English Root Cellar, Interior Vent System, Colliers

• Main Authors: Pomeroy, Julie, Shawyer, Jo
• 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/677

Root cellar owned by Jean Guthrie and Chris English on Harbour Drive in Colliers. The cellar is believed to have been built in the late 1800’s or early 1900’s by the original owner of the property Richard Skanes. It is a shed structure with a hatch entrance to the cellar. The cellar foundation is built down into a hill and has stone walls. It seems that rocks were mounded up around one side under the grass growth for extra support. There is a vent made of piping that is in the ceiling of the cellar and extends out of a window in the back of the upper shed structure. The cellar measures approximately 2.8 m x 3 m. A unique quality of this cellar is that the son of builder Richard Skanes, also Richard “Dick” Skanes and his wife Nora lived in the shed structure for maybe as many as 3 years while they were building a house for themselves on the property. Their niece, Marguerite Whelan, lived there with them as well. Dick and Nora had several gardens for growing vegetables and filled the cellar every winter. The Shed structure was later used for hay storage.