Louisbourg Lighthouse

Louisbourg Lighthouse
Nova Scotia
Location Louisbourg, Nova Scotia
Coordinates 45°54′24.1″N 59°57′30.5″W / 45.906694°N 59.958472°W / 45.906694; -59.958472Coordinates: 45°54′24.1″N 59°57′30.5″W / 45.906694°N 59.958472°W / 45.906694; -59.958472
Year first constructed 1734 (first)
1738 (second)abr>1842 (third)
Year first lit 1923 (current)
Automated 1990
Deactivated 1758-1842
Construction concrete tower
Tower shape octagonal frustum tower with balcony and lantern
Markings / pattern white tower, red lantern
Height 16.8 m (55 ft) (current)
16.5 metres (54 ft) (first)
17 metres (56 ft) (second)
Focal height 32 m (105 ft)
Characteristic Fl W 9s.
Admiralty number H3344
CHS number CCG 756
NGA number 9204
ARLHS number CAN-756
Managing agent Louisbourg Lighthouse Society[1]

Louisbourg Lighthouse is a historic Canadian lighthouse at Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, and is the site of the first lighthouse in Canada.

The first light

Construction began on the lighthouse in 1730 to assist navigation to Fortress of Louisbourg. It was completed in 1734. A fire in 1736 destroyed the lantern but the stone tower was unharmed and a new lantern was installed in 1738.[2] Lighthouse Point played a decisive role in both sieges of Fortress Louisbourg as, once captured, it provided a commanding gun battery location to bombard the fortress. This lighthouse was badly damaged in 1758 during the Final Siege of Louisbourg and abandoned by the British after they demolished the fortress. Stonework ruins from the first tower are still visible at the site.

The second lighthouse

A square wooden lighthouse with a black stripe was built by the government of Nova Scotia in 1842. The lighthouse was a large 2 12-story wooden building supported by a massive masonry base. It included the keeper's dwelling in the base of the light. A fog horn building was added in 1902. This lighthouse was destroyed by fire in 1922. The foundation remains visible today and has been excavated and stabilized by Parks Canada archaeologists.

The lighthouse today

An octagonal concrete lighthouse decorated with neoclassical architectural features was built in 1923. The tower is a twin of the Georges Island Lighthouse in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The Louisbourg lighthouse was destaffed in 1990. The lighthouse is a popular lookoff point and in 2008 became the start of a coastal walking trail. Interpretive plaques mark the ruins of the previous lighthouses.

See also

References

  1. Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Nova Scotia: Cape Breton Island". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  2. "Early History: Louisbourg Lighthouse". Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society. Archived from the original on 2007-08-08.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Louisbourg Lighthouse.


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Friday, May 06, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.