Place Description
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.
Why is this place important?
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 harbour 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 storey house had four bedrooms upstairs, while the first floor provided a kitchen, parlour, and two additonal 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 bracketted 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 harbour.
Source: Heritage Division, PEI Department of Tourism and Culture, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7N8
File #: 4320-20/B4
Special Characteristics
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 harbour
