Other Name(s)
Point Bonaventure Light Tower
Lighttower
Links and documents
Construction Date(s)
1902/01/01
Listed on the Canadian Register:
2009/02/13
Statement of Significance
Description of Historic Place
The Point Bonaventure Light Tower is located on a point, which overhangs Chaleur Bay. It is a white, square-tapered lighthouse constructed of wood with a platform that supports a red-painted, octagonal steel and glass lantern. A small number of projecting and pedimented multi-pane wood frame windows and a windowless door are located on the tower. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.
Heritage Value
The Point Bonaventure Light Tower is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.
Historical Value
The Point Bonaventure Light Tower, constructed in 1902 and relocated in 1907 to a more visible site, is associated with the Canadian government’s campaign to improve efficiency and safety for ship traffic on Chaleur Bay. As such, the Light Tower is a reminder of the strong sea-going tradition of the Gaspé Peninsula.
Architectural Value
The Point Bonaventure Light Tower is valued for its good aesthetic design. It is a relatively well preserved and representative example of the small wooden lighthouses built at the beginning of the 20th century. Its architectural concept, developed along strictly utilitarian lines, is illustrative of a long building tradition.
Environmental Value
The Point Bonaventure Light Tower is compatible with the picturesque maritime character of its coastal setting. The light tower functions as an important marker of the associated remote environment and is well-known in the area.
Sources: Lighttower, Comté Bonaventure, Québec, Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office, Building Report INF, 96-018; Point Bonaventure Lighthouse, Point Bonaventure, Bonaventure, Québec, Heritage Character Statement, 96-018.
Character-Defining Elements
The character-defining elements of the Point Bonaventure Light Tower should be respected.
Its good aesthetic and functional design and good craftsmanship and materials, for example:
- the massing and tapered silhouette of the square-based tower capped with a platform and octagonal lantern;
- the wood frame construction on a concrete foundation;
- the wood cladding;
- the steel framework bearing a steel and glass lantern and tubular railing at the platform perimeter;
- the pedimented projecting openings of the six-light wood-frame windows and the windowless door;
- the red and white colour scheme;
- the interior layout divided into three levels and the two parallel ladders that provide access to the platform and lantern-light;
- the light system.
The manner in which the Point Bonaventure Light Tower is compatible with the picturesque maritime character of its coastal setting, and is a well-known landmark within the area, as evidenced by:
- its overall scale, massing, design and materials, which complement the associated coastal landscape;
- its visibility, due to its prominent location on a point, which strongly overhangs a bay;
- its role as an easily identifiable landmark to the community in its region.
Recognition
Jurisdiction
Federal
Recognition Authority
Government of Canada
Recognition Statute
Treasury Board Heritage Buildings Policy
Recognition Type
Recognized Federal Heritage Building
Recognition Date
1996/09/16
Historical Information
Significant Date(s)
n/a
Theme - Category and Type
Function - Category and Type
Current
Historic
- Transport-Water
- Navigational Aid or Lighthouse
Architect / Designer
n/a
Builder
n/a
Additional Information
Location of Supporting Documentation
National Historic Sites Directorate, Documentation Centre, 5th Floor, Room 89, 25 Eddy Street, Gatineau, Quebec
Cross-Reference to Collection
Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier
7590
Status
Published
Related Places
n/a