The Pottery Workshop, located across from Bannerman Park, is an attached two storey building with a flat roof and an unsupported bay window on the second storey. While little is known of its early history, the house is believed to have been built between 1853 and 1880 and was one of the few houses in the east end of St. John's to have escaped the Great Fire of 1892. Over the years the original structure was enlarged with an extension at the back which was later raised two storeys.

When John and Alexis Templeton acquired the property in 1992, it was with the intention of restoring it for joint use as a private dwelling with a pottery business on the first floor. The Templetons set about a four year restoration project, drawing on Alexis' talents as an artist and John's background as the fourth generation in the paint and decoration business of R. A. Templeton Limited.

The house was found to be structurally sound but badly in need of repairs. A new roof surface was applied to correct leaking problems, and eaves and mouldings were repaired or replaced where necessary retaining the decorative brackets which were found to be in good shape. The vinyl siding on the front of the house was removed and the original clapboard repaired or replaced and given a fresh coat of paint.

A new electrical service was installed to bring the house up to code and to provide power for the pottery kilns. Hardwood floors in the downstairs hall and front room were cleaned up and a new slate floor installed in the front vestibule. A panelled door with bevelled glass found in the basement was restored and added a finishing touch to the entry.

The interior of the front of the house was stripped back to the studs and beams to allow for the installation of new gyproc. In the process of this work beams were discovered which appeared to have been charred by fire before installation. This hints at a possible construction date for the additions of shortly after the Great Fire.

Wherever possible, original details were retained and restored such as the stairs, bannister, fireplaces and ornate cast iron radiators. The only exception was with the door frames in the back, which were replaced with the new frames consistent with those in the older section. With the application of paint and trim, the House has become both a comfortable and classic home and an Inviting Place of Business