Town of Bay Roberts - the Cable Building

The Cable Building

National Historic Site
Registered Heritage Structure
Constructed in 1913

Cable Building - Yesterday and Today

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Click below for information about the various facilities inside the building.

The Cable Building in Bay Roberts has been designated a National Historic Site. It was one of only three site in the province given this designation in 2008. The Cable Building had already been recognized as a Provincial Registered Heritage Structure. Eric Jerrett of the Heritage Society reflected the feelings of the town when he expressed his pride in the work the Heritage Society has done to preserve and restore the building. Today, the building is a centre of activity.

Constructed by the Western Union Cable Company in 1913, the Cable Station was restored by the Bay Roberts Heritage Society. It houses the "Road to Yesterday Museum," the Christopher Pratt Art Gallery, the Bay Roberts Archives, and the Bay Roberts municipal offices, and the Bay Roberts Council Chambers. In front of the building is a concourse which marks the site of the cable landing.

Hours of Operation for the Museum, Art Gallery and Archives

From July 1st to September - Full Days
12:30pm to 5:30pm

From September to June 30th
Wedmnesday Afternoons form 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Special tours can be arranged by appointment.

Telephone: 709.786.2005
Admission Fee: Free
A donation box is provided and
tax receipts are issued upon request for donations of $10 and over.

Restoration

Because it is a good example of an early 20th century commercial building with classical revival elements, the building was designated as a Registered Heritage Structure by the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador in October 1998.

History of the The Western Union Cable Station

The Western Union Cable Company brought the outside world to Bay Roberts in 1910. Eventually, ten trans-Atlantic cables were landed here -- among them the fastest in the world at that time -- and hundreds of employees, both local and world-wide, passed through the doors of the Bay Roberts station. The brick building was erected as a relay station on the connection from England to North and South America. During two world wars, it necessitated a company of army personnel to guard the property from possible enemy action. Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt had a private line on the link through Bay Roberts station.

In 1960, these telegraph cables became obsolete, and the station closed. In 1996 the Bay Roberts Heritage Society Inc. acquired the building and had it completely restored and renovated.

• "Road to Yesterday Museum" • Christopher Pratt Art Gallery
• Bay Roberts Municipal Offices and Council Chambers
• Bay Roberts Archives • Concourse