Formal Recognition Type

Registered Heritage Structure

Heritage Value

Surgeon Cove Head Light Station was designated a Registered Heritage Structure by the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador in 2024 because of its aesthetic and historic value.

Surgeon Cove Head Light Station has aesthetic value for its environmental setting and its built assets. It is located on Surgeon Cove Head, also referred to in archival documents as Sergeant’s Cove Head and Surgeon’s Cove Head. The headland shares its name with the nearby, former settlement of Sergeant’s Cove, also referred to in archival records as Surgeon’s Cove. These variations in spelling occur over time, often at the same time, and often vary from one government department to another. The name originates from the surname Sergeant, which was also recorded with the spelling variant of Surgeon. Located on the northeast coast of the island of Newfoundland at the entrance to the Bay of Exploits, and on the northwestern tip of the Exploits Islands, the light station provides an open view of the coast, of shipping activities, and of icebergs and pack ice that drift by in the spring. The station has been a well-known landmark for mariners since its construction in 1911, providing a vital service for ocean-going vessels both along the coast and when entering the bay en route to busy ports such as Botwood and Lewisporte.

Surgeon Cove Head Light Station played an important role in the development of marine industries and shipping along Newfoundland’s northeast coast during the twentieth century.  This stretch of coastline was home to a variety of fisheries and seabirds, and it is a prime location for pack ice and icebergs. Navigational aids provided by the light station gave a sense of security to fishers and hunters in the area. It also provided services to many larger ships, such as freighters, paper carriers, and oil tankers, as they made their way from the open ocean to the busy ports of Botwood and Lewisporte. The development of a pulp and paper mill in Grand Falls in 1909 resulted in a great increase in shipping traffic in the Bay of Exploits, and Surgeon Cove Head Light Station became essential to marine navigation in the area.

The Journal of the House of Assembly of Newfoundland reports that preliminary work on the station began in 1911. A Mr. Cornick was superintendent at the site. A notice to mariners published in the fall of 1911 includes this description of the station – “an incandescent petroleum vapour light, burnt under a mantle to give a triple white flash every 15 seconds, thus;- Flash .437 seconds, eclipse 2.562 seconds, flash .437 seconds, eclipse 2.562 seconds, flash, .437 seconds, eclipse 8.562 seconds. The house and [4.3 metre] circular iron tower are painted in alternate vertical stripes, red and white. Lantern and dome, white.” In 1916, Mr. Jennings, a member of the House of Assembly, requested that measures be taken to increase the safety of the light station, noting that lives had been lost and that the lightkeeper’s two boys were almost blown away carrying coal from an outbuilding to the house. He suggested that a wire cable should be installed to prevent people from falling over the 300-foot cliff. He also noted that an inferior quality oil was being supplied to the station and that, given the station’s importance, only the highest quality oil should be supplied. He also noted that “the keeper is a very capable conscientious man, who, although he had the misfortune to lose one of his arms, attends to his duties properly and keeps the light in good condition.” In 1920, government expenditures report that $500 was spent on installing a “hoisting engine and outfit” at the station. A spar was also purchased at a cost of $60. The spar and boom apparatus was an essential piece of equipment in this location, as the only close access to the site was by boat. The spar and boom allowed materials and supplies to be hoisted from boats to the top of the cliff on which the light station sits.  Pre-confederation government records show that the keepers at Sergeant’s/Surgeon’s Cove Head light station were among the highest paid in the Colony, most likely due to the station’s remoteness and its location along a very busy shipping lane.

Following confederation with Canada in 1949, the federal government took over the management of light stations in Newfoundland and Labrador. In 1954, the federal Department of Transport issued a tender for the installation of a fog alarm building at “Surgeon’s Cove.” The Evening Telegram reported in October of 1954 that “The Sea Beacon, operated by the Lighthouse Division of the Department of Transport, will leave port…for Sergeant’s Cove Head…to help in the construction of a lighthouse,” and an article from November of 1954 reports that the ship’s crew would “install a new fog alarm equipment and building at Surgeon Cove Head.” By 1955, a type B diaphone fog alarm was installed at the light station. In 1960, the Department of Transport advertised a tender for the construction of one double dwelling at “Surgeon Cove Head.” In 1961, the tender was awarded to Twillingate Engineering and Construction Limited. This duplex, painted white with minimal red trim, having a red roof and red chimneys, replaced the original, much smaller keeper’s house. The 1960s dwelling is reminiscent of lightkeeper dwellings built at that time, many of which were constructed to replace older residences, and few of which now survive. In 1965, the station switched to generated electric power and a radio telephone was installed – another vital communication link along this stretch of coast. The foghorn was upgraded to an electric model in 1976.

Although Surgeon Cove Head Light Station was an import beacon for marine navigation and safety in the region, it may not always have been staffed year-round. A government notice issued in 1920, announced that the lights at Surgeon Cove Head and other light stations, would “be extinguished during the winter months while navigation is closed.” It is not known if this was a yearly occurrence, but in 1965, the Montreal Shipping Company petitioned for the year-round staffing of the site. The earliest lightkeepers lived at the station with their families. This arrangement ended in 1969, when the newly built double dwelling was converted into exclusively staff quarters for keepers, who would work on 4-person rotations.  The station was staffed until 2002, ending 91 years of constant vigil by Surgeon Cove Head lightkeepers.

Source: Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador property file “Surgeon Cove – Surgeon Cove Head Light Station – FPT 5358″

Character Defining Elements

All those environmental features that embody the purpose of the site, including:
-unobstructed view planes to and from the light station;
-location and orientation of buildings and structures;
-the geographical setting of the site on Surgeon Cove Head, and;
-the location at the edge of the Atlantic ocean.

All original features which relate to the age, style, and purpose of the double dwelling, including:
-simple, symmetrical facade denoting double occupancy;
-hipped roof with red shingles;
-chimney style, placement, and colour;
-number of storeys;
-narrow wooden clapboard;
-wooden corner boards;
-regular pattern of window and door openings on facade;
-6/6 wooden window size, style, trim, and placement;
-defined door openings for separate entrances as part of a double dwelling;
-size, style, trim, and placement of exterior wooden doors;
-typical white main exterior colour with some red trim, and;
-dimension, location, and orientation of dwelling.

All those features which relate to the age, style, and purpose of the light tower, including:
-size, style, placement, and colour of lantern room and dome;
-size, style, placement, and colour of gallery surrounding the lantern room;
-window size, style, trim, and placement;
-size, style, trim, and placement of exterior doors;
-simplicity of exterior decoration;
-painted white and red vertical bands on exterior;
-cast iron construction;
-height and massing;
-location and orientation of light tower, and;
-viewscapes to and from the light tower.

All those features which relate to the age, style, and purpose of the spar and boom, including:
-size, style, placement, and colour of spar and boom;
-iron construction;
-height and massing;
-location and orientation of spar and boom, and;
-viewscapes to and from the spar and boom.

Community

Surgeon Cove Head

Municipality

Not specified (Newfoundland)

Civic Address

Surgeon Cove Head

Construction (circa)

1911 - 1961