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East Point Lighthouse

398 Lighthouse Road, East Point, Île-du-Prince-Édouard, C0A, Canada

Reconnu formellement en: 2012/10/03

East Point Lighthouse; Province of PEI, Brian Simpson, 2006
East Point Lighthouse
Wreck of HMS Phoenix off East Point, PEI; The Graphic, 21 October 1882
Wreck of HMS Phoenix off East Point, PEI
East Point Lighthouse and Fog Alarm Building; Province of PEI, F. Pound, 2009
East Point Lighthouse and Fog Alarm Building

Autre nom(s)

s/o

Liens et documents

Date(s) de construction

1867/01/01

Inscrit au répertoire canadien: 2013/11/06

Énoncé d'importance

Description du lieu patrimonial

Located on the eastern tip of Prince Edward Island, the East Point Lighthouse overlooks the sea where the Atlantic joins with the Northumberland Strait and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The lighthouse is a wood framed octagonal structure clad in white painted shingles and topped by a red iron lantern, surrounded by a railed observation deck. The windows in the tower are accented by red gable roofs.

Valeur patrimoniale

The East Point Lighthouse is valued for its architectural style; its association with the maritime history of the area; and for its contribution to the communities of eastern Kings County.

Navigating the waters around the eastern tip of Prince Edward Island was not an easy task given the fact three bodies of water meet there. The construction of the lighthouse in 1867 was welcomed. However, its location was not correctly indicated on Admiralty charts.

This error led to one of the most notorious shipwrecks off the coast in September of 1882. The British warship, HMS Phoenix, was navigating around the point, when it struck a reef. Even after removing many of the ship's heavy guns, she could not be refloated and soon capsized. A dramatic engraving of the wreck appeared in the October 21, 1882 edition of "The Graphic" newspaper in London, England. The lighthouse is visible along the coast in one of the inset drawings.

In the aftermath of the Phoenix event, agitation to move the lighthouse to be in line with the Admiralty Charts escalated. This task was undertaken in 1885 by Bernard Creamer, a local carpenter in the area. This amazing feat was accomplished with the help of horses and greased timbers.

A fog alarm was installed in 1885, but by 1908, new regulations required the lighthouse to be moved back yet again in order to accommodate a separate building for the fog horn.

Today, the lighthouse is a destination attraction on the Points East Coastal Drive operated by the Friends of Elmira Inc.

Source: Heritage Division, PEI Dept of Tourism & Culture, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7N8
File #: 4320-20/E2

Further Reading: Adele Townshend, "The Wreck of the Phoenix," The Island Magazine, Number 20, Fall/Winter, 1986: 9-12

Éléments caractéristiques

The following character-defining elements illustrate the heritage value of the East Point Lighthouse:

- The white wood shingled tower, tapered at the top with an observation deck
- The octagonal shape of the tower
- The railing around the observation deck
- The decorative cornice
- The red iron lantern
- The windows with pedimented caps
- The entrance door also with a pedimented cap

Other character-defining elements include:

- The dramatic location of the lighthouse above red sandstone cliffs overlooking the confluence of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the Northumberland Strait, and the Atlantic Ocean

Reconnaissance

Juridiction

Île-du-Prince-Édouard

Autorité de reconnaissance

Province de l'Île-du-Prince-Édouard

Loi habilitante

Heritage Places Protection Act

Type de reconnaissance

Endroit historique désigné

Date de reconnaissance

2012/10/03

Données sur l'histoire

Date(s) importantes

s/o

Thème - catégorie et type

Exprimer la vie intellectuelle et culturelle
L'architecture et l'aménagement
Économies en développement
Communications et transport

Catégorie de fonction / Type de fonction

Actuelle

Loisirs
Musée

Historique

Transport maritime
Phare ou aide à la navigation

Architecte / Concepteur

s/o

Constructeur

William MacDonald

Informations supplémentaires

Emplacement de la documentation

Source: Heritage Division, PEI Dept of Tourism & Culture, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7N8 File #: 4320-20/E2

Réfère à une collection

Identificateur féd./prov./terr.

4320-20/E2

Statut

Édité

Inscriptions associées

North elevation

East Point Fog Alarm Building

The East Point Fog Alarm Building is a single gable, vernacular building with classical architectural elements, located next to the East Point Lighthouse on the eastern tip of…

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