Fort Amherst is a neighbourhood in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. It is located at 47°33′48.96″N 52°40′49.60″W / 47.5636000°N 52.6804444°W, on the southern side of the Narrows, the entrance to St. John's harbour. Apart from some family dwellings, Fort Amherst consists of a man-made harbour,[3] a lighthouse[4] and the remains of gun emplacements built during World War II to defend against German U-boats. Two QF 4.7-inch B Mark IV* guns remain in place on their mountings.[5]
Fort Amherst | |
|---|---|
Neighbourhood | |
 Fort Amherst from Signal Hill | |
 | |
| Country |  Canada |
| Province |  Newfoundland and Labrador |
| City | St. John's |
| Ward | 2 |
| Government | |
| • Administrative body | St. John's City Council |
| • Councilor | Ophelia Ravencroft |
| Official name | Fort Amherst National Historic Site of Canada |
| Designated | 1951 |
| Fort Amherst Lighthouse | |
 Fort Amherst Lighthouse | |
| Coordinates | 47°33′48.68″N 52°40′49.52″W / 47.5635222°N 52.6804222°W |
| Constructed | 1813 (first) 1852 (second) |
| Construction | stone tower (first) wooden tower (current) |
| Height | 8 metres (26 ft) |
| Shape | square frustun tower with balcony and lantern |
| Markings | white tower, red lantern roof |
| Operator | Fort Amherst Museum and Tea Room [1][2] |
| Heritage | heritage lighthouse  |
| First lit | 1951 (current) |
| Focal height | 40 metres (130 ft) |
| Range | 17 nautical miles (31 km; 20 mi) |
| Characteristic | Fl W 15s. |
The original fortifications at Fort Amherst, built in the 1770s, are no longer visible.[5] The fortifications were named for William Amherst,[6] who successfully recaptured St. John's from French forces in 1762.[7] The fort operated in conjunction with Fort Waldegrave for much of its history. The site was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1951.[8]
The name is shared with Port La-Joye / Fort Amherst in Prince Edward Island and Fort Amherst in England.
The first lighthouse in Newfoundland was built at Fort Amherst in 1810.[9] The current lighthouse was built in 1951.[4]
See also
editGallery
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One of two surviving QF 4.7-inch B Mark IV* guns at Fort Péninsule, Forillon National Park, Quebec. It is similar to the guns at Fort Amherst. -
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References
edit- ^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Canada: Southeastern Newfoundland". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 2017-02-10.
- ^ List of Lights, Pub. 110: Greenland, The East Coasts of North and South America (Excluding Continental U.S.A. Except the East Coast of Florida) and the West Indies (PDF). List of Lights. United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. 2016.
- ^ "Fort Amherst small boat harbor". Retrieved 2007-08-27.
- ^ a b "Fort Amherst lighthouse". Retrieved 2007-08-27.
- ^ a b "Fort Amherst history". Retrieved 2007-08-27.
- ^ "The Grand Concourse: Plans Presented for Fort Amherst". Retrieved 2009-08-16.
- ^ "The Recapture of St. John's, Newfoundland in 1762". Retrieved 2008-05-07.
- ^ Fort Amherst. Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
- ^ "Historic sites around St.Johns". Archived from the original on 2007-08-14. Retrieved 2007-08-27.
