Canada - Cape Spencer Lighthouse

The Cape Spencer Lighthouse is located at Mispec Beach, Saint John Brunswich, Canada. The first lighthouse here was built in 1873 but made of wood. Years later it was replaced, and then that lighthouse replaced in 1983 by the current lighthouse and fog horn building. At the time of my visit in 200l this was an active light.

Canada - Parrsboro Harbor Lighthouse

The Parrsboro Harbor Lighthouse is located at Parrsboro, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is unique in that the light is green and it was an active light when I visited in 2001. Like other lighthouses in Canada, I was unable to gather much information about this one also.

Canada - Market Square Lighthouses

The two lighthouses in the foreground are authentic lighthouses that were relocated to Market Square on the Wharf at Saint John Harbor, New Brunswick, Canada. It is unknown to me from where they were moved. These were inactive lighthouses at the time of my visit in 2001. These lighthouses are two of a few that I've seen where little data was gathered about the lighthouse.

Canada - Partridge Island Lighthouse

Partridge Island sets at the entrance to Saint John Harbor, New Brunswick, Canada. It is a National/Provincial Historic Site, nicknamed "Canada's Emerald Isle". This was the site of North America's first quarantine station. The island is home to six graveyards and other historical features. It was not accessible to the public at the time of my visit in 2001. The first light was established here in 1791. This light was built in 1980 and as shown in the picture was an active light.

Canada - Mulholland Point Lighthouse

Mulholland Point Lighthouse was built in 1885 and is located at Campobello Island, New Brunswick, Canada. This lighthouse was built to serve as a guide for the many small coasters and freighters passing through the narrow Lubec Channel. The light was turned off when the Roosevelt Memorial Bridge was built in 1962. At the time of my visit in 2001 this lighthouse was not open to the public.

Canada - Quaco Head Lighthouse

The Quaco Head Lighthouse is located at St Martins, New Brunswick, Canada. The first one was built in 1835 near this location. It had an octagonal tower. Over the years that lighthouse was damaged by severe storms and eventually destroyed by fire. The present lighthouse was built in 1966. At the time of my visit in 2001 this was an active lighthouse, but was not open to the public.

Washington - Destruction Island Lighthouse (Lens)

This is the First Order Fresnel Lens that was removed from the Destruction Island Lighthouse. It is housed at the Westport Maritime Museum in Westport, WA. The lens was manufactured in 1888 in France. The lens rotated, turned by a clockwork mechanism. Its twenty-four "bulls-eye" panels cast a flashing light to a distance of over 26 miles. Originally the lamp that provided the light had five hollow wicks lit by oil. Whale oil was preferred, until it became too expensive. In the 1860's lard was used and then replaced by kerosene in the 1880's. In 1968 the lighthouse was automated, so the Fresnel lens was dismantled, removed from the lighthouse, and placed in temporary storage in Astoria, OR. In 1998 a display building was built in the Maritime Museum. This location was selected because it was the closest place where the lens could be appropriately cared for and made accessible to the public. It took a team of 6 people working for a week to reassemble, clean, and polish the Fresnel lens. At the time of my visit to the Westport Maritime Museum in 1999, there were six lighthouses in Washington state that still had an operating Fresnel lens that was lit by an electric bulb. -- The above photo was taken by Tammy Diamond and sold by the Museum. Since I have mentioned the Fresnel lens in previous postings, I wanted to include this picture to give you a better perspective on the size of a First Order Fresnel lens.

Washington - Alki Point Lighthouse

The Alki Point Lighthouse is located at West Seattle, WA. The first light at this Point was a lantern hung out by a landowner in 1880 to warn ships of the Point because it sticks out so far into Puget Sound. In 1887 the Lighthouse Service built a lens lantern and mounted it on top of a post. Then, in 1913 this 37 foot octagonal tower was built along with the attached fog-signal building. Originally, the lantern room housed a fourth order lens. At the time of my visit in 1999, this lighthouse was operated by the U.S. Coast Guard and was an active light.