Colchester Reef Light (Lake Erie, West)
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The Colchester Reef Light is an active
lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Ligh ...
situated on Colchester Reef in the
Western Basin of Lake Erie The Western Basin of Lake Erie Lake Erie ( ) is the fourth-largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes ...
south of the town of
Colchester, Ontario Colchester is a community and unincorporated place in Southwestern Ontario, the southernmost settlement on mainland Canada, and the southernmost point with the exception of Point Pelee National Park. It is located on the north shore of Lake Erie, ...
. It was originally built in 1885 by Colonel William P. Anderson to replace a
lightvessel A lightvessel, or lightship, is a ship that acts as a lighthouse. It is used in waters that are too deep or otherwise unsuitable for lighthouse construction. Although some records exist of fire beacons being placed on ships in Roman times, the ...
that was previously stationed on that location. The original lighthouse tower was demolished in 1954 and the current structure is a white steel skeletal tower with a helicopter landing pad. It is currently listed on the Canadian List of Lights as Light No. 620 and can be found on the
Canadian Hydrographic Service ''Retired Canadian Hydrographic Service logo or crest'' The Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS) is part of the federal department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada and is Canada's authoritative hydrographic office. The CHS represents Canada in ...
Chart No. 2123.


Architecture

This lighthouse was one of over 500 prominent lighthouses designed and built by William P. Anderson in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Original architectural drawings from 1882 depict four floors and an attached fog bell tower accessible from the fourth floor. Two floors were designed to be finished living space for the light keeper with the lower (still existing) stone caisson used as a cellar.


Current condition

The current skeletal tower and helicopter landing pad are often populated by
cormorants Phalacrocoracidae is a family of approximately 40 species of aquatic birds commonly known as cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed, but in 2021 the International Ornithologists' Union (IOU) ado ...
and gulls. A noise making apparatus was installed in an attempt to scare away these birds. There is no longer a fog signal at this site. The exposed location (particularly the south side) and northerly climate produced significant stresses on the original 1885 structure including fast moving ice during the winter months. The cement that surrounded the lighthouse's current stone caisson base has eroded on the south side revealing this ongoing damage. The mortar between the stone blocks has deteriorated and is in need of repair.


See also

*
List of lighthouses in Ontario This is a list of lighthouses in the province of Ontario, Canada. Lighthouses See also * List of lighthouses in Canada * Imperial Towers (a group of lighthouses in the list) References External links

* {{Lighthouses of Canada List ...
*
List of lighthouses in Canada This is a list of lighthouses in Canada. These may naturally be divided into lighthouses on the Pacific coast, on the Arctic Ocean, in the Hudson Bay watershed, on the Labrador Sea and Gulf of St. Lawrence, in the St. Lawrence River watershed ...
*
Colchester Reef Light The Colchester Reef Light in Vermont was a lighthouse off Colchester Point (northwest of Burlington, Vermont) in Lake Champlain. It was moved to the Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, Vermont, in 1956. In 1869 the United States Lighthouse Service c ...
– Same named lighthouse in
Lake Champlain Lake Champlain ( ; , ) is a natural freshwater lake in North America. It mostly lies between the U.S. states of New York (state), New York and Vermont, but also extends north into the Canadian province of Quebec. The cities of Burlington, Ve ...
that was moved to the
Shelburne Museum Shelburne Museum is a museum of art, design, and Americana located in Shelburne, Vermont, United States. Over 150,000 works are exhibited in 39 exhibition buildings, 25 of which are historic and were relocated to the museum grounds. It is located ...
in
Shelburne, Vermont Shelburne is a town in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. Located along the shores of Lake Champlain, Shelburne's town center lies approximately south of the city center of Burlington, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Vermon ...
in 1956 * Detroit River Light – Another lighthouse in the area also built in 1885.


References


External links


Aids to Navigation
''Canadian Coast Guard''
Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans List of LightsColchester Reef Light
''Lighthouse Friends'' {{authority control Lighthouses completed in 1885 Lighthouses completed in 1954 Lighthouses in Ontario Buildings and structures in Essex County, Ontario