The Offer Wadham Lighthouse is an active lighthouse in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, was lit for the first time on October 4, 1858. It was built after many petitions were sent to the government arguing for a light to be put on the island to help guide mariners. This arose especially after the "Spring of the Wadhams" in 1852, when more than 40 sealing vessels were crushed and abandoned in the ice near Offer Wadham Island and several crew members escaped by climbing over cliffs to find shelter.[2]

Offer Wadham Lighthouse

Location	Wadham Islands Newfoundland and Labrador Canada
Coordinates	49°35′36.3″N 53°45′46.7″W
Tower
Constructed	1858 (first)
Construction	brick and limestone encased in concrete tower (first) steel skeletal tower (current)
Automated	1990s
Height	12 metres (39 ft) (first) 6 metres (20 ft) (current)
Shape	octagonal tower lantern removed (first) square tower
Markings	unpainted tower (first)
Power source	solar power
Operator	Canadian Coast Guard [1]
Light
First lit	1990s (current)
Deactivated	1990s (first)
Focal height	30.5 metres (100 ft)
Range	6 nautical miles (11 km; 6.9 mi)
Characteristic	Fl W 3s.

Keepers

The first lighthouse keeper was Thomas Hennessey and his assistant was Edward Reddy. Charles Prowse was appointed keeper in November 1862 until 1901 and his assistants were William Hennessey, William Murphy, Peter Woods, and Robert Wellon. Other lighthouse keepers on the island were:[3]

• Thomas Hennessey 1857–1863
• Charles Prowse 1863–1899
• Elias Abbott 1899–1904
• Stephen Abbot 1905–1908
• William Pomeroy 1909–1916
• James Ford Mouland 1916–1936
• Arch Way, Walter Hicks at least 1941–at least 194)

Description

The lighthouse is described in the Newfoundland Almanac as a steady, fixed, white 4th order dioptric burning on a circular brick tower at an arc of 360 degrees with a 2 wick concentric lamp. It was 100 feet (30 m) above sea level and could be seen at about 15 nautical miles (28 km; 17 mi).[4]

See also

• List of lighthouses in Newfoundland and Labrador
• List of lighthouses in Canada

References

External links

• Offer Wadham Lighthouse in Lighthouse Digest's Lighthouse Explorer Database
• Aids to Navigation Canadian Coast Guard
• Picture of Offer Wadham Lighthouse