When the citizenry petitioned their government for a lighthouse on this point to protect their ships, what they got was a lantern perched atop a warehouse, at the exorbitant cost of 10 Pounds Sterling. That was in 1851 and the "quick fix" was in sad shape by 1875, when petitioning for a lighthouse began anew. This time the result was spectacularly improved, a brand new lighthouse with attached keeper's quarters.
Obviously substantially built, the lighthouse remains in operation today, with its green light within a Fresnel lensed housing shining over the harbor. The lighthouse had several keepers through the years, the last moving out in 1962 when the lighthouse was automated.
The second oldest lighthouse on the Island, this is one of the few surviving lighthouses with a keeper's dwelling attached. It came by its name from its proximity to Parks Canada's Port La Joie/Fort Amherst National Historic Site, the site of defensive forts first built by the French in 1720.
Blockhouse Lighthouse
DESCRIPTION OF HISTORIC PLACE
Overlooking Charlottetown harbour and the Northumberland Strait, the Blockhouse Lighthouse is a rare example of a combined keeper's residence and lighthouse in Prince Edward Island. It features a tapered three storey tower topped by a red lantern. The adjoining two storey square residence has a flat roof and verandah. Both are clad in wooden shingles and painted white.
HERITAGE VALUE
The Blockhouse Lighthouse is valued for its unique architectural style; its association with the history of Charlottetown; and its contribution to the scenic vista of the area.
The current lighthouse sits across the harbor from the City of Charlottetown, near Parks Canada's Port La Joie/Fort Amherst National Historic Site. The area has a long history of maritime activity stretching back to the original Mi'kmaq who used the area as a summer gathering place.
The first lighthouse on the site was established in 1851 after concerned citizens petitioned the colonial legislature. The sum of 10 Pounds was provided to create a crude quick fix which amounted to a lantern added to the roof of a warehouse. No funding was apparently provided for ongoing maintenance.
By 1875, this structure was in a deteriorating state and it was decided that a new lighthouse was needed. The current more substantial structure was constructed in 1876 to a Department of Marine and Fisheries design, with James W. Butcher as contractor. Today, it is a rare surviving example of a keeper's dwelling attached to the light tower. The two story house had four bedrooms upstairs, while the first floor provided a kitchen, parlour, and two additional bedrooms. The adjoining tower has three levels culminating in a red iron lantern.
An array of four over four windows are arranged in the dwelling and tower. These were originally all capped with bracketed cornices, but sometime between 1890 and 1914, some of the windows on the tower were altered by the addition of pedimented window caps.
The lighthouse has had several keepers in its history including: A.S. McNeil, Nelson Currie, and William S. Taylor. Taylor was the last keeper as the lighthouse became automated on July 25, 1962.
Unoccupied today, the Blockhouse Lighthouse still commands an impressive view from its grounds at the entrance to Charlottetown harbor.
CHARACTER-DEFINING ELEMENTS
The following character-defining elements illustrate the heritage value of the Blockhouse Lighthouse:
- The three storey wooden tower tapered at the top and clad in wooden shingles
- The adjoining two storey dwelling house also clad in wooden shingles and designed in a square configuration with a flat roof and verandah
- The several four over four windows of the dwelling and tower
- The decorative window caps
- The style and placement of the brick chimney
- The iron lantern and metal railing at the top of the tower all painted red
Other character-defining elements include:
- The location of the lighthouse on spacious grounds overlooking the Charlottetown harbor
From Historic Places Canada