The Cottage Homes Superintendent's House

The Superintendent’s House was the administrative centre of the Cottage Homes. In addition to providing accommodation for the Superintendent and Matron (always a husband-and-wife team) it also housed the committee room, the office and store room and to the rear, the water tower. The committee room must have been worth seeing. It was described as “luxuriously furnished”. From the Home’s opening in 1903 until 1951, only one family lived here. The first Superintendent, Frank Harris was succeeded in his position by his son when he died in 1914 and the son lived here for 37 years; a remarkable record.

Like all the original buildings surviving from the Cottage Homes it was designed by the prestigious Newcastle firm of architects Oliver, Leeson and Wood.

In the early years of the 20th century in the North East of England, one of the few occupations open to single women was “service”, that is working as a maid. After the girls at the Homes left school aged 14, they would train in the Superintendent’s house as maids, under the instruction of the Matron, who would then try and secure them a position in service once they reached the age of 16.

It's not known what the building was used for during the teacher training and the police headquarter years but it survived long enough to be officially listed, first of all as Northumbria Police H.Q. Block 13 and now known as Yeavering House since being restored.