A 19th-century lighthouse in Annapolis County is 'inspiring the community'

When Medea Holtz thinks of Nova Scotia and the Maritimes, the first thing that comes to mind is lighthouses.

"They're like the castles of the sea," said the chair of the Port Royal Lighthouse Association. "I mean it's just amazing to see them."

Her group is working to restore the Schafner Point Lighthouse, which is informally known as the Port Royal Lighthouse. Located on the Annapolis Basin, the 13-metre structure was built in 1885 and is in need of upgrades.

In 2019, repair work was started on the lighthouse by its previous owner, the Annapolis Heritage Society. However, when the shingles were removed, a litany of problems were discovered: fungal growth, rot and "furry wood," as Holtz put it.

Work ceased and the lighthouse was wrapped with a protective cover. It's remained in that state since, but efforts to fix the lighthouse are being revived.

Last month, the Annapolis Heritage Society handed over the keys to the lighthouse to the Port Royal Lighthouse Association.

A community meeting was held and locals have pledged to help contribute time and money to the cause.

Holtz said this includes a restaurateur who will do "foodie fundraisers," a professional grant writer to help with fundraising efforts and even a heritage restoration specialist.

"Can you imagine? All in one community," said Holtz.

The heritage specialist is Jerry Dick, who lives in nearby Port Wade, N.S. He moved to Nova Scotia last year from Newfoundland for his retirement.

He's providing advice on the restoration process, mostly a lot of dos and don'ts.

"I've seen many buildings that were inappropriately dealt with and new materials that sometimes cause more problems than they solve," he said.

Dick said the prognosis is good for the lighthouse, and it's in "remarkably good shape" for its age.

He's looking forward to sharing his knowledge and getting more involved in his new community.

Photographer Steve Skafte lives in nearby Bridgetown, N.S., and is a frequent visitor to the lighthouse.

"I've been going there most of my life and I think it's a lighthouse most people tend to overlook," he said.

The lighthouse is a couple of kilometres from the Port-Royal National Historic Site, which was one of the first European settlements in North America.

Skafte said most tourist traffic heading to Port-Royal never see the lighthouse.

"I always thought something was charming about it because it's one of the smaller lighthouses and it doesn't really get a lot of sea traffic by it, so maybe it doesn't have a lot of navigational purpose," he said.

"But I've always been interested in that sort of more obsolete lighthouse where it doesn't it doesn't really serve a modern purpose, but it once did."

Skafte said he likes visiting the lighthouse at night, and called it "a little bit spooky." Sometimes the winds howl, but the view of the sky is always impressive.

"When you're there under the moonlight or starlight, you can see [the sky] fully, just a little offset by the light that's in the lighthouse, which isn't terribly bright," he said.

Skafte said he's pleased efforts are being made to restore the lighthouse.

In 2019, repair work for the lighthouse was estimated at roughly $100,000.

In a high-inflation environment with a labour shortage, the present-day cost could be much higher.

Lighthouse is 'inspiring the community'

But the generosity of locals will help keep the repair costs down. Holtz said a local lumber mill has even offered to donate the necessary lumber.

On Saturday, the Port Royal Lighthouse Association held an "open light," a sort of open house at the lighthouse, complete with mulled cider and cookies.

Holtz hopes the restoration is completed by next year.

"This lighthouse is really inspiring the community and lots of fun things are going to come out of this project," she said.