Municipal Heritage Building, Structure or Land

Old Lighthouse Site Municipal Heritage Site

Cupids, Newfoundland and Labrador

View of Lighthouse Point, the small point of land on the right at the base of Spectacle Head, Cupids, NL.

View of Lighthouse Point, the small point of land on the right at the base of Spectacle Head, Cupids, NL.

Photo: Lloyd Kane 2009

Recognized
2007
By
NL Municipality

The register’s text, word for word

Description

The Old Lighthouse Site is a rocky outcrop extending from the coastline of Cupids Harbour, on the north side. It is the site of the old lighthouse and light tower once used to guide mariners safely into the harbour. The designation consists of the remnants of the buildings’ foundations.

Heritage value

The Old Lighthouse Site has been designated a Municipal Heritage Site for its historic and cultural values.

The Old Lighthouse Site has historic value as the site of an early 20th century, round, iron light tower and store which were used to guide mariners into the harbour. They were connected by a covered passageway. The lighthouse keeper, Chesley LeDrew, lived opposite the light tower, across the harbour, and took a boat to the site when operating the light. Details from the Year Book of Newfoundland, 1919 reveal that the light was white, with an occulting visible of 4 seconds, and eclipse of 4 seconds. The tower rose 37.25 feet (12 metres) above high water and was in operation during open navigation.

The Old Lighthouse Site has cultural value as an artifact on the landscape. The structures no longer sit on the landscape, but the memory of them resides with the community. It is a reminder of a time before automated light towers and the reliance of mariners on the skills of a qualified light keeper to give them safe passage through treacherous waters.

SourceTown of Cupids Council Meeting Motion 031-2007 April 3, 2007.

Character‑defining elements

Those elements of the site related to the light tower and store, including:

-foundation remnants;

-location at the mouth of the harbour, situated on a rocky outcrop; and -all artifacts remaining in situ or elsewhere related to the structures.

End of the register’s text

Location

Cupids, Newfoundland and Labrador, A0A, Canada

47.55486° N, 53.22669° W

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Being on the register doesn’t make a place open to visitors. Many are private homes or businesses; please view them from the street.

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Nearby

All 5 places in Cupids

Similar places

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From the Canadian Register of Historic Places, as last updated on December 12, 2025. The register’s text is shown word for word.