The newest of the residences which comprise the Barbour Plantation in Newtown, Bonavista Bay, the Alphaeus Barbour House has an eclectic charm and impressive aura which instantly captivates the viewer. Designed by a British Architectural Firm, it was constructed by local builders in 1904 for the sealing captain Alphaeus Barbour. In the 1920s Samuel Barbour and his family relocated from the Benjamin Barbour House to this home.

The design of the house is characteristic of the Queen Anne Revival movement as it was constructed in Newfoundland. The Palladian windows, its asymmetrical roofline and eaves brackets, the accompanying turret, and the neo-Classical porch, eaves all serve to associate the Alphaeus Barbour residence with that particular design style.

A three storey single family home, and one of the largest dwelling houses on the Bonavista North Shore, the Alphaeus Barbour House comes from a vernacular inspiration which produced buildings such as previous Southcott Award Winners, the George C. Harris House in Grand Bank, and Winterholme in St. John's. The extension of the house required repair to its shingles, siding and a new coat of paint.

The interior of the residence is as stately as the outside. An ornately carved wooden staircase, which begins in the large front hall, provides access to the main areas of the various floors. A servants' enclosed and spiral staircase is still used for passage between the kitchen and the attic. The various rooms incorporate elements of regal proportion, with many complimentary period details. A notable example of this are the many period lighting fixtures. Positioned on a point of land which juts out into the ocean, the residence has impressively weathered the climate and the salt sea air.

Its condition, cultural significance and stately architecture earned it the right to be designated a Registered Heritage Structure by the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador in December 1986.