Anchor Point, Newfoundland and Labrador
| Anchor Point | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
Anchor Point's south side
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 Anchor Point
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| Coordinates: 51°14′14″N 56°47′39″W / 51.23722°N 56.79417°WCoordinates: 51°14′14″N 56°47′39″W / 51.23722°N 56.79417°W | |
| Country |
 Canada
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| Province |
 Newfoundland and Labrador
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| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 326 |
| Time zone | Newfoundland Time (UTC-3:30) |
| • Summer (DST) | Newfoundland Daylight (UTC-2:30) |
| Area code(s) | 709 |
Anchor Point (2006 Population 309) is a town located in St. Barbe Bay, south of Flower's Cove on the west side of the Great Northern Peninsula, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It was the first English settlement on what is called the 'French Shore' of Newfoundland.
Anchor Point was first settled by Robert Barlett, a British seaman, and his nephew Robert Genge, both from Yeovil, Somerset, England in 1740. They used the cove as a base for fishing and fur hunting from Anchor Point to Barlett's Harbour in the late 18th century. Robert Barlett eventually returned to England while Robert Genge was joined by his brother Abram, who employed men from England seasonally to sell his furs and fish to American vessels. Trapping, salmon fishing and sealing were very important industries of Anchor Point in the 19th century. His descendant, William Genge, was the first Waymaster in 1885. By the 1850s, Anchor Point was established as a commercial center for fur trading and fishing on the St. Barbe coast. The land around Anchor Point was also very productive with excellent pasture which led to extensive cultivation of the land and the raising of .
In 1848, an English Bishop visited the Northern Peninsula. It was at this time that the first cemetery on the Strait of Belle Isle was consecrated in Anchor Point. By 1849, a schoolhouse was built. However, because of its isolation, Anchor Point had difficulty retaining teachers. Therefore, from the 1850s to the 1950s, educational facilities remained relatively poor. By 1960, there was a larger elementary school and high school available in neighbouring Flower's Cove so that students could be bused to it. By the 1970s, all students attended school there. Also in the 1970s, the first Anglican church at Anchor Point was built.
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