Come and visit the fully restored Rose Blanche Lighthouse , located in scenic Rose Blanche , just a 45km drive along Route 470 from Port aux Basques. Built in 1871 from a nearby granite quarry, this lighthouse stands as a proud sentinel of our shores. D & T Stevenson, lighthouse engineers from Edinburgh, Scotland, designed the original apparatus. This is the family of noted author Robert Louis Stevenson. The light currently on display is a sixth-order Fresnel lens that is one of the few remaining lenses of this type. Restored in 1999 and furnished with 19th century reproduced furniture and local antiques, this lighthouse is a must-see for all lighthouse enthusiasts. The lighthouse is open to the public on a seasonal basis.
After visiting the Rose Blanche Lighthouse , wander through the picturesque community by way of the trails and roads. Rose Blanche offers an overall fishing village charm with wonderful homes in an array of colors nestled in the hills of the community. Spend a little time and learn of the community's rich culture and heritage.
Rose Blanche Lighthouse Inc. has dedicated this restored lighthouse to all those mariners who sail our shores and to the lights and their keepers that bring them home.
Built in 1871 from a nearby granite quarry, this lighthouse stands as a proud sentinel of our shores. The building was likely designed by either Oake or J.T. Neville, with D & T Stevenson, lighthouse engineers from Edinburgh, Scotland, advising, designing and supplying the original lighting apparatus. The company, named after the father and uncle of Robert Louis Stevenson, designed a number of lighthouses in the UK and Newfoundland, including the one at Ferryland.
On July 26, 1871, Neville selected the location and work began soon after. Of granite construction and built by local workers, the building operated as a lighthouse from 1873 to the 1940s. The original light was a 4th order dioptric lit from sunset to sunrise at a height of 95 feet above sea level. It could be seen for 13 miles in clear weather. There were six keepers over the approximately 70 years of the lighthouse's existence. They were: John A. Roberts, John Cook, Bruce Cook, Philip Hatcher, James Skinner and again Philip Hatcher. Hatcher was the last keeper to serve at the lighthouse.
After it was abandoned, the building fell into ruins. In 1988 the Southwest Development Association and other community groups began the long process of restoring the structure to its former condition. Actual restoration began in 1996 with funding from various government agencies.
Reconstructed fully in 1999 and furnished with 19th century reproduced furniture and local antiques, this lighthouse is a must-see for all lighthouse enthusiasts. One remarkable feature is the stone steps within the tower walls which kept the tower from collapsing after it was abandoned. The light on display now, a gift from the Canadian Coast Guard, is a 6th order Fresnel lens and is believed to be one of only 27 in existence.
The lighthouse, which may be the only restored granite lighthouse in Atlantic Canada, is open to the public on a seasonal basis. Rose Blanche Lighthouse was designated on September 7th, 2002, the first lighthouse in Newfoundland and Labrador to be recognized as a Registered Heritage Structure.
Rose Blanche is a small community located on the southwest coast of Newfoundland. It is approximately 35km east of channel Port-Aux-Basques, the largest community on the Southwest Coast. It is located at coordinates 47°37'00"N, 58°40'59"W. The community is connected by route 470 to the Trans Canada Highway at Port aux Basques and through here Marine Atlantic runs its ferry service linking us with mainland Canada.
The harbor was first used by French migratory fishermen who fished on the Rose Blanche Bank, just offshore. Rose Blanche harbor is on the east side of a small bay and provided good anchorage for fishing vessels close by a narrow peninsula. It is well sheltered by Caines Island and Rose Blanche Point.
