Description of Historic Place

The medium-height Tower is the most prominent element at the East Point Light Station on Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.). It is an elegant, tapered octagonal wooden tower, clad in white-painted shingles with a projecting cornice that supports a gallery and a multi-sided, red-painted steel lantern. Decorative elements include the well-proportioned fascia and cornice, the distinctive cross-braced wood railing, the vertically aligned gabled windows and the gabled door and window at the low-level fog detection balcony. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

The Tower is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.

Historical Value
The Tower is closely associated with the provision of maritime aids to navigation and illustrates the importance of maritime traffic in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Northumberland Strait. The simplicity and economy of construction reflect the desire of the government to expediently build a large number of light towers. The fully automated Light Tower represents a pragmatic solution to light eastern coasts and harbours inexpensively.

Architectural Value
The Tower is valued for its very good aesthetic and functional design. It is one of a number of square tapered wooden towers built during the nineteenth century, favoured because they were economical to construct and easy to maintain. In its form and decoration, the tower exhibits the aesthetic favoured by early lighthouse designers. The very good functional design of the structure is evidenced in its heavy timber frame construction on a stone foundation, typical of the era. The colour scheme featuring a white tower with contrasting red-painted steel lantern and fog balcony railings has an operational purpose in contributing to the structure’s visibility. Its very good craftsmanship is demonstrated in its wood shingle cladding without corner boards.

Environmental Value
The Tower is compatible with the maritime character of its coastal setting and is a well-known symbol of Prince Edward Island. Its role as a maritime museum contributes to this prominence.

Sources: Gordon Fulton, Lighttower and Fog Alarm Building, East Point, Prince Edward Island, Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office, Building Report, 90-256; Lighttower, East Point, Prince Edward Island, Heritage Character Statement, 90-256.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Tower should be respected.

Its very good aesthetic design, good functional design and very good craftsmanship and materials, for example: the massing which consists of a medium-height, octagonal-tapered structure with a well-proportioned fascia and cornice; the red-painted steel lantern that is appropriately proportioned to the tower; the distinctive cross-braced wood railing; the heavy timber frame structure clad in painted wood shingles without corner boards; the exposed stone foundation; the fog detection balcony with red-painted steel guardrail; the vertically aligned, gabled wood sash windows, and the gabled door; the surviving finishes and features of the original interior.

The manner in which the Tower is compatible with the maritime character of its coastal setting and is a regional landmark, as evidenced by: its overall scale, massing, design and materials, which harmonize with its associated buildings and complement the coastal climate; its visible role as a seacoast marker of the associated remote coastal environment; its role as a seasonal maritime museum which contributes to its prominence as a landmark of the eastern P.E.I. region.

Heritage Character Statement

Disclaimer - The heritage character statement was developed by FHBRO to explain the reasons for the designation of a federal heritage building and what it is about the building that makes it significant (the heritage character). It is a key reference document for anyone involved in planning interventions to federal heritage buildings and is used by FHBRO in their review of interventions.

The lighttower at East Point was constructed in 1866-67. The designer is unknown. Alterations to the tower have included changing the light (1878), replacement of windows (nd), parging of the stone foundation (nd), conversion of a window to a doorway and addition of a fog detection service balcony (1960s), and two relocations of the tower at the turn of the century. The building is currently a fully automated lighttower. The Canadian Coast Guard is the custodian. See FHBRO Building Report 90-256.

Reasons for Designation

The lighttower was designated Recognized for its architectural importance and its environmental significance, as well as its historical associations.

This tapered octagonal wooden tower features an elegant profile, a distinctive cross-braced wood railing and a well proportioned fascia and cornice. The lighttower has landmark status throughout eastern PEI and its affiliation with a maritime museum contributes to this prominence.

The construction of this pre-Confederation lighttower is associated with the provision of maritime aids to navigation, and illustrates the importance of maritime traffic in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Northumberland Strait. The use of heavy timber construction reflects the desire of governmental bodies to provide maritime aids to navigation expediently and economically.

Character Defining Elements

The heritage character of the East Point lighttower resides in its overall massing, profile, architectural features and construction materials, and site relationships.

The lighttower consists of a moderately tall, steeply tapered octagonal mass with projecting cornice supporting a multi-sided lantern. The massing and profile, including the relationship of lantern to tower shaft, should be respected.

The tower is characterized by its cladding of painted shingles without corner boards, contributing to the simple expression of the form. The gable window hoods contribute to the visual interest of the tower, and should be maintained. The colour scheme - white tower with contrasting red painted steel lantern, fog balcony railings, and lantern - has an operational purpose in contributing to the structure's visibility, and a strong aesthetic impact. This should be continued as long as it remains operationally appropriate.

The exposed stone foundation of the tower is currently parged. The simple untextured finish of the parging reduces the original 'weighty' appearance that the stone base would have contributed to the design. When maintenance work on the parging is required, consideration should be given to its removal in case it is trapping moisture in the stone foundation. The heavy timber frame structure merits respect in any intervention.

The current wood sash windows are small and appear undersized to the proportions of the projecting hoods above. The original windows were much larger, which reflected the functional requirement for interior daylighting, and had six-over-six muntin patterns which added to the visual interest of the building. When operationally appropriate, new windows more in keeping with the earlier design would enhance the heritage character of the tower.

The lighttower is the most prominent element on this windswept point. This prominence should be protected by limiting the height of developments in the area.