Signal Hill

Signal Hill overlooks the harbour and city of St. John's to the west and the open north Atlantic ocean on the east. A National Historic Site for its strategic location (site of the final battle of the Seven Years' War in North America was fought in 1762 (at the Battle of Signal Hill). During the 19th century, Signal Hill was manned specifically during the Napoleonic Wars and the American Civil War. Known as "The Lookout" it was renamed "Signal Hill," because of the signalling that took place upon its summit from its flagmast. Flag communication between land and sea would take place there from the 17th century until 1960. On 12 December 1901, the first transatlantic wireless transmission was received by Guglielmo Marconi from the Poldhu Wireless Station, Cornwall, UK. (St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada)