Little Fogo Island
Little Fogo Island lies northeast of Joe Batt’s Point. This resettled community is found off the Coast of Fogo Island. No one has resided here year-round for decades but many of the remaining houses are used as cabins. At one time multiple stages would have dotted the coastline, but now several are falling into the ocean, or have long since disappeared. The steep cliffs of Little Fogo necessitated that fish stages be built on posts called ‘shores.’ In some places you can still see these supports extending upward, indicating where a stage used to be. Such timber shores live on as a reminder of what was once the main industry here—the fishery.
Little Fogo Island is now a summer community, with a very different life than the one it was built on. However, a visit to Little Fogo can still offer a look into its heritage. St. Anne’s Roman Catholic Church, built in 1867, draws curious visitors who want to experience the island and pay tribute to those who used to live here. Every year there is a pilgrimage to the church, complete with a mass held in honor of Little Fogo’s departed residents. The church has been restored and is maintained by the residents of Fogo Island proper, who aim to preserve this heritage site.
