Description of Historic Place
The Rear Range (Lighthouse) is a prominent structure on the edge of the concrete eastern pier, one of a pair of lighthouses that forms the harbour entrance at Port Dalhousie, Lake Ontario. It is a tapered, wooden, octagonal tower with an observation platform enclosed by a pipe railing and crowned by a twelve-sided lantern. Its windows and doors are decorated with pedimented gables that project from the exterior wall. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.
The Rear Range (Lighthouse) is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.
The Rear Range (Lighthouse) is a very good example of a building associated with the establishment of navigational aids on the Great Lakes. Built to replace an earlier lighthouse destroyed by lightning, the Rear Range (Lighthouse) was to serve the third Welland Canal and marked the narrow entranceway. Along with the Front Range Lighthouse, located 300 feet (91.5 meters) away, it formed a dual-light system to guide ships on Lake Ontario and those entering the canal or the port. The rear light is no longer operational, while the front light continues to serve recreational boaters.
The Rear Range (Lighthouse) is valued for its good aesthetics. The octagonal lighthouse form is one of only four in the Great Lakes basin. The design is strictly utilitarian and all of its components are functional in nature. The Lighthouse exhibits good functional design as seen in the central ventilator carried through the lantern. Good craftsmanship is evidenced in the frame construction.
The Rear Range (Lighthouse) is compatible with the maritime character of its lakeside/ pier setting. The Rear Range (Lighthouse) is well known and is a conspicuous regional landmark.
Marilyn E. Armstrong Reynolds, Front and Rear Range lighthouses (2 Buildings) East Pier, Port Dalhousie, Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office, Report 88-103; Rear Range Lighthouse, Port Dalhousie, St Catherines, Ontario, Heritage Character Statement 88-103.
The character-defining elements of the Rear Range (Lighthouse) should be respected:
Its very good aesthetics and functional design and very good craftsmanship, for example:
-the simple design, profile and massing of the octagonal, tapered tower with a twelve-sided lantern;
-the wood-frame construction;
-the weatherboard exterior;
-the observation platform and the gallery handrail;
-the windows and doors, decorated with pedimented gables that project from the exterior wall;
-the interior configuration.
The manner in which the Rear Range (Lighthouse) is compatible with the maritime character of its lakeside/pier setting, and is a familiar regional landmark for maritime traffic as evidenced by:
-its form, scale and materials, which complement its maritime setting;
-its high visibility due to its proximity to the main road into Port Dalhousie, Lakeside Park, and the inner harbour, and to Michigan Beach;
-its specialized role, which makes it a familiar regional landmark to maritime traffic.