Lighthouse # 023, Cape Spear (old), Atlantic Ocean, Newfoundland, Canada, 2026

Height | 9 metres (30 ft) Geographic position | 47° 31' 12" N, 52° 37' 24" W Elevation on earth | 240 ft Built in 1835 on the easternmost point of North America, Cape Spear Lighthouse is Newfoundland's oldest surviving lighthouse. Designed using plans from Scotland's Northern Lighthouse Board, the structure integrates a circular stone tower with a two-storey, wood-frame keeper's residence — a Neoclassical form as practical as it was elegant. The light was first activated on September 1, 1836, powered by sperm whale oil and seven Argand burners. In 1846, James Cantwell was appointed keeper after guiding the fog-shrouded frigate of Prince Henry of the Netherlands safely into St. John's Harbour — his requested reward for the feat. The prince granted the position with the stipulation that it would remain in the Cantwell family as long as they wished, launching a dynasty of six generations that tended the light for over 150 years. Declared a National Historic Site in 1962 and restored by Parks Canada to its 1835–1840 appearance, the lighthouse is open to visitors today. Keepers: Emanuel Warren (1836–1846), James Cantwell (1846–1879), Austin Sheppard (1880–1886), Dennis Cantwell(1886–1909), James Cantwell (1909–1918), William Cantwell (1918–1925), Jack Cantwell (1925–1939), Weston Cantwell (1939–1944), Frank Cantwell (1944–1965) Ref.: lighthousefriends.com