Government House Root Cellar, Exterior, St. John's

• Main Authors: Pomeroy, Julie, Braye, Crystal
• Format: Still Image
• Language: English
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: Migration/settlement; Objects; Architecture; building and construction; Buildings; Outbuildings; Root cellars; Newfoundland
• Online Access: http://collections.mun.ca/cdm/ref/collection/ich_nature/id/676

The government house root cellar is located in one of the many outbuildings in the back of the property toward Circular Road in St. John’s. It is located next to the vegetable field and barn. It is believed to have been built around 1831. Originally it was used to store vegetables; however it has not been used for vegetables for about 15 years. Almost all of the vegetables that are grown in the garden are donated to charity. Today it is predominantly used for forcing bulbs over the winter. There is a ventilation system and electricity that helps to keep the cellar at a steady zero degrees Celsius. Styrofoam has been added to the ceiling for added insulation to solve cold problems. A sump pump has also been installed to aid in flooding and is connected directly to the municipal water and sewer system. The cellar has been in continuous use since it was built. There are green wooden pounds that are built in and labelled with the name of different vegetables. Additional shelves have been added to be able to store more plants. The cellar is an “L” shaped stone structure measuring at about 10.3m on the longest wall and 5.2m wide.