Fort Amherst | |
---|---|
Neighbourhood | |
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 | |
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. |
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]
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]