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Published: July 27th 2018
The second stop on our tour today was the Seal Island Lighthouse Museum. This stop was a little disappointing in that it was extremely foggy and not worth making the trip to the top of the museum. Regardless, the museum was a 35’ tall replica of the 60’ tall lighthouse that actually sets on Seal Island, which is located approximately 18 miles offshore (a little difficult for us to get to without a boat).
The museum actually has the iron lantern and the second order Fresnel lens, which was used from 1902 to 1978 in the Seal Island lighthouse. Once removed, the light was to be sent to Ottawa, but the community fiercely objected and the lantern was brought by helicopter to Barrington. Money was raised to build the museum to house the lantern and the lens. Inside, in addition to many artifacts, there was a large document that listed numerous shipwrecks and information about them. Too many to read all, but still rather interesting (& a little creepy).
Next to the lighthouse was a small graveyard. An interesting note on the gravestone is the image at the top of Mrs. Lettice Doane’s stone. The winged skull or “death
head” is typical of 18th century, New-England-style gravestones. The article indicated the “grinning skull” (doesn’t look like it’s grinning to me) reminds us that life on earth is short-lived and death will always in the end. Apparently there are few “death head” stones in Nova Scotia. I first read about them in Port Medway (Liverpool).
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Cyn
non-member comment
Seal Island
Somehow this one sneaked by me, glad I clicked on previous. It's funny they write 'here lies the body of", they don't do that any more and I agree 'kind of creepy' - they actually stated how she passed away. It's hard to read but I think it states her child passed away and was buried with her?