Lighthouses

If you love lighthouses, Queens County is the place for you! 

Coffin Island (1812)

Location:  Situated on an island in Liverpool Bay.  Can be viewed from Moose Harbour, Fort Point Lighthouse Park and also from a look-off with interpretive panel on Brooklyn Shore Road in the Beach Meadows area.  Can be viewed up close by boat charter from Brooklyn Marina.

History:  The original lighthouse was erected at the southern tip of the island in 1811-1812 at a cost of approximately 536 pounds sterling.  At the time it was one of the earliest in service in Nova Scotia, along with Sambro, Shelburne and Brier Island.  It was built of wood, standing in total 75 feet high, octangonal in shape and painted with horizontal stripes of red and white.  The corner stone was laid by Simeon Perkins on July 24, 1811.  In those days the island was called Bear Island.

 In its design, the Coffin Island Lighthouse incorporated the very latest in technology.  In particular, it held the distinction of having the first revolving light in Nova Scotia.  In a system known at the time as catoptric light, the massive clockwork mechanism turned fourteen Argand oil lamps and highly polished parabolic reflectors.  Revolving every two minutes, the light could be seen up to 15 miles away in good conditions, early 19th century accounts describe it as the best on the coast.

The old lighthouse was struck by lightning on June 19, 1913 and burned to the ground along with the keeper's home and outbuildings. 

The steel-reinforced concrete lighthouse (52 feet high), completed in 1914 and manned by James Edward Wentzell until 1961 has out of necessity been recently replaced, but a beacon still safely guides those at sea. 

Fort Point Lighthouse Park (1855)

Location:  21 Fort Lane, at the end of Main Street, Liverpool (4 minutes drive from exit 19 of Highway 103) N 44^o 02.641', W 064^o 42.477'

Contact:  Grace Keating - Manager   (902) 354-5260  mid-May to mid-Oct
Rest of year:  Region of Queens Municipality, Economic Development & Tourism Department  (902) 354-5741 or toll-free 1-800-655-5741

Facilities:  Lighthouse open mid-May to mid-October with costumed interpreters, interpretive displays, audio visual presentation by a previous lightkeeper's son, gift shop, viewing binoculars, washrooms, parking. Entry by donation.  Bus tours welcome.  Park open year-round with picnic tables, interpretive panels and a scenic view of Liverpool Harbour and Coffin Island Lighthouse. 

History:  Described by mariners as "left on port side when entering harbour", the lighthouse was built to supplement Coffin Island. It was eventually joined by a host of smaller lights on buoys and wharves, and even a small beacon on the town bridge, all installed to help navigate the inner harbour to the Mersey River. It had a range of seven miles from its elevated height of thirty- nine feet. By 1981 the range had been increased to eleven miles.

Throughout the nineteenth century and well into the twentieth, it was manned by a keeper who, at first, lived in a nearby house. Part of his responsibilities, which included regular maintenance and upkeep of the light, was to operate a hand-cranked foghorn in reply to the foghorn signals from incoming vessels as they entered the harbour. By the turn of the century, however, an attached dwelling was added along with a storage shed which was used to house fuel oil and maintenance equipment.

The original light was red and remained so until 1926, at which time it was replaced by a flashing white light. Three oil-burning lanterns provided the source for the light in the early years These were magnified by a twelve-inch round reflector. The light was electrified in 1951 and in 1964 it was automated or "made unwatched". The Fort Point lighthouse was decommissioned in 1989.

Today, you can enter and explore the lighthouse and learn more about it's history and the site through the interactive interpretive program.

Check out Fort Point Lighthouse Park's feature on Ottawa's A Channel!

Port Medway Lighthouse Park (1899) (Decommissioned)

Location:  1687 Port Medway Road, Port Medway (beside Harbour Authority Wharf) - 8 minutes drive from exit 17a of Highway 103

Facilities:  A beautiful harbourside park featuring interpretive panels, walkways and landscaping, a scenic look-off and picnic pavilion. The interpretive panels depict the rich maritime history, including shipbuilding, the two Medway lights, the Old Meeting House and the Old Cemetery.

History:  Originally built to mark the outer end of the breakwater and as an aid to ocean-going traffic using Port Medway Harbour, it was decommissioned on January 4, 1987, after having been automated in 1967 (the colour of the light also changed from red to green on April 3, 1967). The square wooden tower (16ft by 16ft at base) with sloping walls was covered in vinyl siding in 1979. Previous lightkeepers were said to be Sammy Foster, George McConnell and Chesley Whynot. Cecil Earl Dolliver was caretaker until January 1, 1967.

Officially opened in October 2002, Port Medway Lighthouse Park was created due to the initiative of a local community group, with support from all levels of government.

While in Port Medway you can also do a self-directed Heritage Tour and see the many interesting historic buildings in the community.

Medway Head, Long Cove (1851)

Location:  Long Cove Road, Port Medway - which is reached via exit 17a of Highway 103, taking Port Medway Road and turning right at the store into Long Cove Road.  This road is part paved and part unpaved - the lighthouse is 7 minutes drive after turning into Long Cover Road,

History:  The area is often referred to as "Queens County's Peggy's Cove".  The Medway Head light station at one time sat below the present site. The old foundation can still be found amongst the rocks. When Jonas Whynot and his wife lived at the station, they had large iron bars on their window shutters which closed to ward off the stormy seas. The present light was delivered and erected on site in 1961. The former keepers bungalow sits across the road, and up on the hill above is the building which once served as both dwelling and light. On top is the former lantern room. In years gone by, goods such as oil and personal supplies came to Medway Head via supply ship. The goods would be delivered to the station by rowboat to a landing between two large boulders. Destaffed in 1987.

Spectacle Island (1873)

Location:  Located on the northwestern point of Spectacle Island in Port Mouton Bay.  View in the distance from Route 3 between Summerville Beach and Hunts Point (exit 20 of Highway 103)

History:  Built in 1873, this unmanned lighthouse is still operational as a navigational aid.  It has a square wooden tower with a red square wooden lantern.  Some of the shipwrecks of Spectacle Island include the Clifford J. White in 1916, which was en route from New York to Yarmouth when she ran aground and sank off Spectacle Island Ledge; the Dart, which in 1852 was en route to Yarmouth from Halifax when she sank off the Ledges; and the unfortunate Ethel Emerson, which actually struck the island in 1884.

Western Head (1962)

Location:  Breakwater 1 Road, Western Head - 11 minutes from Fort Point Lighthouse in Liverpool via School Street.  The lighthouse is on the west side of the entrance to Liverpool Bay. N 43^o 59.371', W 064^o 39.711'

History:  The lighthouse has an octagonal concrete tower with an aluminum lantern. This site is perfect for artists, photographers and bird watching. In 1961 the keeper's dwelling at Coffin Island had fallen into serious disrepair, and it was decided that it would be more reasonable to destaff it and add a tower to the existing Western Head facility.

Some of the duties of the keepers at this facility, which began as a fog alarm station in 1930 and expanded to include the lighthouse in 1962, included:

• Climbing the 40-foot tower to polish the lantern;
• General maintenance of the automatic fog alarms; it was especially important to keep the alarms free of snow and ice;
• Monitoring arrivals and departures at the Coast Guard helicopter pad on site. He kept track of the pilot's name, time of arrival/departure and intended
• This information would prove essential if Coast Guard officials were to lose contact with any of their aircraft; and,
• Acting as tour guide for the many visitors to the station every year.

The facility serves as an Environment Canada Weather Station, which is constantly monitored by automatic equipment. Years ago when the station was destination staffed by three keepers, the keeper on duty was required to place a call to Bedford every hour on the hour to report the weather conditions. Rough weather was an occupational hazard - high winds would sometimes force them to use the back door, as they couldn't open the front one.

The radio beacon at this site kept signal time. If that clock were to go off kilter, the light keeper would be responsible to correct it. If he did not have it rectified within a half hour, the Coast Guard would call to make sure the light keeper was aware.

This light station was destaffed in 1988 but will play a role for mariners in the future as part of navigation by GPS (Global Positioning System).

Join the Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society!