Louisbourg Lighthouse is a historic Canadian lighthouse at Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, and is the site of the first lighthouse in Canada. Construction began on the lighthouse in 1730 to assist navigation to Fortress Louisbourg. It was completed in 1734. A fire in 1736 destroyed the lantern but the stone tower was unharmed and a new lantern was installed in 1738. Lighthouse Point played a decisive role in both sieges of Fortress Louisbourg as, once captured, it provided a commanding gun battery location to bombard the fortress. This lighthouse was badly damaged in 1758 during the Final Siege of Louisbourg and abandoned by the British after they demolished the fortress. Stonework ruins from the first tower are still visible at the site. The government of Nova Scotia in 1842 built a square wooden lighthouse with a black stripe. The lighthouse was a large 2 1⁄2-story wooden building supported by a massive masonry base. It included the keeper's dwelling in the base of the light. A foghorn building was added in 1902. This lighthouse was destroyed by fire in 1922. The foundation remains visible today and has been excavated and stabilized by Parks Canada archaeologists. The lighthouse today. An octagonal concrete lighthouse decorated with neoclassical architectural features was built in 1923. The tower is a twin of the Georges Island Lighthouse in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The Louisbourg lighthouse was destaffed in 1990. The lighthouse is a popular look off point and in 2008 became the start of a coastal walking trail. Interpretive plaques mark the ruins of the previous lighthouses.
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