Colony of Avalon - Ferryland, Newfoundland and Labrador
N 47° 01.350 W 052° 52.750
22T E 357197 N 5209378
Avalon was settled in 1621 and is one of North America's earliest settlements. It was forgotten for centuries but for 20 years has been carefully unearthed. The excavation continues today which makes for a very interesting visit.
Waymark Code: WMPEP5
Location: Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Date Posted: 08/19/2015
Views: 7
Avalon was settled in 1621 and is one of North America's earliest settlements. It was forgotten for centuries but for 15 years has been carefully unearthed. The excavation continues today which makes for a very interesting visit.
The site was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1953 and is also designated a Municipal Heritage District. See nearby waymarks for more information.
The following paragraphs are excerpts from the comprehensive website published by the Colony of Avalon Foundation (http://www.colonyofavalon.ca):
In August 1621 the first 12 settlers arrived at Avalon under the direction of the colony's first governor, Captain Edward Wynne. Wynne's letters to Calvert in the early years of the settlement provide descriptions of the settlers' efforts to erect a permanent settlement. Before November 1, 1621, a house (the "mansion house") of 4.5 x 13.3 metres (14.8 x 43.6 feet) had been constructed, and by the following summer additional structures, including a kitchen room and parlor adjacent to the mansion house, tenements, a brew house, henhouse, saltworks, forge and defensive palisade had been added to the growing settlement. These foundations are shown in the waymark photos.
The following winter (1622-23) some 32 colonists were permanent residents of Avalon, including the first women and children. By the middle of the decade the population numbered about 100 permanent residents and an undetermined but probably greater number of seasonal fishermen.
In an August 1629 letter to King Charles I, Calvert stated that due to harsh winters he had determined to leave Avalon and establish a settlement further south in Virginia, where he obtained a grant of land. However, he died in 1632, two years before his heirs founded St. Mary's City, the first settlement in what is now the State of Maryland.
The Calverts did not abandon Avalon altogether, for they left a representative at Ferryland, and continued to press for ownership of the colony throughout much of the 17th century.
The Colony was several times a flashpoint in the history of North America - it played a role in successful British efforts to claim French territory (e.g. Quebec) and Dutch territory (e.g. New York), but also took the brunt of retaliation. In 1696 the French attacked and burned Avalon to the ground. It wasn't until the mid-1990s that the remains of this settlement came to light for us to see now.
Type: Ruin
Fee: yes, for a tour, but I think it can be viewed for free
Hours:
sunrise to sunset
Related URL: [Web Link]
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Visit Instructions:
Original photographs showing additional views of the Ruin/Remnant or even just its current condition are encouraged. Please describe your visit, especially if no additional photos are available. Did you like the Ruin or Remnant? What prompted you to see the Ruin or Remnant?