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.