>> Click to enlarge << The lower part of the lighthouse is guided by ...

It's been a tumultuous few months for the lighthouses of Nova Scotia. Late last year Little Hope Island Lighthouse was destroyed by a storm, and two of the province's lighthouses were destroyed by fire earlier this year. And now a familiar little “pepperpot” tower, Abbott's Harbour Light, has been relocated from Lobster Bay to Le Village Historique Acadien de la Nouvelle Ecosse (Historical Acadian Village of Nova Scotia) in Lower West Pubnico. But this story has a happy ending, as the lighthouse has been saved from possible destruction and will be well cared for.

>> Click to enlarge << The upper half of the tower is lowered into ...

The 31-foot wooden tower began its life in Amherst, Nova Scotia, and was moved to Abbott's Harbour in 1922 to replace an earlier light on a pole. The d'Entremont family kept the light for 77 years. In 1990, Father Clarence d'Entremont and other members of the West Pubnico Historical Society created Lighthouse Park (Parc du Phare), with picnic tables and benches near the lighthouse. But the land was privately owned, and the present owner didn't want to be responsible for the care of the decommissioned lighthouse.

>> Click to enlarge << The first two sections of the lighthouse were ...

On June 24, 2004 the tower was cut into three sections and loaded onto a flatbed truck to be transported a few miles south to the museum. It was a surprise to some of the local residents, who had no idea the lighthouse was going to be moved.

>> Click to enlarge << Finally, the lighthouse's lantern was lowered ...

“All my life I have been walking to this lighthouse,” says Josette d'Entremont of the Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society, “so it won't be the same walking to that area. But I'm also happy that the lighthouse was saved. And it's still in Pubnico, in the community.”

>> Click to enlarge << The completely reassembled tower in its new ...

You can learn more about Le Village Historique Acadien de la Nouvelle Escosse by visiting the Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society's web site at www.nslps.com. The Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society's web site is www.nslps.com.

>> Click to enlarge << Abbott's Harbour Lighthouse in its old location ... Photo by: Jeremy D'Entremont

This story appeared in the October 2004 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.

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