Description of Historic Place

The Former Lightkeeper’s Residence is situated at the entrance to the Bay of Fundy. Attached to the light tower, it is a white, two-and-a-half-storey structure with a gable roof and returned eaves. The back of the residence abuts and conforms to the three faces of the octagonally-shaped tower. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

The Former Lightkeeper’s Residence is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental value.

Historical Value:
The Former Lightkeeper’s Residence, built as a support building to the Gannet Rock Lightstation, is associated with the continuing responsibility of the government of Canada to provide aids to marine navigation and with the continuing importance of the Bay of Fundy to Canadian commercial marine traffic. Gannet Rock is considered the most isolated light station on the Fundy coast.

Architectural Value:
The Former Lightkeeper’s Residence is a good example of a principal support structure attached to the light tower. Designed to accommodate two lightkeepers’ families on two levels, its unembellished design incorporates features intended to accommodate extreme weather conditions.

Environmental Value:
The Former Lightkeeper’s Residence reinforces the present picturesque maritime character of Gannet Rock. The structure is familiar to the shipping community and by association with the light tower, it is considered to be a symbol of the maritime heritage of the region.

Sources: Ian Doull, Lightkeeper’s Residence, Gannet Rock Lightstation, Gannet Rock, New Brunswick, Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office Report 99-064; Lightkeeper’s Residence, Gannet Rock Lightstation, Gannet Rock, New Brunswick. Heritage Character Statement 99-064.

Character-Defining Elements

The following character-defining elements of the Former Lightkeeper’s Residence should be respected.

Its aesthetic design and good quality materials and craftsmanship, for example: the structure’s simple two-and-a-half-storey form, massing and proportions, the gable roof, and returned eaves. the physical attachment of the Lightkeeper’s Residence to the light tower. the functional features suited to its purpose and location, including its reinforced concrete walls, windows equipped with wooden shutters, and direct access to the tower from each level of the dwelling.

The manner in which the Former Lightkeeper’s Residence reinforces the picturesque, maritime setting of Grand Manan Island, and acts as a regional landmark as evidenced by: its typical lighthouse design and its physical attachment to the light tower, both of which make it an integral part of the light station. its association with the light tower which is well known to those who sail in the Bay of Fundy, and which is a symbol of the maritime heritage of Grand Manan Island.

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 Gannet Rock Lightkeeper's Residence was constructed in 1931. It is attached to the Gannet Rock Lighttower, which was constructed in 1831. The tower, evaluated separately under the FHBRO number 90-112, is a 'Recognized' federal heritage building with its own Heritage Character Statement. The present Lightkeepers' Residence is the second or third dwelling to serve the tower. It was designed by the Chief Architect's Branch of the federal Department of Marine and Fisheries. Minor interior modifications were made in the 1970s to install washroom facilities and accomodate new staffing arrangements. The light was automated in the mid-1990s and the lightstation is no longer staffed. Fisheries and Oceans Canada is the custodian.

Reasons for Designation
The Gannet Rock Lightkeeper's Residence has been designated 'Recognized' because of its historical, architectural and environmental significance.

Historical Significance
As a support building to the Gannet Rock Lightstation, the lightkeeper's residence illustrates the continuing responsibility of the Government of Canada to provide aids to marine navigation and the continuing importance of the Bay of Fundy to Canadian commercial marine traffic. The lightstation is the main coastal light on the western side of the entrance to the Bay of Fundy and marks the location of a series of dangerous ledges, shoals and rocks.

Architectural Significance
The Lightkeeper's Residence is a simple, but pleasing, two-and-one-half storey structure with a gable roof, returned eaves and an almost symmetrical facade. The interior layout, which originally accommodated two lightkeepers' families on two levels, has been modified to add washroom facilities and to provide accommodation for single lightkeepers. The back of the residence abuts and conforms to three faces of the octagonally-shaped tower. Features designed to accommodate extreme weather conditions include reinforced concrete walls, wooden window shutters, and direct access to the tower.

Environmental Significance
The lightstation structures cover most of the high-tide surface of Gannet Rock. The Lightkeeper's Residence is the principal supporting structure to the lighttower and its relationship with the tower has not changed since 1931. The lightstation is a well-known symbol of New Brunswick.

Character-defining Elements
The heritage character of the Gannet Rock Lightkeeper's Residence resides in the following character-defining elements:
- Its simple, but pleasing, aesthetic design, as evidenced by its overall massing and proportions, its gable roof with returned eaves and its almost symmetrical facade.
- Functional features suited to its purpose and location, including its reinforced concrete walls, windows equipped with wooden shutters, and direct access to the tower from each level of the dwelling.
- The physical attachment of the Lightkeeper's Residence to the lighttower and its location as an integral part of the lightstation.

All maintenance and repair work, as well as future interventions, should respect these character-defining elements.