Chantry Island Lighthouse
Keepers Dwelling, Lighthouse and Shed
|
|
 Ontario
|
|
| Location | Lightstation, Chantry Island, Ontario |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 44°29′22″N 81°24′07″W / 44.48938°N 81.40194°WCoordinates: 44°29′22″N 81°24′07″W / 44.48938°N 81.40194°W |
| Year first constructed | 1859 |
| Year first lit | 1857 |
| Construction | limestone tower |
| Tower shape | cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern |
| Markings / pattern | white tower, red lantern |
| Height | 26 metres (85 ft) |
| Focal height | 31 metres (102 ft) |
| Original lens | Fresnel lens |
| Current lens | Solar |
| Range | 6 nm |
| Characteristic | Fl W 4s. |
| CHS number | CCG-788 |
| ARLHS number | CAN-619 |
| Managing agent | Canadian Wildlife Service (Ontario Region) Marine Heritage Society |
| Heritage | classified federal heritage building of Canada 
|
|
[]
|
|
The Chantry Island Lighthouse, officially known as Chantry Island Lightstation Tower, is a lightstation on Chantry Island, off the coast of Southampton, Ontario in Lake Huron. It was constructed in the years 1855 through to 1859, by John Brown of Thorold, Ontario, under the authority of the Province of Canada and is recognized as one of the six Imperial Towers. Virtually identical, they were completed in 1858-1859 on Lake Huron and Georgian Bay and are among the few lighthouses on the Great Lakes made of cut limestone and granite (not brick, metal, wood or concrete).
This lighthouse was planned in about 1850 because underwater shoals of massive granite boulders made navigation in the area dangerous. There are many accounts from the 1800s on of disasters and lost lives in this area of Lake Huron. The first beacon on the island (1857) was provided by a temporary fixed light which was replaced by the tower. The actual lighthouse was first lit on 1 April 1859. Valuable in its day, it still emits a bright beam, but now, buoys and modern navigational tools are more important for safe navigation.
The tower and the keeper's dwelling have been extensively restored. The dwelling is listed on the Canadian Register of Historic Places while the Lightstation Tower is listed on the National Historic Sites of Canada. However, because the island is a bird sanctuary, only one company has a license to offer tours of the property and only on a limited basis. All other access to the island is prohibited.
The origin of the Imperial designation 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. All six Imperial towers on Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, along with a limestone lightkeeper's dwelling, were constructed by John Brown, a contractor and stonemason from Thorold, Ontario.
...
Wikipedia