Description of Historic Place

The Caissie Point Lighthouse is a 13.9 metres (46 feet) square, tapered, wooden lighthouse located in the village of Cap-de-Caissie on the southeastern shore of New Brunswick. Constructed in 1872, the light is a navigational aid for vessels travelling through the Northumberland Strait and for mariners entering Shediac Bay.

Heritage Value

The Caissie Point Lighthouse is a heritage lighthouse because of its historical, architectural, and community values.

Historical values
The Caissie Point Lighthouse is an excellent example of the expansion of aids to navigation in New Brunswick. It was considered one of the most significant lights built on the Northumberland Strait, due to the number of vessels trading cargo at the port of Shediac, which at the time was the northern terminus for the European and North American Railway. The
lighthouse also played a role in the fishing industry of the region; today it guides mariners and pleasure craft plying the sea.

Architectural values
Caissie Point Lighthouse is a very good early example of a square, tapered wooden, lighthouse. It exhibits the typical features of this standard design, which is characterized by aesthetically
pleasing proportions, simple details, and overall utilitarian quality. The lighthouse derives a level of visual appeal from its symmetry, cornice detail and well-proportioned lantern.

The Caissie Point Lighthouse displays a very good functional design and quality craftsmanship. Its heavy timber construction confers a strong and durable appearance, which distinguishes
it from the more graceful square tapered towers of the later decades.

Community values
The Caissie Point Lighthouse is highly valued by the Shediac and Dundas communities. It is recognized for its heritage character and its association with the region’s maritime past.

Related buildings
No related buildings are included in the designation.

Character-Defining Elements

The following character-defining elements of the Caissie Point Lighthouse should be respected:

— its location in the village of Cap-de-Caissie on the southeastern shore of New Brunswick;
— its intact, as-built structural form, height, profile and balanced proportions based on the standard design of square, tapered, wooden towers;
— its octagonal metal lantern surmounted by a red roof;
— its square platform supported by metal brackets and surrounded by a steel railing;
— its square wood-frame structure with moderately tapered sides and a straight cornice;
— its exterior walls covered with shingles;
— its symmetrically placed windows capped by plain lintels;
— its sole entry door, positioned off-centre;
— its traditional red and white exterior colour scheme, consisting of a white tower and a red gallery, with red for door and window details; and,
— its visual prominence in relation to the water and landscape.