CNHS - Cape Spear Lighthouse - Cape Spear, Newfoundland and Labrador
N 47° 31.200 W 052° 37.397
22T E 377792 N 5264229
Cape Spear Lighthouse was built in 1836 and is the oldest in Newfoundland and Labrador. It is on the most easterly point of land in North America and guided ships into St. John's Harbour for more than 100 years.
Waymark Code: WMG33T
Location: Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Date Posted: 01/06/2013
Views: 18
Cape Spear Lighthouse and the surrounding park was designated as a National Historic Site in 2002. The lighthouse, with its dioptric lens, was built in 1836 and is the oldest in Newfoundland and Labrador. The lighthouse is an excellent interpretation of early 19th century Neoclassicism.
It is perched on a cliff on the most easterly point of land in North America and guided ships into St. John's Harbour for more than 100 years. This lighthouse is no longer operational, but the neighbouring concrete lighthouse, built in 1955, is functioning. The lens from the 1836 structure is now being used in the newer lighthouse.
Parks Canada has restored the original lighthouse to its 1839 appearance and shows how a lightkeeper and his family might have lived in the mid-19th century. The Visitor Centre contains exhibits on the history of lighthouses and the tradition of lightkeeping. The site is surrounded by spectacular scenery and wildlife such as whales, seabirds and icebergs in season. A WWII battery and associated guns are also part of the National Historic Site.
Classification: National Historic Site
Province or Territory: Newfoundland & Labrador
Location - City name/Town name: Blackhead Road, Highway 11, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
Link to Parks Canada entry (must be on www.pc.gc.ca): [Web Link]
Link to HistoricPlaces.ca: [Web Link]
|
Visit Instructions:As a suggestion for your visit log, please make every effort to supply a brief-to-detailed note about your experience at the Waymark. If possible also include an image that was taken when you visited the Waymark. Images can be of yourself, a personal Waymarking signature item or just one of general interest that would be of value to others. Sharing your experience helps promote Waymarking and provides a dynamic history of your adventures.