Fort Amherst, St. John's

Fort Amherst is a neighbourhood in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. It is located at 47°33′48.96″N 52°40′49.60″W, on the southern side of the Narrows, the entrance to St. John's harbour. Apart from some family dwellings, Fort Amherst consists of a man-made harbour,^[3] a lighthouse^[4] and the remains of gun emplacements built during World War II to defend against German U-boats. Two QF 4.7-inch B Mark IV* guns remain in place on their mountings.^[5]

Fort Amherst
Neighbourhood
Fort Amherst from Signal Hill
Country	Canada
Province	Newfoundland and Labrador
City	St. John's
Ward	2
Government
• Administrative body	St. John's City Council
• Councilor	Ophelia Ravencroft
National Historic Site of Canada
Official name	Fort Amherst National Historic Site of Canada
Designated	1951
Fort Amherst Lighthouse
Fort Amherst Lighthouse
Coordinates	47°33′48.68″N 52°40′49.52″W
Constructed	1813 (first) 1852 (second)
Construction	stone tower (first) wooden tower (current)
Height	8 metres (26 ft)
Shape	square frustun tower with balcony and lantern
Markings	white tower, red lantern roof
Operator	Fort Amherst Museum and Tea Room [1][2]
Heritage	heritage lighthouse
First lit	1951 (current)
Focal height	40 metres (130 ft)
Range	17 nautical miles (31 km; 20 mi)
Characteristic	Fl W 15s.

The original fortifications at Fort Amherst, built in the 1770s, are no longer visible.^[5] The fortifications were named for William Amherst,^[6] who successfully recaptured St. John's from French forces in 1762.^[7] The fort operated in conjunction with Fort Waldegrave for much of its history. The site was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1951.^[8]

The name is shared with Port La-Joye / Fort Amherst in Prince Edward Island and Fort Amherst in England.

The first lighthouse in Newfoundland was built at Fort Amherst in 1810.^[9] The current lighthouse was built in 1951.^[4]

See also

• List of lighthouses in Canada
• Neighbourhoods in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

Gallery

• 
  One of two surviving QF 4.7-inch B Mark IV* guns at Fort Péninsule, Forillon National Park, Quebec. It is similar to the guns at Fort Amherst.
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