Sainte-Marthe-de-Gaspé Lighthouse
Heritage Lighthouse
La Martre, Quebec
Aerial view of La Martre site, 2014.
© Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Pêches et Océans Canada, 2014
Address :
10 du Phare Avenue, La Martre, Quebec
Recognition Statute:
Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act (S.C. 2008, c 16)
Designation Date:
2025-09-22
Dates:
-
1906 to 1906
(Construction)
-
1876 to 1876
(Established)
Other Name(s):
-
La Martre Lighthouse
(Other Name)
Description of Historic Place
The Sainte-Marthe-de-Gaspé Lighthouse, also known as La Martre Lighthouse, shares its site with three associated community buildings on south shore of the St. Lawrence River, close to the community of La Martre, on the Gaspé Peninsula. Built in 1906, its octagonal timber-and-frame tower stands at a height of 19.2 meters from base to lantern. One of a chain of lighthouses gracing the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, this lighthouse, with a nominal range of 17 nautical miles, is a major coastal light.
Heritage Value
The Sainte-Marthe-de-Gaspé Lighthouse is a heritage lighthouse because of its historical, architectural, and community values.
Note: Contact the Registrar for a full description of the lighthouse's heritage value.
Source: Statement of Significance, HSMBC, December 2024.
Character-Defining Elements
The following character-defining elements of the Sainte-Marthe-de-Gaspé Lighthouse should be respected:
—its location at the top of an 18-meter cliff, close to the town of La Martre, on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River;
—its intact, as-built structural wood form, height, octagonal shape, tapered profile and classical proportions;
—its exterior walls painted bright red with a white vertical stripe painted on the seaward side;
—its sole entry doorway and four windows topped by a pediment;
—its octagonal cornice;
—a slightly protruding circular gallery;
—a prominent lantern featuring three tiers of curved glass and capped by a circular dome;
—its visual prominence in relation to the water and the landscape.