Fort Amherst, St. John's facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fort Amherst
Neighbourhood
Fort Amherst from Signal Hill
Country	Canada
Province	Newfoundland and Labrador
City	St. John's
Ward	2
{| class="infobox vcard" style="width: 22em" |+ class="fn" | Fort Amherst, St. John's |- | colspan=2 style="text-align: center" | |- | colspan=2 style="text-align: center" | Fort Amherst Lighthouse |- ! Location | class="label" | Fort Amherst St. John's Newfoundland Canada |- ! Coordinates | 47°33′48.68″N 52°40′49.52″W / 47.5635222°N 52.6804222°W / 47.5635222; -52.6804222 |- ! Year first constructed | 1813 (first) 1852 (second) |- ! Year first lit | class="note" | 1951 (current) |- ! Construction | stone tower (first) wooden tower (current) |- ! Tower shape | square frustun tower with balcony and lantern |- ! Markings / pattern | class="note" | white tower, red lantern roof |- ! Height | 8 metres (26 ft) |- ! Focal height | 40 metres (130 ft) |- ! Range | 17 nautical miles (31 km; 20 mi) |- ! Characteristic | class="note" | Fl W 15s. |- ! Admiralty number | H0458 |- ! CHS number | CCG 506 |- ! NGA number | 1848 |- ! ARLHS number | CAN-683 |- |}

Fort Amherst is a small area, or neighbourhood, in the city of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. It sits on the southern side of a narrow waterway called the Narrows. This waterway is the main entrance to St. John's harbour.

Besides a few homes, Fort Amherst has a man-made harbour. It also has a lighthouse and old gun positions. These guns were put there during World War II to protect against German U-boats. Two large guns, called QF 4.7-inch B Mark IV* guns, are still there today. You can see them on their original stands.

History of Fort Amherst

The first forts at Fort Amherst were built in the 1770s. These original buildings are no longer visible. The fort was named after William Amherst. He was a British Army officer who successfully took back St. John's from French forces in 1762.

For much of its history, Fort Amherst worked together with Fort Waldegrave. Both forts helped protect the harbour. In 1951, the site was named a National Historic Site of Canada. This means it is an important place in Canadian history.

The name Fort Amherst is also used for other places. These include Port La-Joye / Fort Amherst in Prince Edward Island and Fort Amherst in England.

The Fort Amherst Lighthouse

The very first lighthouse in Newfoundland was built at Fort Amherst in 1810. This was an important step for safe travel by sea. The lighthouse you see there today was built much later, in 1951. It helps guide ships safely into St. John's harbour.

Gallery

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  This is one of two QF 4.7-inch B Mark IV* guns at Fort Péninsule. It is similar to the guns you can see at Fort Amherst.

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