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Cascumpeque (Cascumpec), PE |
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Description:
In 1848, a Mr. Dalrymple presented to Prince Edward Island's House of Assembly the petition of John Le Cost, a mariner from Cascumpec, asking for money to help him erect a lighthouse at Cascumpec Harbour. The petition was tabled, but in 1856 the Cascumpec Lighthouse was built on Sandy Island. This first lighthouse was a white tower that stood thirty-two feet tall and displayed a fixed white light.
In 1875, just after confederation, the General Superintendent of Lighthouses toured the lighthouses of Prince Edward Island and found the Cascumpec Lighthouse and its associated dwelling "so decayed by age as to be unworthy of repairs." Some improvements were made to the lighting apparatus, but a new lighthouse was recommended for the station. This new lighthouse, and a pair of range lights, were constructed under contract by James Keefe for $1,9000 during 1876. Erosion was becoming a problem on Sandy Island, and in 1893 brushwork protection was constructed at a cost of $140 to help the station withstand the sea. Due to the continual threat to the lighthouse, it was moved south across the harbour entrance during the winter of 1899 to a new location 2,280 feet from its original position. The move, which cost $576.72, was performed using teams of horses and was supervised by Mr. M. Walsh. The lighthouse, the one that survives today, measures 14 meters (46 feet) from base to vane, and had a focal plane of 14.6 metres (48 feet) in its new position. In October of 1968, a new light was put into operation near the old Cascumpec Lighthouse. This new lighthouse was originally constructed as a square skeleton tower topped by a lantern, but the central ladder was later enclosed. This solid portion of the tower was painted in broad red and white stripes. The new lighthouse was downgraded in 1999, and in January of 2004 the sandy area on which the lighthouse stood was so damaged by a winter storm that the light was deactivated. The metal tower was removed from the site in 2005. The Cascumpec Lighthouse has seen many lighthouse keepers. William H. Mallet was appointed as lighthouse keeper on February 27, 1914 and retired on March 16th, 1944. Justin F. Mallet was temporary keeper from July 27, 1943 until May 31, 1944 while his father, William, was sick. Wilfred Richard Gaudin was assigned keeper of the Cascumpec Lighthouse on August 1st, 1944, a position he kept until he retired from his position in 1967 at the age of sixty-five. When the modern tower was erected in 1968, the old Cascumpec Lighthouse was sold to Allison Owen, Howard Douglas, Lester Johnson and Cecil Delong, all of Charlottetown. The lighthouse is well maintained and will hopefully not be endangered by erosion. References
Location: Located on Cascumpeque Sandy Island near the entrance to Northport Harbour. Latitude: 46.7986 Longitude: -64.0361 For a larger map of Cascumpeque (Cascumpec) Lighthouse, click the lighthouse in the above map or get a map from: Mapquest. Travel Instructions: From Route 12 (Church Street) in Alberton, turn south on Main Street and continue for 3km (2 miles) on Highway 152 to Northport. The Cascumpeque Lighthouse is visible on an island just offshore from the marina in Northport. If you want to take a trip aboard a pontoon boat to get a closer look at the lighthouse, call Billy Fraser (902) 853-3136. The lighthouse is privately owned. Grounds/dwelling/tower closed. Find the closest hotels to Cascumpeque (Cascumpec) Lighthouse See our List of Lighthouses in Prince Edward Island Canada |
