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Drawing, Architectural


Image - Drawing, Architectural
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West Point Lighthouse
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Nom de l'objet : Drawing, Architectural
Catégorie de l'objet : Communication Artefacts
Sous-catégorie de l'objet : Documentary Artefact
Matériaux : Fibre, Fabric, Cotton (?)
Numéro de catalogue : WP.1983.021.01
Numéro d'accession : WP.1983.021.01
Date de début de production : c.1875
Description : Floor Plans; fabric; beige, black; this rectangular shaped floor plans for the West Point Lighthouse is hand drawn in black ink on a fabric material with a satin like sheen; ink drawings of the exterior and the floor plans; beginning from the top left corner is an outline of the lighthouse (41cm x 40cm) showing the "Elevation of South Side"; to the right is a smaller "Plan of Fourth Floor" (9.5cm x 9.5cm; "East End Elevation" depicts a side on outline of the exterior of the lighthouse (20.5 x 39 cm); along the far right are three images stacked, the first is "Elevation of Lantern" an outline of the lantern, below is an outline of "Plan of Platform", and lastly is an outline of "Plan of Third Floor"; beginning at the bottom left corner is an outline drawing of "Plan of First Floor" (39.5cm x 19cm); at the bottom right corner an outline drawing of "Plan of Second Floor" (30.4cm x 14cm); handwritten in the same black ink at the top of the plan "PLAN/ FOR LIGHTHOUSE TOWER AND DWELLING HOUSE/ AT WEST POINT, P.E.I/Scale, Four Feet to an Inch/ SHEET No. 1" Located next to the plans on display is a card that reads" This is a finished copy on cloth of the original working plans of the Wet Point Lighthouse. It was cleaned, restored and framed by the Canadian Conservation Institute. These plans were used in the re-building of the Keeper's Quarters in 1984
Commentaires : In 1873, there were only eight lighthouses servicing the waters of Prince Edward Island. Although the Island is only 224 kilometres long, it has a deeply indented coastline, stretching 1,760 kilometres. In an effort to stop the loss of ships and lives, two local members of Parliament, A.C. MacDonald and James C. Pope, who was also a shipbuilder, wrote to the new Minister of Marine and Fisheries stating that the Island coasts were insufficiently lighted and that new lighthouses should be built in no less than ten places. On November 3, 1873, an order-in-council advised that provision be made for the construction of the lighthouses. During bad weather, the sailing ships often sought shelter in the Northumberland Strait, sometimes going aground on the five mile reef at West Point. It was decided to build the first new lighthouse there. The lighthouses built previously by the Colonial government were usually a massive masonry construction, in a round or octagonal style. They were expensive and in other provinces were made of building rock, which was not available on Prince Edward Island. The West Point Lighthouse was called the first of the second generation of lighthouses, meaning it was built by the new Department of Marine and Fisheries and not by the Colonial Government. It signalled the beginning on PEI of the square-tapered towers, which were quicker and cheaper to build. The contract to build the lighthouse was awarded to Messers. Mugridge and Co. of Shediac, New Brunswick. Joe was formerly from western PEI, and hired local men, skilled in shipbuilding, to build the lighthouse. The lighthouse was built for a sum of $ 4, 599.59 where a masonry tower would have cost nearly $100,000 Over those 87 years it was manned by only two different keepers. William MacDonald was the first keeper and assisted with the building of the lighthouse. There were no roads to North Cape at the time, so he had to travel over 72 kilometres on foot through the woods and muddy trails to North Cape Lighthouse to learn how to operate the light and make necessary repairs. On May 21, 1876, in the presence of engineers, carpenters and a lighthouse inspector, William lit the light for the beginning of his first season, a job he would perform until 1925 when he retired at the age of 79, with over 50 years of service keeping the light. Supplies were delivered by ship, and loaded into smaller boats to be taken ashore. From there, supplies were taken by horse and wagon to the Lighthouse. Oil was stored in a shed behind the tower and was carried in five gallon cans into the tower. It was placed in the only dumbwaiter in an Island lighthouse, and pulled to the fourth floor. It was then carried in smaller containers up the narrow ladder stairs to the lantern room. Among the guests at a party at the lighthouse to celebrate the end of World War 1 was a veteran who had been wounded overseas. His name was Bennie MacIsaac and he was there with his fiancée, Pearl MacDonald. When William MacDonald (lighthouse Willie) retired in 1925, Bennie became the second light keeper at West Point Lighthouse, a position he would hold for 38 years, until his retirement in 1963, when electricity was installed. Pearl and Bennie had a family of fifteen children. The family did not live at the lighthouse during the summers as the MacDonald's did. The family lived in a house nearby, and Bennie came down every evening to tend the light and returned home each morning. A program of rural electrification in the late 1950's brought electricity to West Point in 1958, but did not reach the lighthouse until 1963. With the coming of electricity it as no longer necessary to have a light keeper, so Bennie retired in 1963. The dwelling was removed and shortly after the oil house and barn were disposed of. In 1982-83 meetings were held with the Canadian Coast Guard, provincial and federal politicians, local and provincial tourism groups and funding partners A plan was made to lease the Lighthouse and develop it into a three room inn, museum, craft shop and chowder kitchen. Federal funding was secured to rebuild the dwelling and furnish it for its new role. The original plans were used in the re-creation for the dwelling building. The coast guard signed a ten year lease for $25 a year and paid for any work done on the tower. The whole community became involved in planning, working and fundraising or anything else that was needed to bring life back to the lighthouse. In became Canada's only inn in a lighthouse when it opened on July 1, 1984.
Hauteur : 72
Largeur : 85
Établissement : West Point Lighthouse  Facebook-West Point Lighthouse  Twitter-West Point Lighthouse  YouTube-West Point Lighthouse
Ville de l'établissement : O'Leary
Province de l'établissement : Prince Edward Island

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