Description of Historic Place

The Lighthouse stands seventy-four feet (22.5 meters) high on the northwest side of Bicquette Island, a large island on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River. The structure is a circular tower of stone masonry construction covered with wood sheathing and surmounted by a circular lantern. The entrance door and deeply recessed windows have a slightly arched pediment and are vertically aligned up the tower. A circular lantern platform projects from the top of the tower and is fitted with a decorative cast-iron railing. The red band of the cornice encircling the top of the tower provides a strong counterpoint to the length and width of the all-white structure. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

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

Historical Value
The Lighthouse is one the best examples of a building associated with Trinity House of Québec, which operated lighthouses in Lower Canada before Confederation and before they were taken over by the Department of Marine to improve safety on the St. Lawrence River. The Lighthouse is also associated with the Thibault family, as various members of the family have served at the site for a combined total of seventy-five years. The Thibault family is also credited with having rehabilitated a threatened colony of waterfowl on the island.

Architectural Value
The Lighthouse at Bicquette Island is among the most representative examples of the first cylindrical stone towers built before Confederation by Charles Atherton, the engineer under contract with Trinity House of Québec. A very good functional design, the primitive installations are illustrative of the technical innovations that transformed the signaling apparatus in lighthouses in the 1840s. Around 1900, the stone masonry structure was clad in wood to shield it from the ravages of weather. Charles Atherton, the engineer under contract with Trinity House, built the structure to plans.

Environmental Value
The Lighthouse reinforces the maritime character of its light station setting. It is a familiar landmark in the area.

Sources: Martha Phemister, Ile Rouge Lighthouse, Ile Rouge, Ile Bicquette Lighthouse, Ile Bicquette, Pilier de Pierre Lighthouse, Pilier de Pierre, Québec, Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office, Building Report, 87-087, 87-088, 87-091, Lighthouse, Bicquette Island, Québec, Heritage Character Statement, 87-088.

Character-Defining Elements

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

Its good aesthetic and very good functional design, and good craftsmanship and materials, as for example: the height and cylindrical form; the stone masonry construction with wood cladding; the deeply recessed openings with low pediments, the cornice, and the ornamental
wrought-iron railing; the primitive functional installations that are illustrative of the technical innovations
that transformed the signalling apparatus in lighthouses.

The manner in which the Lighthouse reinforces the maritime character of its light station setting and is a familiar landmark in the area, as evidenced by: its overall design and materials, which harmonize with its natural surroundings and adjacent buildings at the light station; its visibility and familiarity as a navigational landmark in the area.

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.

Bicquette Island Lighthouse, which stands 74 feet tall, was erected in 1844 to plans by Charles Atherton, the engineer under contract with Trinity House. Around 1900, the stone masonry structure was clad in wood to shield it from the ravages of weather. The building is the property of the Department of Transport. See FHBRO Building Report 87 88.

Reasons for Designation

Bicquette Island Lighthouse was designated a "Recognized" Federal Heritage Building because it is among the most representative examples of the first cylindrical stone towers built before Confederation by Trinity House of Quebec B which operated the lighthouses in Lower Canada until they were taken over by the Department of Marine B to improve navigation safety on the St. Lawrence River. The Thibault name has long been associated with the lighthouse, as various members of the family have served for a combined total of over 75 years. The Thibault family is also credited with having rehabilitated a threatened colony of waterfowl on the island.

Character Defining Elements

The heritage character of the building resides in its height, cylindrical form and stone masonry construction with wood cladding, and in its design, the construction techniques used, and the primitive materials that have survived. Other defining elements are the deeply recessed openings with low pediments, the cornice, and the ornamental wrought-iron railing.

The primitive functional installations should be preserved because they are illustrative of the technical innovations that transformed the signaling apparatus in lighthouses in the 1840s.

Fences, outbuildings and other elements associated with the tower which show how humans adapted to the isolation of life at the lighthouse should be preserved, or where necessary, rebuilt.