Mansel and Liam Armstrong 2001 at Anderson Hollow lighthouse by Crooked Creek/Bank of NB museum courtesy of Armstrong family) By Bonnie-Lee Armstrong
As the granddaughter of a lighthouse keeper, I come by my love of lighthouses honestly. Anyone who knows about the early 20th century lighthouse keepers understands it was the vocation of the whole family, not just the keepers. It was more than a job: it was a lifestyle. Often romanticized, the truth is it was hard work and a position that bore great responsibility. It was through the dedication of the keepers that these lighthouses remained functional and in good repair in order to save and protect the lives of mariners. I would like to share the story of one of those lighthouses, which I affectionately call “Grampie’s Lighthouse.”
My connection with it began in my childhood in the early 60’s when I used to play in the lighthouse that stood beside my grandparent’s home in Waterside. It was a magical playhouse full of adventure and imagination. I would climb the steep ladder stairs to the landing, where the old lantern would have hung. I imagined myself being the keeper, lighting the lantern or searching the waters below Anderson Hollow for sailors. My grandfather died before I had the opportunity to know him so I associated the lighthouse with him and began to call it Grampie’s Lighthouse. For me, it came to represent my grandfather and the history of my family as keepers before they moved from the Martin Head Lighthouse to Waterside in 1932. It wasn’t until years later that I discovered the lighthouse was actually called the Anderson Hollow Lighthouse.
As the granddaughter of a lighthouse keeper, I come by my love of lighthouses honestly. Anyone who knows about the early 20th century lighthouse keepers understands it was the vocation of the whole family, not just the keepers. It was more than a job: it was a lifestyle. Often romanticized, the truth is it was hard work and a position that bore great responsibility. It was through the dedication of the keepers that these lighthouses remained functional and in good repair in order to save and protect the lives of mariners. I would like to share the story of one of those lighthouses, which I affectionately call “Grampie’s Lighthouse.”
My connection with it began in my childhood in the early 60’s when I used to play in the lighthouse that stood beside my grandparent’s home in Waterside. It was a magical playhouse full of adventure and imagination. I would climb the steep ladder stairs to the landing, where the old lantern would have hung. I imagined myself being the keeper, lighting the lantern or searching the waters below Anderson Hollow for sailors. My grandfather died before I had the opportunity to know him so I associated the lighthouse with him and began to call it Grampie’s Lighthouse. For me, it came to represent my grandfather and the history of my family as keepers before they moved from the Martin Head Lighthouse to Waterside in 1932. It wasn’t until years later that I discovered the lighthouse was actually called the Anderson Hollow Lighthouse.
The original Anderson Hollow Lighthouse was built in 1889 at the end of the former Waterside Wharf near where Anderson Hollow Brook drains into the Bay of Fundy. The lighthouse was damaged twice by storms and was eventually swept away in 1895 during a gale. In 1898, a second lighthouse was constructed, also at the end of the wharf, only to be destroyed in a harsh January storm in 1902. Realizing the seas could be quite unforgiving in that rocky rugged portion of Waterside Beach, it was decided to rebuild the Anderson Hollow Lighthouse on the bluff above the wharf in 1903. It was lit nightly until 1909 when the lighthouse service was discontinued and replaced by a navigational mast lantern at the end of the wharf.
Anderson Hollow Lighthouse with visitors c1915 courtesy of Carolyn Vankampen (family album) Sometime between about 1909 and 1915, the lighthouse was moved from the bluff, across the road (now Route 915) to beside the home of Allan O. Richardson (Armstrong house 1932-1964). Around 1985, the Tener family, the owners at that time, donated the lighthouse to the Albert County Historical Trust. With the help of a grant, it was moved next to the old Bank of New Brunswick Museum in Albert at the intersection of Routes 114 and 915. In the fall of 2001, the lighthouse was on the move again, this time it was moved near the Harvey Dam on Mary’s Point Road in what would become the Harvey Bank Heritage Shipyard Park on the site of the former Turner Shipyard.
In recent years, the Anderson Hollow Lighthouse has been in decline. Time, the elements and vandalism have not been kind to it. Like a lot of historical preservation projects in our province, the Anderson Hollow Lighthouse relies solely on volunteerism, and the donation of supplies and materials and other resources for upkeep and maintenance. The site requires volunteers willing to do the jobs, like weekly mowing and garbage removal in the summer, general painting and replacement of missing pieces, as well as monitoring the lighthouse for frequent vandalism and repairing the subsequent damage.
In recent years, the Anderson Hollow Lighthouse has been in decline. Time, the elements and vandalism have not been kind to it. Like a lot of historical preservation projects in our province, the Anderson Hollow Lighthouse relies solely on volunteerism, and the donation of supplies and materials and other resources for upkeep and maintenance. The site requires volunteers willing to do the jobs, like weekly mowing and garbage removal in the summer, general painting and replacement of missing pieces, as well as monitoring the lighthouse for frequent vandalism and repairing the subsequent damage.
I’m sure it feels like an exercise in futility when repairs are made only to have them vandalized a short time later. Volunteer numbers in small communities are dwindling or often stretched very thinly as they try to tend to the things they feel passionate about. After recently viewing the state of the Anderson Hollow Lighthouse, I realized the very place that ignited my imagination as a child, Grampie’s Lighthouse, needed my help. Just like the lighthouses in the past, Anderson Hollow Lighthouse needs a lighthouse keeper and its family to care for it. This is not only my heritage; it is the heritage of the family we call Albert County. As one of the few remaining lighthouses in the province, I believe it deserves our time and attention. It will receive mine as I step forward with paint brush and hammer in hand.
If you would like to volunteer or be involved with the lighthouse maintenance or repair, email [email protected]. Contact information will be used to inform volunteers of future meetings and work sessions.
If you would like to volunteer or be involved with the lighthouse maintenance or repair, email [email protected]. Contact information will be used to inform volunteers of future meetings and work sessions.
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