Description of Historic Place
Gannet Rock Lighthouse is located on the isolated, small, barren island off Grand Manan in the Bay of Fundy. It is distinguished by its tapered, octagonal, wooden construction, by its shingled exterior and by its concrete base. A gallery and metal lantern surmount the flared top of the shaft. A two-storey concrete dwelling adjoins the tower at its base. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.
Heritage Value
Gannet Rock Lighthouse is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.
Historical Value:
Gannet Rock Lighthouse is one of the best examples of a structure associated with the provision of navigational aids for international and commercial traffic navigating the entrance to the Bay of Fundy. Gannet Rock is considered the most isolated light station on the Fundy coast. The Lighthouse is the second-oldest wooden tower within Canada.
Architectural Value:
Gannet Rock Lighthouse’s designer was the prominent New Brunswick architect John Cunningham. The functional tower consists of heavy hewn-timber, the top six metres being built of heavy sawn construction, all done in a manner typical of the era.
Environmental Value:
Gannet Rock Lighthouse establishes the present picturesque, maritime character of Grand Manan Island and establishes the Bay of Fundy as an important region for shipping. The Lighthouse is well-known to the shipping community and is a regional landmark. It is considered to be a long-standing symbol of the maritime heritage of the region.
Sources:
Gordon Fulton, Lighttower, Gannet Rock, New Brunswick, Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office Report 90-112
Gannet Rock Lighthouse, Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick, Heritage Character Statement 90-112
Character-Defining Elements
The following character-defining elements of Gannet Rock Lighthouse should be respected, for example:
Its functional design and good quality materials and craftsmanship, for example:
-The building’s form and massing, consisting of an octagonal design, tall profile, and platform surmounted by an iron lantern.
-The windows located in the shaft of the structure.
-The building’s limited decorative detailing.
-The shingled exterior and the concrete base.
-The vertical black and white stripes which accentuate the tower’s height.
The manner in which the lighthouse establishes the picturesque, maritime setting of Grand Manan Island, and acts as a regional landmark as evidenced by:
-The structure’s location in its environment, attached to the two-storey dwelling where the structures seem to rise from the bedrock of the exposed, small island setting.
-The Lighthouse’s high visibility as a local landmark.