Coordinates given are at the lighthouse though it is accessible only boat (and we didn't have a boat). The lighthouse stands on a small man made island at the end of a long rock breakwater leading west off a point of land northwest of North Bedeque. The photos were taken from the wharf at the Summerside waterfront.
Consisting of an octagonal concrete base with a tower above, the Indian Head Lighthouse was built by Thomas Beattie, who also built the
Summerside Law Courts building, the only other example of Beattie's work to survive.
With changing times come advancing technologies, leading to changing methodologies. For the initial decades of the lighthouse's existence it was maintained by a keeper who rowed a small boat out to the lighthouse daily to tend the flame in the lantern. More recently the lighthouse was converted to electric, then automated, and still later the rowboat was replaced by a helicopter when a landing pad was built by the lighthouse. It happens that said landing pad was
replaced in 2018, just a month before I write this.
In 1878 Parliament appropriated $4,000 for the erection of a new lighthouse and pier at Indian Point, Summerside Harbour. A contract for the amount of $6,880 was awarded the following year to Richard Keeffe of Alberton and construction started on the project. Work continued through 1880, and Indian Point Lighthouse, now commonly known as Indian Head Lighthouse, was completed and put in operation for the opening of navigation in 1881...
...The dwelling portion of the lighthouse on the main floor was partitioned into three rooms: a storage room, kitchen, and a living room. A bedroom was believed to have been located above these rooms.
To protect the lighthouse, a breakwater was constructed by Ronald Campbell in 1884 under a contract for $3,950. Exposed to the wave action of Northumberland Strait and battered by ice floes each spring, the breakwater was frequently in need of repairs. Between 1887 and 1897, repairs to the breakwater were carried out at least seven times, and some of these fixes were described as extensive or large...
...The lighthouse’s circular caisson foundation was replaced in 1907 by an octagonal cement foundation constructed under the supervision of the Department of Marine and Fisheries agency at Charlottetown at a total cost of $2,541.74. The following year, the illuminating apparatus at Indian Head Lighthouse was upgraded to a 270°, fourth-order Fresnel lens.
Following automation of the station, the partitioning walls in the dwelling were removed, and the tongue and groove wall boarding was torn out so leaks in the roof could be readily detected. Today, the signature of Indian Head Lighthouse is a five-second white light followed by five seconds of darkness.
From Lighthouse Friends
Indian Head Lighthouse
DESCRIPTION OF HISTORIC PLACE
The Indian Head Lighthouse is a rare octagonal shaped wooden structure located on the edge of a long breakwater extending out into Bedeque Bay. It overlooks Salutation Cove and guards the entrance to Summerside harbour. Above the octagonal keeper's residence is a two storey tower topped by a red iron lantern. A railing encloses the lantern on the observation deck.
HERITAGE VALUE
The Indian Head Lighthouse is valued for its unique architectural style; its association with the maritime history of the City of Summerside; and for its contribution to the visual landscape of the area.
The unique style of the lighthouse, with an octagonal keeper's dwelling on the ground floor, and a tower above, was once a common practice in areas where it was difficult to construct a separate dwelling house, such as on rocks.
When it was built by the Department of Marine in 1881 under the direction of Islander, Thomas Beattie, it was perched atop a circular pier. The following year, an engraving of the lighthouse appeared in the book "Picturesque Canada". It shows the lighthouse sitting high on a narrow pier with steps going up the side. The dramatic image has a turbulent sea breaking around the lighthouse, while sailing vessels and steamers make their way into Summerside harbour.
Thomas Beattie had learned his carpentry skills from Robert Bovyer of Bunbury, PEI. He then apprenticed in the United States returning after several years as an advanced builder and joiner. The Prince County courthouse in Summerside was another of his landmark structures.
The first keeper of the Indian Head lighthouse was Captain Charles Peters. Although he was in the job for only a year before his death, he had come to Summerside in 1855 and sailed many of the ships built by J.C. Pope. Peters' routine and that of all the keepers after him, involved rowing out to the lighthouse in the evening and staying overnight to keep the light shining. He would then return to shore in the morning. No keeper ever lived in the lighthouse on a permanent basis.
The extensive breakwater leading to the lighthouse was first installed in 1892 as a protective measure.
Today, the lighthouse is a local landmark visible from the City of Summerside. It remains an evocative reminder of the maritime heritage of the area.
From Historic Places Canada