I'm nearly back on schedule! And while I haven't revealed the theme connecting the past five LotWs, I will do that this week. And so this is the Lighthouse of the Week for the week just finished (as I write this). It's a lighthouse on Prince Edward Island, Canada, near Charlottetown.
Once before I have featured a lighthouse on PEI, a lighthouse that appeared in the Canadian TV series Anne of Green Gables, the New London Range (Rear) lighthouse. Strangely enough, that lighthouse and this week's lighthouse were both retired by the Coast Guard (actually, the CG "discontinued the lease" for them). As there are actually lighthouses still operated by the Canadian CG on PEI, I think I'll feature one of those next week.
But back to this week. I'm going to rely on text from Lighthouse Friends to describe this one, partly due to the interesting historical aspect. Note: the location on PEI where this lighthouse is located is called Rocky Point.
"After Parliament appropriated $4,000 for a new lighthouse on Blockhouse Point, the current structure was built in 1876 by James W. Butcher at a contract price of $2,750. The lighthouse was built of wood and consists of a square tower, 12.8 metres (42 feet) high, attached to a dwelling. The surrounding red sandstone cliffs contribute to give the light a focal plane of 18.3 metres (60 feet) above the water. Besides the main fixed white light in the lantern room, a red light was shown from a lower window to lead mariners to a bell buoy in Hillsboro Bay."So now that we have sufficiently prepared, here are a few pictures of Blockhouse Lighthouse. The first two are from Flickr user "Craigford".
"The lighthouse was automated on July 25th, 1962."
"Merrill Taylor, son of Keeper Taylor, leased the lighthouse as a summer residence for several years until the Coast Guard discontinued the Blockhouse Point lease and one for the New London Rear Range Lighthouse in 2000."
"Blockhouse Point Lighthouse has twice escaped planned replacement, first in 1963-64 and again in 1969-70."
"Blockhouse Lighthouse Preservation Society, formed in 2011, submitted a petition for ownership of the lighthouse under the Parks Canada Heritage Lighthouse Program, but then in 2015, it learned that the Mi'kmaq Confederacy had filed a claim for the lighthouse, along several others and surrounding Crown lands across Prince Edward Island. In 2017, members of the society, concerned about the neglected lighthouse, contacted their MP and officials from Fisheries and Oceans in 2017. "From far away it looks like, 'Oh gee, it could just get some red and white paint on that and it would look great,' but now we're talking about structural damage," said Carol Carragher, a nearby resident and member of the society. "This is our history. When it's gone, you cannot bring it back — it's gone. And shame on those people who let it happen."
Spurred by the feedback from the public, the Canadian Coast Guard sent a team to inspect the lighthouse, and in November 2017, construction workers arrived at the lighthouse. Scaffoling and plastic wrap were placed around the structure, and when this covering was taken down in March 2018, a gleaming white lighthouse was revealed. Rotted wood and old shingles were replaced. New deck posts were installed, and the foundation was repaired. Carol Carragher was pleased with the work, noting "It's a great feeling to see a building that's so important to our community to be looked after with that type of care which is really all that we all wanted."
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| by Doug Sturgess |
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| from Locationscout |
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