Hall property was advertised for sale. John Munn and Company subsequently purchased the building. The house later became the property of Edward Quinton, who, in the early 1900s, sold it to John Maddock, an English-born businessman who operated a general cash and supply business in Harbour Grace. Dr. C. Alfred Ames purchased the property to use as a clinic circa June 1905. Cable office The building served for a time as a telegraphic cable station. The station was set up in 1904 and was connected by direct cable links to Bay Roberts in 1914, Ireland in 1928, and the Azores in 1928, operating with some interruptions and changes of ownership until 1953. A piece of the transatlantic cable is in the collections of the Conception Bay Museum. Designation and fire Ridley Hall escaped three major fires in 1832, 1858, and 1944. Ridley Hall was used again as a private residence by the Archibald family from 1954 until the 1980s when it became vacant. It was designated a Registered Heritage Structure by the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador in 1994 for its historic and aesthetic value. The structure was due to undergo substantial renovations in the 1990s, but a fire in November 2003 gutted the historic structure, causing the slate roof to crumble; another fire in early April caused more damage to the building. In the summer of 2011, the Town of Harbour Grace informed owners Brian and Jean Flanagan they had 30 days to either fix the building up or tear it down. In 2012, the Town of Harbour Grace gave permission for the demolition of Ridley Hall, allowing any prospective owners 90 days to tear down the structure and clear the property before rebuilding, prompting letters to the editor in support of preservation. The building was placed on the Newfoundland Historic Trust's "Buildings at Risk 2012" list. In December 2015, the town council unanimously voted to rescind a motion to demolish the ruins. In 2019, it was suggested that the ruins could be stabilized and used as a venue for weddings, performances, interpretation, and other community activities. Local folklore Over the years a number of legends have attached themselves to the building: The home contained a secret dungeon under the dining room floor, complete with a spy hole at eye level, said to be used for storing contraband and harbouring renegades; An apocryphal story says a former King