Shoal Tower
In French: Tour Shoal
Kingston Harbour
Shoal Tower, 1898 and today
Drag across to compare. The two views aren’t taken from exactly the same spot.
1898: Public domain. Today: Photo: Preeteesh Singh · CC BY-SA 2.0.
About Shoal Tower
National Historic Site status goes to 22 places in Kingston, Shoal Tower among them. By its record, Shoal Tower was built in 1846–1848. R.E. Bonnycastle and Royal Engineers designed it. 4 neighbours on the registers lie within 400 m.
Rising dramatically from the water, Shoal Martello Tower sits offshore in Kingston Harbour. A single entrance doorway and small windows pierce the cylindrical stone tower. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.
From the Canadian Register of Historic Places, Shoal Tower National Historic Site of Canada · Open Government Licence – Canada · as published, word for word
A National Historic Site is designated by the federal minister on the Historic Sites and Monuments Board’s advice.
2 old views of Shoal Tower
Made before 1950, from 1898: public domain or CC0. Tap one to see it full screen.
1898From Wikimedia Commons, copied to our own server; some are drawings, prints or maps of their time. Each credit is in the viewer.
Make it a walk: 3 historic places in about 10 minutes
Kingston · about 400 m on foot, as the crow flies
- 1Shoal TowerStart here
- 2Kingston City HallNational Historic Site · 200 m on
- 3Kingston Customs HouseNational Historic Site · 100 m on
1 within 300 m
Every place on the record within this distance; each opens its own page.
Questions about Shoal Tower
Is Shoal Tower protected?
The designation recognizes its national significance; it doesn’t by itself protect a building the federal government doesn’t own. Provincial or municipal designation may.
What is Shoal Tower?
Shoal Tower is a National Historic Site of Canada, designated in 1924.
Can you visit Shoal Tower?
It can be seen from the street; whether you can go inside depends on its owner.
When was Shoal Tower built?
Its register puts the building of Shoal Tower at 1846–1848.
Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada (Parks Canada).
Sources: Parks Canada, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations · Canadian Register of Historic Places (federal extract) · Photos: Wikimedia Commons, each credited with its licence and copied to our own server · Wikidata (CC0) for map points, other names and articles.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).