Jerome Walsh Museum
Jerome Walsh Museum
Stories by the Sea
The Town of Marystown, on Newfoundland’s Burin Peninsula, was home to one of the province’s most unusual cultural sites: Jerome Walsh’s Museum. Created by the fisherman-turned-storyteller Jerome Walsh, the museum was a converted fishing shed, home to his eclectic collection of memorabilia.
After his death, however, the museum fell on hard times, and the tiny oceanside structure was in danger of falling into the sea. The challenge was to honour Jerome’s legacy and continue his work, without the larger-than-life personality of Jerome himself being present.
Our solution was to design a new flexible space for programming and interpretation, injecting Jerome’s love of the fishing life and passion for storytelling into a modern, signature site on beautiful Little Bay. With only a tiny site to work with, every square foot had to work as both public area and interpretive space, with support for both live events and conventional exhibits.
We also worked with the town’s other museum, the Marystown Heritage Museum, to upgrade their visitor experience and build links between the town’s two foremost cultural sites.
We opted for a design that referenced Jerome and his museum rather than reconstructing the existing building. The result was a conceptual plan that drew on the skills of our architecture, landscape architecture and interpretive design teams to develop a vision for a must-see attraction.
Status
2016-17 design
Our Role
architecture, landscape, exhibition strategy
Client
Marystown Heritage Museum
Location
Marystown, Newfoundland
The Jerome Walsh Museum is a traditional coastal home, built on piles overhanging the shoreline.
The first concept for the new building takes inspiration from the existing building and the traditional fishing stages found in coastal communities throughout Newfoundland.
Jerome had covered the building with artifacts, many of which were painted around. The shapes and windows on the existing building face were used as inspiration for the placement of windows for this building concept.
The orange corridor will be used to display artifacts from Jerome's collection as well as interpretive elements to tell his story. The orange colour was inspired by the existing wharf and the brightly coloured coastal homes.
The new wharf can be used as event or performance space. A lower, floating portion, can act as a kayak or dory rental launch and allow visitors to access and view the property from the water.
A large portrait of Jerome on the panel across the road will send visitors off with a smile and a wave.
The site plan enforces the linear nature of the building and the wharf. The property will be treated to blend in with the surrounding landscape while providing accessible paths, picnic areas, and spill out space for events