Point Clark Lighthouse is located on in a beach community,
Point Clark, Ontario, near a point that protrudes into
Lake Huron
Lake Huron ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrology, Hydrologically, it comprises the easterly portion of Lake Michigan–Huron, having the same surface elevation as Lake Michigan, to which it is connected by the , Strait ...
. Built between 1855 and 1859 under the instructions of the
Board of Works,
Canada West, it is one of the few on the Great Lakes to be made primarily from stone. It is one of the
Imperial Towers
The Imperial Towers of Ontario were six of the earliest lighthouses built on Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, all constructed primarily of stone, by the Province of Canada. The origin of the designation ''Imperial'' is not certain, but some histor ...
, a group of six nearly identical towers built by contractor
John Brown John Brown most often refers to:
*John Brown (abolitionist) (1800–1859), American who led an anti-slavery raid in Harpers Ferry, Virginia in 1859
John Brown or Johnny Brown may also refer to:
Academia
* John Brown (educator) (1763–1842), Ir ...
for the "Province of Canada" (
Canadian government) on Lake Huron and
Georgian Bay, all completed by 1859. The location for the Point Clark lighthouse was selected to warn sailors of the shoals (sandbars) off the Lake Huron coast. It is still functioning as an automated light. A restoration that eventually exceeded $2.3 million started in 2011 and the facility reopened for tourism in June 2015.
The origin of the designation ''Imperial'' is not certain, but some historians speculate that because the towers were public construction built under the colonial administration while Canada was a self-governing colony of Britain, the name would assure at least some funding from the
British Empire's Board of Trade.
Since the lighthouse is on the mainland (not on an island) it can easily reached by bicycle or a vehicle. The original wooden storage building and keeper's house are a Township of Huron-Kinloss museum. The lightkeeper's home and the lighthouse can be toured from mid June to
Labour Day
Labour Day ('' Labor Day'' in the United States) is an annual holiday to celebrate the achievements of workers. Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for ...
for a fee.
The Point Clark tower was formally registered as one of the
National Historic Sites of Canada
National Historic Sites of Canada (french: Lieux historiques nationaux du Canada) are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment on the advice of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC), as being ...
, the only lighthouse on the Great Lakes or Georgian Bay to receive this highest-level designation. It has also been designated under the
Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act
The ''Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act'' (long title:An Act To Protect Heritage Lighthouses (french: Loi sur la protection des phares patrimoniaux)) is an Act of the Parliament of Canada (designated Bill S-215) for the designation and preservat ...
. The keeper's cottage is a designated place of historic interest, and has been listed on the
Canadian Register of Historic Places
The Canadian Register of Historic Places (CRHP; french: Le Répertoire canadien des lieux patrimoniaux), also known as Canada's Historic Places, is an online directory of historic sites in Canada which have been formally recognized for their her ...
since 2008.
History
Before the lighthouse was built, a lantern had been hung on a branch of a pine tree near the beach; this led to the settlement being called Pine Point.
Like the nearby
Chantry Island Lightstation Tower this one was built at a time when commercial shipping traffic was increasing on the Great Lakes between Canada and the U.S. because of new trade agreements and the opening of the
Sault Ste. Marie Canal
The Sault Ste. Marie Canal is a National Historic Site in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and is part of the national park system, managed by Parks Canada. It includes a lock to bypass the rapids on the St. Marys River.
The first canal near the s ...
locks in 1855. Other towers were also built on Lake Huron and Georgian Bay between 1855 and 1859 to act as navigational aids for the ships.
Intended to warn ships about the point and about dangerous shoals in the area, construction started in 1857.
The "second order" Fresnel lens was manufactured in Paris and installed by workmen from France.
Much of the tower, and the keeper's house, was made of Dolomite limestone, much of it from a quarry about 60 kilometers from Point Clark. The walls are five feet thick at the base but only two feet near the top of the tower.
The light was first illuminated on 1 April 1859. In the early years, it was fueled with spermaceti oil as fuel but in 1860, that changed to colza oil; the latter was less expensive and allowed for the light to burn even on the coldest winter nights. The keeper was required to carry the fuel up the stairs in buckets.
Electricity was used since 1863.
The first attempt in automating the light started in 1924. The new system was not considered adequately effective or reliable, so in 1926, it was removed and the original Fresnel lens was again used.
The early revolving light mechanism was replaced with an electric motor in 1953. A light keeper was no longer required after 1963 when the light was fully automated. Its
light characteristic is a single white flash every ten seconds, emitted at a
focal plane
In Gaussian optics, the cardinal points consist of three pairs of points located on the optical axis of a rotationally symmetric, focal, optical system. These are the '' focal points'', the principal points, and the nodal points. For ''ideal'' ...
height of . The tower is owned by
Parks Canada
Parks Canada (PC; french: Parcs Canada),Parks Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Parks Canada Agency (). is the agency of the Government of Canada which manages the country's 48 National Parks, th ...
but the site is operated as a tourist attraction by the
Township of Huron-Kinloss. The light operates under the control of the
Canadian Coast Guard.
Like the other
Imperial Towers
The Imperial Towers of Ontario were six of the earliest lighthouses built on Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, all constructed primarily of stone, by the Province of Canada. The origin of the designation ''Imperial'' is not certain, but some histor ...
on Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, it is among the few on the Great Lakes made of cut limestone and granite (not brick, wood, metal or concrete), with a functional design that is simple but elegant and pleasing to the eye.
After a $3.7 million reconstruction that lasted four years, the lighthouse and museum reopened for tours in June 2015.
An announcement at the reopening ceremony indicated that the Point Clark lighthouse had been designated under the Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act because of its "significant heritage value".
Lighthouse design
The tower is tall, made primarily of cut
limestone brought from Inverhuron by barge, but a section near the top is made of granite for extra rigidity. There are 114 steps from the bottom to the lantern room. The 12 sided cast iron lantern was first lit on April 1, 1859 and is from the base of the tower.
The light keeper's house, resembling a British stone cottage, is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building, a place of historic interest. The July 14, 1994 summary praises its symmetry, excellent build quality, pleasing appearance and practical design.
The Lightkeepers
The job of light keeper was an attractive one and positions were often filled on the basis of affiliation with the current political party in power. After WWI and WWII however, preference was given to war veterans. The keeper was required to maintain the property, clean and whitewash the tower as required, and maintain the light. In the years before electricity and automation, he was also required to carry the fuel up the stairs in buckets, and, twice a day, to wind up the clockwork-like mechanism—with weights and pulleys—that enabled the weights to rotate the lens.
The following individuals were responsible for the lighthouse and its property over the years:
*John Young 1859–1882
*David Small 1883
*John Rae 1883–1896
*Murdock McDonald 1897–1914
*George H. Ray 1914–1924
*John E. Ruttle 1926–1938
*John A. Campbell 1938–1946
* John C. Campbell 1947–1962
In 1875, John Young's salary would have been approximately $400 per annum, based on published data for the salary at the Chantry Island Lightstation that year. (Another report indicates $435 per annum but does not state the year; that amount may have been paid in a later year.)
On retirement after 20 years, Young's pension was $19.25.
After the light was automated, Elmer MacKenzie was retained as a part-time caretaker for the property (1963-1964) at a salary of $75 per year.
Some sources discuss subsequent caretakers Elden Lowry (1964-1967) and Joe Burke.
Currently, the light produces a white flash every 10 seconds.
See also
*
List of lighthouses in Ontario
*
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 ( ...
*
:Lighthouses on the National Historic Sites of Canada register
*
History of Lighthouses in Canada The history of lighthouses in Canada dates back to 1734.
The 18th century
The first lighthouse in what was to become Canada, (the second on the entire coast of North America after Little Brewster Island in Boston Harbour which was built in 1716) ...
*
Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act
The ''Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act'' (long title:An Act To Protect Heritage Lighthouses (french: Loi sur la protection des phares patrimoniaux)) is an Act of the Parliament of Canada (designated Bill S-215) for the designation and preservat ...
References
External links
Point Clark Lighthouse National Historic Site*
Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act
The ''Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act'' (long title:An Act To Protect Heritage Lighthouses (french: Loi sur la protection des phares patrimoniaux)) is an Act of the Parliament of Canada (designated Bill S-215) for the designation and preservat ...
Aids to Navigation''Canadian Coast Guard''
{{authority control
Lighthouses completed in 1859
Lighthouses in Ontario
National Historic Sites in Ontario
Lighthouses on the National Historic Sites of Canada register
1859 establishments in Ontario
Lake Huron