CNHS - Fort Sainte Marie de Grace
Posted by: 
GeoKen
N 44° 17.301 W 064° 21.076
20T E 392188 N 4904787
Fort Point is the former site of a fort in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia.
Waymark Code: WM9GKK
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada
Date Posted: 08/19/2010
Views: 14
Plaqued 1929, Fort Point marks the former site of Fort Sainte Marie de Grace. In 1632 a strongly built fort with 25 cannon and dwellings for the Commander and his garrison was established here by Isaac de Razilly. He was appointed Lieutenant-General for King Louis XIII in all of New France. This made LaHave the capital of New France until Razilly's death in 1636, after which most of the inhabitants were transferred to Port Royal. The fort stood out on the headland of the point, which in those days was higher and extended farther out into the river than it does today. The fort was destroyed in 1653 or 1654 by Emmanuel LeBorgne. Unfortunately, the ruins have since been lost due to coastal erosion.
The plaque is in need of maintenance but the English text reads:
La Heve
Following the Treaty of St. Germain-en-Laye in 1632, France determined to establish permanent settlements in Acadia. Isaac de Razilly was was appointed Lieutenant-General. Here he built a fort and established the capital of the colony.
Some information about the history of the lighthouse on the point: The original lighthouse on Fort Point served as an aid to navigation for vessels on Dublin Bay and the LaHave River from 1876 until it was demolished in 1954. The light was then replaced by an unwatched, automatic skeleton tower. The red, fixed light was visible for eight miles around. It consisted of three flat wick lamps and and one round wick lamp, all with reflectors. By 1934, the the light was equipped with a refracting lens. When provided with a hand-held foghorn, keepers received extra pay for answering signals from fog-bound vessels!
Classification: National Historic Site
Province or Territory: Nova Scotia
Location - City name/Town name: LaHave, Lunenburg County
Link to Parks Canada entry (must be on www.pc.gc.ca): [Web Link]
Link to HistoricPlaces.ca: Not listed
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