The original light at this location, erected in 1842, was a single iron post and was positioned to line up with the steeple of Trinity Church to help guide ships into the harbour at night. In 1848 the Saint John Gas Company commissioned Alexander Campbell to replace the single lamp with three lamps on a trident. The lanterns displayed red to sea and white toward shore. If all three lights were seen separately then the ship was within the channel; if only one or two showed, then the ship was off course. In 1897, the lamp post, which by then had been electrified, was raised fifteen feet so that its three lights could be more clearly distinguished from the other electric lights along the harbour front, which were of roughly the same height. After 140 years of withstanding the elements, the old lamp post was replaced with a replica in 1997. Reed's Point Light, affectionately known as "The Three Sisters," has become a familiar icon for the city of Saint John.
Author of the photo: Mark