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Campobello Island, New Brunswick, Canada
Located on an islet off the northeastern tip of beautiful Campobello Island, the Head Harbour Lightstation is the oldest surviving wooden lighthouse in New Brunswick. It was built in 1829 making it one of the oldest in Canada. An inspiration to photographers and enjoyed year after year by travelers and locals alike, it is only accessible on foot during low tide. It is a cherished historical site of maritime Canada, immortalized in the writings of Mary Snell, who grew up in its living quarters during the late 19th century. The Head Harbour Lightstation was officially designated a Classified Heritage Site in 1988, and in 2000, came into the care of a non-profit organization run by volunteers dedicated to its preservation: the Friends of The Head Harbour Lightstation.
HISTORY
Although the establishment of a lighthouse at Head Harbour had been proposed as early as July 1785 by Giliam Butler, a Boston Loyalist who purchased the northern portion of the Island at about that time, no lighthouse was actually constructed until 1829.
The 51-foot lighthouse was built shortly after the death of David Owen, the owner of Campobello who had inherited that position from the original owner, his uncle, Captain William Owen. Two months before his death, David Owen conveyed “to his Majesty a plot of land on the Northeast extreme of Campo Bello on which the lighthouse has been erected, being one acre of land.”
The first lighthouse keeper was John Snell who tended the light from around 1830 to the mid-1840s. He lived in the light tower. The construction of a separate keeper’s house in 1840 gave the keepers who followed Snell much more comfortable quarters.
Today the lighthouse complex includes the light tower, the adjoining keepers dwelling, the fog alarm building and the storage building (est. 1914-1915) as well as the boat house (est. 1947).
For nearly 200 years, the Head Harbour Light, also known as East Quoddy Light (to differentiate it from the nearby West Quoddy Light in Lubec, Maine) has guided ships entering the Passamaquoddy Bay through Head Harbour Passage. Tended by a stationkeeper for well over a century, the Head Harbour tower light and fog horn are operated today without human assistance. In 1885, a second lighthouse was built on Campobello, at Mullholland Point, to aid ships entering the Passamaquoddy through the Lubec narrows. From the beginning, these lighthouses have been essential aids in navigation through the dense fogs, high tides and treacherous rocks and shoals in the Bay around Campobello Island and they remain important aids today.
A century ago, the lightstation was painstakingly maintained by a full-time resident lightkeeper employed by the government, but the beginning of the new millennium saw a group of dedicated citizens come together to carry on the task: The Friends of the Head Harbour Lightstation was founded.
A registered Canadian charity organization, we rely on our volunteers and donations to carry out repairs and maintenance.
Every penny received goes towards materials and, if necessary, certified professionals to manage sometimes dangerous repairs to our nearly 200-year-old, 51-foot wood lighthouse.
Our mission: to preserve, protect, and promote the unique heritage of the Head Harbour Lightstation for the enjoyment and education of all.
We invite you to join us in the important work of preserving the Head Harbour Lightstation by becoming a member or by making a donation. One hundred percent of membership fees and donations go directly towards materials necessary to make repairs, and towards certified professionals when tasks exceed the expertise of our volunteers.
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP
Individual: $20
Family: $35
All members enjoy FREE crossovers and 10% off souvenirs at the kiosk.
If you would like to become a member, please send us your request by email at
friendsheadharbourlightstation@gmail.com
PAYMENT
Membership fees and donations can be mailed to
Friends of the Head Harbour Lightstation
210 Lighthouse Road
Wilsons Beach, NB E5E 1M2
Canada
OR
Friends of the Head Harbour Lightstation
PO Box 102
Lubec, ME 04652
USA
Head Harbour Lightstation 