantic, some of
them piloted by famous aviators such as Amelia
Earhart. The
"Spirit of Harbour Grace", DC-3
airplane, was restored and donated to the town in
1993, by the Pike family to commemorate the
town's rich past in aviation.
The Railway
Station Museum commemorates the first railway
line to open between St. John's and Harbour Grace
in 1884. The Harbour Grace Regatta is one of the
oldest sporting events in North America. The
first Harbour Grace Regatta was on Tuesday, July
22, 1862
The SS Kyle, which is moored in the harbour, was
built in 1913 and became the first boat to
provide Labrador with a regular scheduled
service. The boat, which is immortalized in Ted
Russell's poem "The Smokeroom on the Kyle," is
an icon in Newfoundland culture.
The town has a number of Registered Heritage
Structures such as the Cathedral of the
Immaculate,
St. Paul's Anglican Church (the
oldest stone church in the province).as well as
Court House . The Heritage District contains a
number of homes and buildings including Rothesay
House Inn.
The Harbour Authority of Harbour Grace was the
initiator of the
Admiral's Marina. The Marina
is a natural harbour within a harbour, and has
150 berths available, fresh water hook ups, shore
power, garbage services, 24 hour security, and a
playground. The Admiral's Marina provides a safe
haven for boats of a world class facility.
The Marina was built to resemble a pirate fort
as a remainder of the 1600s when the notorious
pirate,, Peter Easton, one of the most
successful pirates of the 17th century, lurked
the waters of Conception Bay and built his fort
in Harbour Grace.
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