The House on the Beach in Harbour Main

The Beach House is thought to be the oldest house in Harbour Main. My mother tells me that it was built by two Mullowney brothers, and had been originally two homes - which explains the two chimneys, I suppose. At some point the two houses were 'knocked together" to become one home.

Excerpted from:
Our People... Our Church, Sts. Peter & Paul Parish, Harbour Main, Chapel's Cove, Lakeview, Newfoundland 1857 - 1982 - an article by Cyril J Burne, Ph.D
(In memoriam George W Byrne 1910-1980)

.....It is said that Mass was said in years after 1755 in the house now owned by James Murphy but known as the Mullowney House (named after the earliest constable at Harbour Main, William Mullowney) .......

The Roman Catholic religion was illegal in Newfoundland until October 28 1784. Constable Mullowney must have been quite a brave individual, considering that in 1755 Michael Katen (Keating) who had allowed a Roman Catholic priest to say Mass in his fish warehouse lost everything that he owned and was ordered to leave the island. A British Man O' War pulled Katen's warehouse out into the bay and then it was burned.

No one is entirely sure when the Beach House was built but my great grandmother Elizabeth Mullowney (Born: circa 1882, Clarkes Beach, Nf) told my mother that her uncle, Patrick Mullowney (born circa 1851) had inherited the house from his father. Elizabeth in turn inherited the house from her uncle Patrick. Patrick was married to Mary Nugent (Born: circa 1856, Kelligrews). They didn't have any children of their own.

Elizabeth Mullowney was one of four children born to William Mullowney and Mary Ann Kent; her brothers and sisters were William, John, and Mary Ann Mullowney, all born in Clarkes Beach. Elizabeth was a very young girl when she left Clarkes Beach and went to live with her aunt and uncle at the Beach House in Harbour Main.

Elizabeth Mullowney married Patrick Murphy (born May 3 1874) of Harbour Main. She and her husband moved into the Beach House with Elizabeth's aunt and uncle. Four of their eight children - James, Chantel, William, and Ester (my grandmother) were born there. When Elizabeth and Patrick Murphy left the Beach House their son James stayed with his great aunt and uncle, and eventuallly he inherited the property

A special thank you to Eileen Walsh for sending me the story and picture of THE HOUSE ON THE BEACH IN HR. MAIN

© Eileen Walsh and Barbara McGrath - 2000