Honest to God, the gravel road to visit this lighthouse was so much fun to drive down. If you have a heavy foot whatsoever you’ll be tempted. I’m telling ya, you’ll be tempted. We’re all good citizens though and follow the rules of the road at ALL times right? …Right?
I’m a huge fan of the lighthouses that are painted red and white. As soon as I saw this one, I had a huge smile come across my face. This tower was designed by architect Alexander Gordon and built in 1851. It’s made from prefabricated cast iron and stands tall at 15.3 metres. This light station, as well as the one located at Cape Race, played a big role in helping with navigation to the eastern shores of Canada.
I’ve found some old photos of this lighthouse from the Parks Canada website. In these photos you can see the old lightkeeper’s dwelling and another building that’s no longer there today, an aerial view of the light station, and if you look closely you’ll see some people standing in the doorway. Was this a wedding photo? A family portrait? The lightkeeper’s family?
Besides the classic red and white stripes, this lighthouse also features a crow’s nest with a wide gallery, a twelve-sided lantern room, plenty of windows along the base, and a door connecting the tower to the dwelling. It appears like the tower and attached building sits on a solid concrete base too.
Here is a quote from the plaque on site:
“Standing over 300 feet above high water, this lighthouse was built in 1851 by the imperial government at a cost of over £6500 and was thenceforth maintained by Newfoundland. The circular 50 foot cast iron tower, polygonal lantern and revolving light consisting of 16 whale oil lamps, each with a parabolic reflector, were shipped out from England, landed on this rugged shore, and conveyed to the site with considerable difficulty. The tower at first included living quarters, but they soon proved uninhabitable. The lighthouse has since been modified several times.”
This was one of many lighthouses that I was able to visit during my trip along the Southern shores of the Avalon Peninsula. Prior to this location, I was in Trepassey checking out the Powles Head Lighthouse. I have a goal to see 20 lighthouses this year and a bigger goal to see all of the lighthouses here in Newfoundland eventually.
The grassy meadow surrounding the area was screaming to be frolicked through, so I happily skipped my way over the flowers and back to my car. Next stop, Point La Haye!
Until next time…
Whoa Dana 
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