A Michigan Beauty - Presque Isle Lighthouse

In French, Presque Isle means "almost an island." It is a small peninsula which has provided mariners with one of the best harbors of refuge between Port Huron and Michilimackinac. In 1840, the old Presque Isle Light was built about one mile to the north. Remains still existenced at the time of my visit here in 1998. This new Presque Isle Lighthouse was built in 1870 as a taller replacement for the old one. The new light has a conical tower that stands 113-feet high. The original third-order Fresnel lens produces a lens focal plane of 123-feet above the water level of Lake Huron. A covered walkway connects the tower to the first keepers dwelling. In 1905, a second keepers dwelling was added. In 1970, the lighthouse was automated by the U.S. Coast Guard, and the light was still active at the time of my visit here in 1998.

A Michigan Beauty - Point Betsie Lighthouse

The Point Betsie Lighthouse is located at the southern end of Manitou Passage, MI. This lighthouse was built in 1858 at a cost of $3,000. Its original name was "Pointe Aux Becs Scies." This was such an important light that the original 37-foot tower was replaced with a new 100-foot structure. The cylindrical light tower is surmounted by a 10-sided cast-iron lantern and produces a lens focal plane 52-feet above the main water level of Lake Michigan. The lantern room contains a fourth-order Fresnel lens with flash panels. The crystal lamp originally burned coal oil, then kerosene, and now electric. In 1983, the US Coast Guard automated Point Betsie when it was the last staffed light station on the east shore of Lake Michigan.

At the time of my visit here in 1998, this lighthouse was owned by the US Coast Guard and used for Coast Guard family housing.

A Michigan Beauty - Big Sable Point Lighthouse

The Big Sable Point Lighthouse is located in Ludington State Park, Ludington, MI. The 112-foot tower and original keepers dwelling were built in 1867, which includes a 14-foot enclosed walkway between the tower and dwelling. Eight circular windows were built into the tower for light and observation.The lantern room housed a third-order Fresnel lens. Brick was used to construct the tower but later erosion set in and the brick was covered with steel plates in 1900 to stop the erosion. In 1906 an addition was built onto the keepers dwelling, enabling it to house the families of the head keeper and two assistant keepers. A fog signal was installed in 1908. Due to shore erosion and encroachment of the water toward the lighthouse, a sea-wall was built in 1943. The lighthouse was electrified in 1949. After the lighthouse/light station was automated in 1968 it was no longer manned.

At the time of my visit here in 1998, this beautiful lighthouse was open to the public after a one and a half mile hike back to its location.

A Michigan Beauty - The Grand Haven Lighthouses

The Grand Haven Lighthouses are located on the South Pier, which jets out into Lake Michigan, at Grand Haven, MI . The front range light (outer) and the rear range light (inner) mark the entrance to the Grand River at Grand Haven. The rear range light sets atop the 52-feet tall conical steel tower. This light was first lit in 1839. The front range light stands 36-feet tall. It was built in 1905 and remodeled in 1922. The lights were automated In 1969. Both lighthouses are connected by a catwalk built above the pier to enable the keepers to access the lighthouses during high tides and foul weather. The light can be seen from 15-miles out on the lake.

At the time of my visit here in 1998, the lights were active.

A Michigan Beauty - Holland Harbor South Pierhead Lighthouse

The Holland Harbor South Pierhead Lighthouse is located at Holland, MI. The original lighthouse, built in 1872, was a wood structure. Its light was fixed red with a fifth-order Fresnel lens.

This new lighthouse replaced the old in 1907. Its lantern room was equipped with a fourth-order Fresnel lens. The tower stands 32-feet tall and sets atop one of the two dwellings. (Roof line of dwellings seen better in picture below.) Originally, the lighthouse was painted a buff color, but in 1956 it was painted red. "Big Red," as it is known by the local people, marks the entrance to Lake Michigan and the Holland Harbor. The light was automated in 1970.

In the summer of 1998, I visited this lighthouse and enjoyed it along with beautiful weather that day. However, if I were to try and visit the lighthouse on this November day that I'm posting this to my blog, I couldn't get there because of the deep snow in most parts of Michigan.

 I've classified this lighthouse as a Michigan Beauty. Would I have done so if the lighthouse was still painted a buff color?  Honestly, I would have to see the buff color to be sure, but the red is beautiful.

A Massachusetts Beauty - Eastern Point Lighthouse

The Eastern Point Lighthouse is located at Gloucester, MA. The lighthouse at Eastern Point is the third to stand on this granite promontory. The first was a stone tower built in 1832 to aid the great growing fleet of Gloucester fishermen. Dampness quickly worked into the structure causing multiple problems. The keeper then, Samuel Wonson, complained in 1842 that the tower "leaks in every direction." He indicated it was "covered with ice in winter, and green mold in summer" and "the rain blows in under the deck of the lantern room and runs through the walls."

The original tower had to be replaced twice; first in 1848 and again in 1890. A fourth-order Fresnel lens was installed in 1857 to replace the previous fixed red light. In 1985 the light was automated.

The two-story keeper's dwelling was built n 1879, and a second dwelling added in 1908. One dwelling is connected to the  tower by a covered walkway, which can be better viewed by clicking on the above picture.


At the time of my visit here in 1997, a Coast Guard family lived in the keeper's dwelling, and the light was active. Today's light shines from the 36-foot high cylindrical white brick structure of 1890.

A Massachusetts Beauty - The Chatham Lighthouse

The Chatham Lighthouse is located at 37 Main Street, Chatham, MA. Originally, twin 40-foot octagonal lighthouses, built nearby in 1808, marked the west side of Chatham Harbor, which was once a busy, open port. Within three decades, lingering moisture had significantly rotted the wooden structures, and they were replaced in 1841 by a pair of 30-foot brick towers with fourth-order Fresnel lenses. Concerned about the erosion of the nearby cliffs, the government relocated the towers to a newer site more than a quarter of a mile from sea. But the substantial change was not sufficient. By 1870, the edge of the receding embankment was only 230-feet from the interior location, and six years later it was within 100-feet.

In 1877 the Lighthouse Board recognized the station was in jeopardy and approved a second move. Two cast-iron towers, lined with brick, were erected even further inland, situated 100-feet apart, with a new keeper's house between them. In December 1879, the old south tower toppled off the cliff. Little more than a year later, the old north light and keeper's dwelling also toppled.

Early in the 20th Century, the government began phasing out twin-light stations in the interest of economy. In 1923, the newer north tower was moved to North Eastham to replace the sole surviving Three Sisters Light at Nauset Beach. In 1969, the remaining Chatham tower, pictured above, was refitted with an aerobeacon. The light was automated in 1982.

The Fresnel lenses from both lights are exhibited at the Chatham Historical Society's Old Atwood House.

At the time of my visit here in 2001, this lighthouse was an active light.

A Massachusetts Beauty - Nobska Point Lighthouse

The Nobska Point Lighthouse is located at Falmouth, MA. Originally the name was spelled "Nobsque." The first lighthouse, built near here in 1829, was a three-room rubble-stone dwelling with an eight-sided lantern mounted on the roof. It perched on the rocky headland at Wood's Hole Harbor. That crude structure was rebuilt in 1849, and then in 1876 it was entirely replaced with the current cylindrical, 40-foot cast-iron tower lined with brick, and lantern room. It stands 87-feet above the water. Initially, the light was painted brown, but later changed to white and has been so for much of the twentieth century.

When the Bureau of Lighthouses came under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Coast Guard in 1939, those civilian keepers still active were allowed to finish their current tour of service, until 1975, before being replaced by Coast Guard personnel. Nobska Point Light was automated in 1985. Its light flashes every six seconds and is visible about 17-miles out at sea.

At the time of my visit here in 2001, the two-story wood frame keepers dwelling was used for the family residence of the Commander of Coast Guard Group Woods Hole, which oversees the agency's operations between Plymouth, MA and the Rhode Island, Connecticut borders.

This lighthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

A Massachusetts Beauty - Highland Light (Cape Cod)

The Highland Lighthouse is located at Truro, MA. -- It is the third Highlands Lighthouse built in or near this location. The oldest of this Cape Cod lighthouse was built near here in 1797. It was called Clay Pounds Light because it was built on the side of the Truro Clay Pound. Its tower was constructed of wood and stood 45-feet tall with lantern room atop added an additional 8-feet. The structure sat on a stone foundation. In 1831 that first structure had to be rebuilt due to deterioration.

In 1857, the Lighthouse Service constructed a new 66-foot brick tower and lantern room containing a first-order Fresnel lens. It was built atop the 125-foot bluff known as the "High Land" at North Truro. It was an attempt to eliminate the frequent shipwrecks occurring along the busy shipping lane past the Outer Cape. Although officially it was then called Cape Cod Light, local residents have always regarded the structure as Highland Light during most of its existence, and the later is now the proper designation. The Fresnel lens was replaced in 1946 with a rotating beacon, and the light automated in 1987.

Erosion of the nearby bluff initially presented no imminent problem, but ultimately a more forbidding dilemma. The ever encroaching sea gradually undercut the cliff below the tower and threatened to tumble the station into the sea. By the 1990's the sea was only about 100-feet from the edge of the steep bank. So, in June 1996, the 400-plus ton structure was moved 450-feet inland onto Cape Cod National Seashore property where it now stands. The move cost well over one million dollars.

At the time of my visit here in 2001, Highland Light was active and owned by the Park Service. It was operated as a private aide to navigation.

A Maine Beauty - Pumpkin Island Lighthouse

Pumpkin Island Lighthouse is located on an island of the same name, near Little Deer Isle, ME. The lighthouse stands on the northwestern side of its namesake, which lies along the south side of the entrance to Eggemoggin Reach. The light station was established in 1854 with construction of a 22-foot conical brick tower plus lantern room. It was fitted with a fifth-order Fresnel lens which showed a fixed white light.The station also included an attached 1 1/2 story wooden keeper's dwelling and a barn. In 1930, the light was automated and continued to operate until 1933 when the station closed. 

 After the lighthouse closed, it was first purchased in 1934 by George Harmon of Bar Harbor for $552. He also bought and sold at least two other area lights during the same period. Five years later, Harmon was offering the Pumpkin Island property for sale at $2,000.

At the time of my visit here in 2001, the Pumpkin Island Lighthouse continued an inactive light and privately owned.

A Maine Beauty - West Quoddy Head Lighthouse

The West Quoddy Head Lighthouse is located at Lubec, ME. This candy-striped lighthouse stands on the easternmost mainland point in the U.S. West Quoddy Head forms the western entrance to Cobscook Bay and the St. Croix River.

A rubble masonry tower was originally constructed here in 1808. At 49-feet high, it was as tall as any tower built in Maine  prior to 1850 (except the one at Portland Head). West Quoddy Head Light received one of the nation's first fog bells in 1820. By then, the lighthouse had fallen into such a state of disrepair it was rebuilt in 1853. Unfortunately, improper mortar was used in the job. This was not an uncommon occurrence in early lighthouse construction, and the tower was soon in as bad a shape as ever. This second tower was torn down.

In 1858 this present tower replaced the old and the structure was constructed of cast-iron and overlaid with brick. The West Quoddy Head Lighthouse was automated in 1988. A computerized mechanism operates the flashing white light which beams from 83-feet above the water.

This lighthouse sits atop a 90-foot cliff and from this promontory you can see the islands of Grand Manan and Campobello, NB, Canada when it's not foggy. The Grand Manan Island is 16-miles long and had a population of 3,000 when it was swapped for Moose Island on which the Eastport Lighthouse was built. Daniel Webster and Lord Ashburton were credited for that swap.

At the time of my visit here in 2001, the light station at Quoddy Head was part of Quoddy Head State Park. The park was open to the public.

A Maine Beauty - Marshall Point Lighthouse

The Marshall Point Lighthouse is located at Port Clyde, ME. The light stands at the southern tip of the St. George Peninsula and marks the east side of the entrance to Port Clyde Harbor. This light station was established in 1832 following the construction of a 19-foot rubble tower and attached keeper's dwelling. In 1857, the original lighthouse had to be taken down before it collapsed. Due to using the wrong kind of mortar, field-stones used in construction of the tower could not be held in place. In 1858,this replacement tower was built 24-feet high and located at the water's edge. The tower's base was fashioned of granite blocks and the upper half made of brick. A fifth-order Fresnel lens was installed in the lantern room. A wooden walkway, supported by granite footings, was built to connect the tower to the shore . At the time of my visit here in 1997, this light was active and the fixed white light in the lantern room shined from 29 1/2 feet above the sea.

The Marshall Point station was automated in 1971, and in 1980 the old keeper's quarters were boarded up and abandoned. The building fell into disrepair. Later in 1987, the St. George Historical Society assumed responsibility for overseeing the building's restoration. This group opened the lower portion of the old quarters in 1990 as the Marshall Point Lighthouse Museum.

A Maine Beauty - The Cape Neddick Lighthouse

The Cape Neddick Lighthouse is located a few hundred feet offshore from the eastern end of Cape Neddick at York, Maine. After several requests were ignored or denied to have a lighthouse built here, this 41-foot cast-iron tower was authorized by President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1874. The light station was finally placed in operation in 1879.

Nubble Light, as the lighthouse is popularly called, is a cast-iron structure lined inside with brick. When it was completed in 1879 it was painted red, but in 1902 the color was changed to white and has remained so since then. The distinctive red oil house was built in 1902, and the covered walkway connecting the keeper's house and tower was added in 1911. The station originally had a fog bell and bell tower, until it was raised in 1961. An 1891 fourth-order Fresnel lens, although not the original, is still in use. A bucket, suspended on a line across the channel, was used to transport supplies to the station. The conical tower measures 39-feet from ground level to the center of the lantern, which shows a red light 88-feet above the ocean. The last keeper left in 1987 when the light was automated.

At the time of my visit here in 1997, the light was still active and the station was maintained by the town of York. The town had received more than 300 offers from people wanting to be live-in caretakers. Some restoration work had been done with a 1989 grant from the Maine Historic Preservation Committee.

This lighthouse and grounds are among the most appealing and photographed in the world. It has an estimated 250,000 visitors annually.

Maine Beauty - The Portland Head Lighthouse

The Portland Head Lighthouse is located in the Fort Williams State Park at Cape Elizabeth, ME. This is Maine's oldest lighthouse. Construction began in 1787, but was abandoned for lack of funds before much could be accomplished. In 1789, the nation's first Congress appropriated $1,500 to complete the project. It was finished in November 1790. President George Washington appointed Captain Joseph Greenleaf as the first light keeper for this lighthouse.

The 72-foot high field-stone tower was shortened by more than one-third in 1813. It was restored in 1865 following public outcry over the loss of 42 lives in the unfortunate shipwreck of the transatlantic steamer Bohemian along the Cape Elizabeth shore. Local residents loudly protested a second lowering of the tower in 1883. Their protest succeeded in having the cropped portion built back on the tower, and this time builders utilized brick.

The overall structure of the tower rises 80-feet above the rocky headland, and its light cast a white beam from 101-feet above sea level. At the time of my visit here in 1997, this light was active.

Illinois Beauty - The Gross Point Lighthouse

                             
The Gross Point Lighthouse is located in Evanston, IL. This lighthouse is almost hidden among the other houses and trees in the neighborhood. The lighthouse tower built in 1873 stands 90-feet tall and is made of brick. The lantern room houses a second-order Fresnel lens, and the focal plane of its light was 121-feet above the lake.The adjoining duplex keeper's dwelling and brick fog signal building were added in 1880. In 1935 the light was converted to electricity and then automated.

At the time of my visit here in 2002, the lantern room still housed the Fresnel lens.

                                            Rear view of the tower

Georgia Beauty - Tybee Island Lighthouse

The Tybee Island Lighthouse is located at the entrance to the Savannah River on Tybee Island, GA. It is the fourth lighthouse to be built on the island. Construction started on this lighthouse in 1866 using the lower sixty-feet of the former 1773 lighthouse as the foundation. Ninety-four feet were added and a first-order Fresnel lens installed in the lantern room. This new lighthouse is one-hundred and fifty-four feet tall and constructed of brick and cast iron. This lighthouse was completed in 1867 and the light could be seen for 18 miles out to sea. Three keepers were required to man the light station. In 1933 the lighthouse was converted to electricity. The U.S. Coast Guard took over operation in 1939 and occupied Tybee Light Station until 1987 when they relocated to Cockspur Island.

At the time of my visit here in 2000, the Tybee Island Light Station was one of America's most intact Light Stations. All of its historic support buildings were still on its five acre site. A unique style of architecture known as "stick style" was originally used to construct the head keeper's and first assistant keeper's houses.

Georgia Beauty - St. Simons Island Lighthouse

Plans for a lighthouse on St. Simons Island started in 1804 with the purchase of four acres of land by the Federal government at a cost of $1. The land was the site for building the first lighthouse and a one-story residence. Originally, that 1810 lighthouse was to be built of hard brick; however, for economic purposes, most of the material used in the construction was "tabby," a mixture of oyster shell, lime, sand, and water. The tower was built to a height of 75-feet, exclusive of the lantern. An iron lantern, 10-feet high and 8-feet in diameter, was installed on top of the tower making that tower a total height of 85-feet. During the Civil War, the lighthouse was blown up by Confederate forces in 1862 to prevent its use by Federal troops.

In 1872 a second lighthouse was constructed. Pictured above. The lantern room houses the original third-order Fresnel lens from the first lighthouse. Its light shines 18 miles out to sea. This 104-foot tower has a cast-iron spiral staircase consisting of 129-steps. The adjacent keeper's dwelling was constructed in a unique Victorian design. This lighthouse is located at 101 12th Street on the Island of St. Simons, GA.

The lighthouse was placed under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Coast Guard in 1939. The light was automated in 1953 and shortly thereafter the last lighthouse keeper retired.

At the time of my visit here in 2000, the keeper's dwelling was owned by Glynn County, and all structures were maintained and operated by the Coastal GA Historical Society. The lighthouse continued under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Coast Guard. It was open to the public and a fee charged for entry.

Florida Beauty - St. Augustine Lighthouse

The St. Augustine Lighthouse is located on Anastasia Island, FL. The first lighthouse was built nearby using the Spanish-built tower of 1824. It was converted to a harbor light by making alterations to the structure and removing about twenty-feet of the old tower. The local contractor, Elias Wallen, created thicker walls strong enough to support a soapstone deck and iron lantern.

By the 1840's, mariners began complaining the harbor light was to weak, and it was decided to elevate it. Ten feet was added to the tower, and in 1852 another twelve feet added. However, even the extra height wasn't enough for the mariners to differentiate between the lighthouse beacon and the lights of the nearby city. In 1854 a larger lantern and a fourth-order Fresnel lens were added. By the 1860's, erosion around the base of the lighthouse was of great concern. So, in 1872 the Lighthouse Board funded a new station 600 yards to the southwest, pictured above. The 165-foot brick tower is painted with spiraling black and white bands, and is the only spiral banded lighthouse in FL. It also retains its original first-order Fresnel lens. Six flights of stairs with frequent landings make the tower climb an easier one, and well worth the sweeping view it affords of "America's Oldest City."

After the lighthouse was automated in 1955, the federal government sold the station grounds to St. Johns County. The Junior Service League of St. Augustine later leased the property. In 1980 they began a sweeping restoration of the entire site, which has been returned to an exceptional condition.

At the time of my visit here in 2001, the lighthouse was open to the public, and the light was an active light.

Florida Beauty - Ponce deLeon Inlet Lighthouse

The Ponce deLeon Lighthouse is located approximately 10-miles south of Daytona Beach at Ponce Inlet, FL. It was built in 1887 and is the tallest lighthouse in FL standing at 175-feet. The lighthouse is made of brick and its foundation extends 12-feet below ground level. The lantern room was originally fitted with a first-order Fresnel lens until it was replaced in 1933 by a third-order (smaller) Fresnel lens. Years later that lens was replaced by a modern day beacon. In 1970 the lighthouse was decommissioned, and then re-activated in 1982.

At the time of my visit here in 2001, the light remained active and the lighthouse was open to the public.

Connecticut Beauty - Saybrook Breakwater Lighthouse

The Saybrook Breakwater Lighthouse is located at the mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, CT. It sits on the south end of the west jetty. The lighthouse was built in 1886. People have said it reminds them of a spark-plug .

The tower is made of cast-iron and lined with brick to help with insulation, but mainly to prevent condensation from forming on the inside of the iron walls. The tower contains four floors for the keepers dwelling. The lighthouse was originally fitted with a fifth-order Fresnel lens. In 1890, that lens was replaced by a fourth-order (larger) Fresnel lens. The U.S. Coast Guard automated the light in 1959 .

At the time of my visit here in 2001, this light was still an active light.

California Beauty - East Brother Lighthouse

The East Brother Lighthouse is located on East Brother Island, offshore of San Francisco, CA. The lighthouse was built in 1874 to mark safe passage for mariners and their ships through the straits that separate San Francisco and San Pablo Bays. The lantern room was originally fitted with a fourth-order Fresnel lens. That lens was replaced by a fixed fifth-order Fresnel lens after1922 when the lighthouse was electrified.

The U.S. Coast Guard took over operation of the lighthouse in 1939 and automated the light in 1969. After the lighthouse was automated, it received less attention and several years later it needed extensive repair. The Coast Guard decided to shut down the lighthouse, but reversed their decision in 1971 when the lighthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. A non-profit group, East Brother Light Station, Inc.was formed in 1979. They began leasing the property and eventually restored the lighthouse.

At the time of my visit here in 1999, the aforementioned non-profit group maintained this historic site, and the light station was open to the public. The keeper's dwelling served as a bed-and-breakfast inn.

California Beauty - Point Bonita Lighthouse

The Point Bonita Lighthouse is located North of San Francisco, CA. The original tower was built in 1855. It and the keeper's dwelling were perched on a ledge to the left of this lighthouse, about 300-feet above the ocean. The light could be seen from up to 20-miles out to sea, except when heavy fog obscured the beam and it occurred often . Almost daily, the keepers had to sound the fog signal by firing a cannon which was mounted outside the tower. Later a 1,500-pound bell replaced the cannon, but the fog and low clouds around the tower remained a problem.

A new light station, pictured above, was built at this lower elevation about 100-feet above the ocean. The 33-foot tower, as well as the building that housed two steam-driven fog signals, the keeper's dwelling and the storage buildings were built. The second-order Fresnel lens from the original lighthouse was moved to the new tower, and the new Point Bonita Lighthouse lamp was lit in February 1877.

The new tower survived the April 1906 earthquake that devastated nearby San Francisco, but the keeper's dwelling collapsed moments after the family escaped.

The U.S. Coast Guard automated the light in the early 1980's, and they were still maintaining it at the time of my visit here in 1999. The National Park Service maintained the grounds and the lighthouse was open three days a week to the public.

California Beauty - Point Reyes Lighthouse

The Point Reyes Lighthouse is located in the Point Reyes National Seashore Park, Point Reyes, CA. Workman constructed this 40-foot, sixteen-sided iron-plated tower in 1870. The lantern room is fitted with a first-order Fresnel lens. There are 300 steps leading down to the lighthouse. In the mid 1970's, the U.S. Coast Guard automated the light and later transferred the property to the National Park Service. At the time of my visit here in 1999, this was an inactive light. The keeper's dwelling no longer stood but a maintenance building continued to stand with the lighthouse. The light station was open to the public except during times of high wind. I've added this lighthouse to my list of beauties.

Beauty Is In The Eye of The Beholder

Most people have heard or said the brief statement: "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." The statement appropriately defines how one person may view someone or something as beautiful, while another person may not see any beauty in the subject matter. For example, lighthouses have been around for hundreds of years. They were built to perform as  navigational aids to mariners and their ships, and not intentionally designed with beauty in mind.

Some lighthouses situated in the setting with other buildings and the local environment, make what this lighthouse enthusiast calls a beautiful scene or picture. In the next several weeks, I will feature lighthouses I've seen which I think fit the category of beautiful. My hope is your eye will also see them as beautiful, and they will add light to your day. The first beauty is posted below.

California Beauty - Point Arena Lighthouse

The original Point Arena Lighthouse was built in 1870. It stood 100-feet tall, constructed of masonry, and the lantern room held a first-order Fresnel lens. That lighthouse collapsed during the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 and the keepers house destroyed.

This replacement tower was built in 1908 to a height of 115-feet and is made of reinforced concrete. This was the first time this "new material" was used for a lighthouse. The supporting buttresses at the base of the tower have helped the lighthouse survive earthquake tremors since its construction. Instead of rebuilding the original keepers' house which housed the keeper, his three assistants and their families, lighthouse officials had separate housing built for each of the keepers.

During World War II, several military actions were witnessed from this lighthouse. For one, the U.S. Navy defeated three Japanese destroyers on 12 August 1945, two days before the end of the war.

In 1977 the U.S. Coast Guard automated the lighthouse. At the time of my visit here in 1999, the Point Arena Lighthouse Keepers Association was leasing the property from the Coast Guard and the lighthouse was open to the public year-round. The keepers association maintained a museum and provided for tours. They also rented the keepers' houses to overnight visitors.

Texas - Point Isabel Lighthouse

The Point Isabel Lighthouse is located in Port Isabel, TX. It was built in 1853. The tower is made of brick and stands 50-feet high. It was first lit by use of multiple lamps and reflectors. In 1857 they were removed and the lantern room fitted with a third-order Fresnel lens and one lamp.

During the war between the States, the lighthouse was deactivated and the lens removed. The war caused the lighthouse to experience considerable damage to the tower, lantern room, and clock mechanism.

In 1866 the light was reactivated, and then in 1881 a new lantern room was installed. The lighthouse was closed In 1888, however, due to pressure from the locals it was reopened in 1895. Several years later it fell into disrepair.

In 1952 the lighthouse was acquired by the State of TX and restored. It sits on a grassy knoll adjacent to the small TX park named after the lighthouse. I visited this lighthouse in 1998 but was unable to take a picture, so I purchased the picture shown above. The view from the top of this lighthouse enables visitors to see the flat coastal plain as well as a good view of South Padre Island. At the time of my visit here, this was the only lighthouse open for climbing in the state of TX.

Fifth-order Fresnel lens

This fifth-order Fresnel lens sits in the lantern room atop the replica Vermilion Lighthouse located at the Inland Seas Museum, Vermilion, OH by Lake Erie.

The original Vermilion Lighthouse was built of wood in 1859 and equipped with a sixth-order lens. Due to deterioration, a new lighthouse, made of metal,  was built in 1877. The tower stood 34-feet high and the lantern room equipped with a fifth-order Fresnel lens. In 1929 the lighthouse was torn down due to its tower leaning excessively from shifting land. The lighthouse was replaced by a 10-foot high steel tower.

The 16-foot high replica of the 1877 lighthouse, pictured below, was built in 1991. The fifth-order lens was removed from  display in the Inland Seas Museum and installed in the lantern room atop the replica. At the time of my visit here in 2001, this light was active and recognized by the U.S. Coast Guard as a private aid to navigation .

 

Third-order Fresnel Lens

This third-order Fresnel lens sits atop the Point Cabrillo Lighthouse located at Point Cabrillo, CA. The lighthouse, pictured below, was built in 1908 and its tower stands 47-feet high. Light for the lens was originally provided by an oil lamp until it was replaced in 1935 by an electric bulb. Restoration of this lighthouse started in 1995 and was still in progress during my visit here in 1999. To my knowledge, the light continues as an active light.

Second-order through Sixth-order Fresnel Lens

In my previous post, I expressed intent to show pictures of the various sizes of Fresnel lens to help you better understand the different sizes. Since I only have personal pictures of the first-order Fresnel lens, my plan was to use the Internet to obtain pictures of the other sizes and post them here in my blog. However, due to copyright and the time and effort to obtain written permission from the owners, I have decided to provide the lens size information without the pictures. To help you visualize and comprehend the sizes, I have posted another picture of the first-order Fresnel lens from the Umpqua River Lighthouse. Remember what I wrote in the last post: The larger the number in the name of the lens, the smaller the lens. For example: The "first-order" lens is larger than the "third-order" lens.

                                           
          Lens Order / Name      Lens Height            Lens Inside Diameter
              Second Order             6'1"                              4' 7"
              Third Order                 4' 8"                             3' 3"
              Third and 1/2               3' 0"                             2' 5 1/2 "
              Fourth Order               2' 4"                             1' 8"
              Fifth Order                  1' 8"                             1' 3"
              Sixth Order                 1' 5"                             1' 0"
I hope this information will still be helpful to you without the pictures. You can view pictures of the different size Fresnel lens on the Internet. In your browser enter: Fresnel Lens

                   

First Order Fresnel Lens

What does a first-order Fresnel lens look like? While posting information to my blog about the lighthouses, I usually mentioned a particular lighthouse was equipped with a specific size lens. Over the past few months, I've had inquiries from different people wanting to know what's the difference in the size of lens'. Starting with today's post, I will attempt to show the different size lens'. It may help you to understand sizes better if you keep in mind, the larger the number in the name of the lens, the smaller the lens. For example, a first-order is larger than a third-order.

 The following two lens' are examples of a first-order Fresnel lens. I have personally seen both of these lens'.

The first-order Fresnel lens, pictured below, is located in the lantern room of the Umpqua River Lighthouse, Winchester Bay, OR. This lens was manufactured in 1890 by Barbier and Cie of Paris, France. The lens has twenty-four bulls-eye panels. Every two minutes the lens completes a revolution. Its signature light is two white flashes followed by a red flash. The lens has 616 prisms and weighs two tons. It is nine-feet seven-inches tall and six-feet two-inches wide.The original lamps which provided the light were replaced by electricity in the 1930's. The light is currently powered by a 1,000 watt quartz bulb, visible in the photo below. The light can be seen for 19 miles out to sea on a clear night. This lens is only one of two first-order lens' that you can climb up inside to see the massive lens close up. As of the time of this posting, this lens operated twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. It is operated and maintained by Douglas County. This light was reclassified in 2011 by the U.S. Coast Guard from a Primary to a Secondary aid to navigation. The Umpqua River Lighthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as well as the nearby former USCG Station Umpqua River. The former USCG Station now houses the Umpqua River Lighthouse Museum. Both the museum and the lighthouse are open for daily tours, seasonally. I took this picture during the time I volunteered as a tour guide in the summers of 2004 and 2005. You can also read about this lens in my book "The Wickie," a heart warming story about the lighthouse keepers and their challenges in the two Umpqua River Lighthouses.

This first-order lens is housed in the Westport Maritime Museum, Westport, WA. The lens was manufactured in France in 1888. This lens is from the Destruction Island Lighthouse and it was turned by a clockwork mechanism. The lens has twenty-four "bulls-eye" panels which cast a flashing light to a distance of over 26 miles. Originally, the lamp was lit by oil and had up to five hollow wicks. Whale oil was preferred until it became too expensive. Lard was used in the 1860's and then replaced by kerosene in the 1880's. In 1968 the Destruction Island Lighthouse was automated.. The Fresnel lens was dismantled in 1995, removed from the lighthouse and placed in temporary storage in Astoria, OR. In 1998 the display building was built at the Maritime Museum in Westport, WA. 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 5-6 people who worked for a week to assemble, clean, and polish the Fresnel lens at Westport. At the time of my visit here in 1999, six lighthouses in Washington state still had operating Fresnel lens lit by an electric bulb. I purchased this picture via a post card from the Maritime Museum. Photo by Tammy Diamond.

Louisiana - Port Pontchartrain Lighthouse

The Port Pontchartrain Lighthouse is located at Milneburg, Lake Pontchartrain, LA. The first lighthouse, built nearby here in 1839, was an octagonal wood tower which stood 28-feet high. Its light was provided by a series of lamps and reflectors.

In 1855 a new brick tower was built at a height of 28-feet. The lantern room housed a fifth-order Fresnel lens. In 1880 the diameter of the top of the tower was increased to support a new lantern room. That modification also raised the tower's height by 7-feet. The light was discontinued in 1929.

I visited this lighthouse in 2000 and, although it has been closed since 1929, it appeared to be in fairly good condition.

Louisiana - Tchefuncte River Lighthouse

The Tchefuncte River Lighthouse is located on the north side of Lake Pontchartrain at Madisonville, LA. . It was first built in 1838 at a height of 31-feet. Its light was provided by a series of lamps and reflectors. These were replaced in 1857 by a fifth-order Fresnel lens. During the Civil War the lighthouse was so badly damaged that it was later torn down and rebuilt in 1868 to a height of 41-feet on its old foundation using some of the brick from the original tower. Its lantern room was transferred in from the destroyed Cat Island station. The Tchefuncte River Lighthouse also functioned as the rear range light in a range light system started here in 1903. After it became a rear range light, a single vertical black stripe was painted on one side to help the mariners line up the front range light with the rear. (Stripe not shown in picture.)

The focal plane of the light is 100-feet above sea level. In 1952 the light was automated. At the time of my visit here in 2000, the light was an active aid to navigation with plans for it to be made part of a museum when transfer was completed from the U.S. Coast Guard.

Accessibility to the tower was only by boat. However, it could be viewed from across the water. At the time of my visit, I was able to get closer by traveling Highway 22, turned south onto Main Street which ran parallel to the river. Approximately 1 1/2  to 2 miles down this road, crossed a narrow wooden bridge, and found a small park and boat launch. From there the lighthouse was easily visible by looking back to the right.

Louisiana - The New Canal Lighthouse (Post Katrina)

Most of the lighthouses I've posted in my blog have changed since I took pictures. I have not tried to revisit any of them to keep up with changes that have occurred over time, but figured my pictures and the data gathered would contribute to helping preserve some of the history of lighthouses. The last post I made to my blog was of the New Canal Lighthouse, New Orleans, LA, which I visited in the year 2000. As a result of that posting, I was contacted by the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation (LPBF) that Hurricane Katrina destroyed that lighthouse in 2005. With prior approval of the LPBF, I am pleased to update information on The New Canal Lighthouse.

Damage done to the New Canal Lighthouse by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. (Picture from LPBF web site.)

Picture of the New Canal Lighthouse after restoration. (Picture from LPBF web site.) The LPBF signed a lease with the U.S. Coast Guard in 2006 to restore the lighthouse. In 2007 they dismantled the destroyed lighthouse and stored the historic materials until restoration began in 2008. Restoration was completed in 2013. The light is a private aid to navigation and the lighthouse is part of the "New Canal Lighthouse Museum and Education Center" which opened to the public in April 2013. I encourage you to visit their very informative web site, name as in quotes. Learn more details on the history of this lighthouse and the work being done by the LPBF to continue operation of the lighthouse and preserve its history.

Louisiana - New Canal Lighthouse

The New Canal Lighthouse is located at West End Boulevard and Lakeshore Drive in New Orleans, LA.

The first tower was built near here in 1839. It was octagonal shape and built on wood pilings. Nine oil lamps with reflectors provided the light and its focal plane was only 30-feet above the water.

In 1855 a new square one-story lighthouse was built supported by iron pilings. The lantern room housed a fifth-order Fresnel lens. In 1890 that lighthouse was discontinued and sold.

The above pictured two-story lighthouse, also built on an iron piling foundation, was constructed in 1890 and housed a fifth-order Fresnel lens. Focal plane of the light is 49-feet above sea level. At the time of my visit here in 2000, the lighthouse was also in use by the U.S. Coast Guard as a rescue station. The light was an active light.

Louisiana - West Rigolets Lighthouse

The West Rigolets Lighthouse was located on Lake Pontchartrain, LA at the time of my visit here in 2000. The lighthouse, built on pilings, is a square building that held the lantern centered on it's hipped roof. The light had an elevation of only 30-feet above the lake but was visible for 10-miles. The station was raised six feet in 1917 and placed on ferrous-cement columns. This lighthouse was shut down in 1945 and abandoned . At the time of my visit, it was in bad physical condition. Being endangered, officials planned to relocate the lighthouse to Madisonville, LA. I have no knowledge if that occurred.

Mississippi - President Casino Broadwater Resort Lighthouse

This lighthouse is located in Biloxi, MS near the President Casino and Charter Boats. It was established in 1965 as a private aid to navigation and stands 66-feet high. The lighthouse is located at the marina for the Broadwater Resort Charter Boats, which is approximately 4 miles west of the popular Biloxi Lighthouse. At the time of my visit here in 2003, the lighthouse emitted a white flash of light every 5 seconds at night.

Mississippi - Beau Rivage Breakwater Lighthouse

I visited the Beau Rivage Breakwater Lighthouse, Biloxi, MS in 2003. I have no information on its size or when it was constructed. Since my visit, the lighthouse was possibly destroyed by hurricane Katrina, along with other structures on shore around Biloxi.

Mississippi - Biloxi Lighthouse

The Biloxi Lighthouse is located on Highway 90 at the foot of Porter Ave in Biloxi, MS. The lighthouse sits in the median strip between the lanes of Hwy 90.

This lighthouse is reportedly the first cast-iron tower in the south, and was fabricated by Murray & Hazelhurst Vulcan Works of Baltimore, MD. It was shipped south aboard the brig General North. Construction was completed in 1848 and included lining the 48-foot cast-iron tower with locally made brick. The light was provided by a series of 9 lamps and 14" reflectors. In 1856 the lamps were replaced by a fourth-order Fresnel lens.

Originally, the lighthouse was constructed on a sand bluff. Failure of a retaining wall, as a result of neglect during the Civil War, caused the tower to incline two feet from the perpendicular. In 1867, although a difficult feat, workers excavated just enough sand from beneath the opposite side of the tower to right and keep it from toppling into the Gulf. Also about this time, a coating of black tar was applied to the cast iron tower to halt rusting. Although it was soon repainted white, a local legend evolved that Biloxians painted the tower black to mourn the death of President Lincoln. Except for a brief period during the Civil War, the light has shown continuously since 1848 when its lens was hidden by the local home guard. After the war, the lighthouse was fitted with a fifth-order lens.

In 1926 the light was electrified, and in 1939 the U.S. Coast Guard assumed responsibility for the light's operation. After being declared surplus property in 1968, the Biloxi Lighthouse was deeded to the City of Biloxi.

This lighthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It also has the distinction of having more female keepers for more years than men.

At the time of my visit here in 2000, the light was active and daily tours were conducted Monday through Saturday, except for holidays. A fee was charged for the tours and they started at 10 AM.

Alabama - Mobile Point Lighthouse

The Mobile Point Lighthouse is located at Fort Morgan, AL. The first lighthouse built here in 1822 was a 55-foot brick tower containing a fourth-order lens. Light was provided by twenty-one lamps and fourteen-inch reflectors. The light was visible from 12 to 14 miles out to sea. Because Mobile Point's light was equivalent in power to a common harbor light, the Lighthouse Board made a decision to erect a new seacoast light on Sand Island using a more powerful first-order lens.

In 1858 the Mobile Point Lighthouse received a new fourth-order Fresnel lens and its status was confirmed as a harbor light. In mid-1861 the lens was removed for safekeeping and shipped to Montgomery, AL. In 1864 the brick lighthouse tower became the target for Union artillery during the siege of Fort Morgan. When the Fort surrendered on Aug 23, 1864 the lighthouse had suffered irreparable damage and the old brick tower was demolished. At the end of the war a temporary wooden tower was built and housed the fourth-order Fresnel lens.

In 1873 a new iron lattice-work 30-foot tower, pictured above, was erected. The 1858 fourth-order Fresnel lens was placed in the lighthouse's lantern room. The light served as a guide to mariners until 1966 when it was extinguished and deactivated.

At the time of my visit here in 2000, the lighthouse remained inactive.

Alabama - Sand Island Lighthouse

The Sand Island Lighthouse is located approximately 3 miles offshore from Mobile Bay, AL It is on the west side of the main entrance to the bay.

The original lighthouse built in 1838 was 55-feet high. Its light was provided by multiple lamps and reflectors. Due to erosion of the island, the lighthouse was in jeopardy so a new lighthouse was built in 1856. This one was constructed of brick and stood 150-feet high. Its light was provided by a first-order Fresnel lens.

During the Civil War that tower was blown up and destroyed beyond repair. A temporary wooden tower was built at a height of 48-feet and the lantern room contained a fourth-order lens.

In 1873 a new brick tower was constructed and stands 132-feet tall. It was fitted with a new second-order Fresnel lens. However, due to erosion of the island, this new tower was built further northwest of the temporary tower. Since then the new tower has withstood hurricanes and been threatened by continuing erosion. Some keepers of this lighthouse and their families lost their lives during hurricanes, and other keepers lost their lives traveling to shore while the sea was rough. Multiple keeper dwellings have been built over the years and destroyed by erosion and weather.

The Coast Guard took over responsibility and control of this lighthouse in 1939. The lighthouse was automated in 1948 and the need for keepers was discontinued. The light was darkened in 1971and the second-order Fresnel lens removed and placed on display at the Fort Morgan Museum.

I visited this lighthouse in the year 2000. The land you see in the above picture is all that remains of the island. It was approximately 400 acres when the original lighthouse was built. Through time and massive erosion, the ocean waters have consumed almost all of the island, but the lighthouse stood at the time of my visit.

Florida - Sand Key, Alligator Reef, and Sombrero Key Lighthouses

The Sand Key Lighthouse is located 8.5 miles southwest of Key West, FL. The first lighthouse built here in 1827 was replaced by this one in 1853. This is one of six Florida reef lighthouses. At the time of my visit here in 2001, this was an active lighthouse.

The Alligator Reef Lighthouse is located 4 miles east of Indian Key, FL. The tower was finished in 1873 and enclosed a square keeper's dwelling more than 20 feet above the Gulf waters. From it, a circular staircase within a central shaft rises to the lantern deck. The new lantern room was fitted with a first-order Fresnel lens which emits a sequence of white and red flashes out to sea at a height of 136 feet above the water.

Some of the most intense weather to ever effect the light was the infamous "Labor Day hurricane" in 1935.  It raked the Florida Keys and took a toll of nearly 400 lives. There was a twenty-foot storm surge and accompanying 200 MPH winds. One of the most violent tropical storms to strike the U.S. The barometric pressure dropped to 26.35 inches -- the lowest reading ever noted in the western hemisphere at the time. The lighthouse survived the blow, essentially because its skeletal construction offered only the barest resistance to the madcap seas. The wind took out every station window except one. The Coast Guard automated the light in 1963.

At the time of my visit here in 2001,  this light was active. I saw this lighthouse from US Highway 1 on my way to Key West, FL but didn't get to photograph it. The above picture and some of the data was taken from a lighthouse magazine to document part of this lighthouse's history, and to preserve the memory of another Florida lighthouse that I've seen.

The Sombrero Key Lighthouse is located near Marathon, FL. It was built in 1858 and is the tallest at 142-feet of the six skeleton towered Florida Reef lighthouses. It was the third of the series and the last of its type in which engineer Lt. George Meade played a significant role. The huge cast-iron structure stands on a coral bed almost five miles south of Vaca Key, FL.

Over the years, this rugged tower has also survived the mightiy blows Mother Nature has thrown at it, suffering only minimal damage. Periodic scraping and painting of the metal has kept the entire framework in remarkable shape. Coast Guard keepers left the station for good in 1963. The modern twelve-volt optic, which replaced the original Fresnel lens, routinely furnishes a flashing white light that guides mariners past the surrounding reefs. The glass-prismed Fresnel lens was removed in 1982 and is displayed at the Key West Lighthouse Museum.

At the time of my visit her in 2001, this light was active. I also saw this lighthouse from U.S. Highway 1 on my way to Key West, FL, but didn't get to photograph it. The above picture and some of the data was taken from a lighthouse magazine to document part of this lighthouse's history, and to preserve the memory of another Florida lighthouse that I've seen.

Florida - St Augustine Lighthouse

This lighthouse is located at St Augustine, FL on Anastasia Island. The original tower, located some 600 yards away, was built by the Spanish. They had built several towers on the island over the years they occupied FL. In 1821 the U.S. took over FL from the Spanish, and in 1824 converted the latest Spanish built tower. The U.S. made alterations to it by removing about twenty feet from the top of the old structure. Elias Wallen, a local contractor, created thicker walls strong enough to support a soapstone deck and iron lantern.

By the 1840's, mariners had begun complaining that the harbor light was too weak, so officials decided to elevate the tower by adding ten feet. Complaints continued and in 1852 another twelve feet were added. However, even the extra height wasn't enough for mariners to differentiate between the lighthouse beacon and those lights of the nearby city. So, in 1854 a larger lantern and a fourth-order Fresnel lens were added to the tower. By the 1860's, erosion around the base of the lighthouse was a great concern.

In 1872, the Lighthouse Board funded a new light station for construction 600 yards to the southwest of the old one. Their action resulted in this 165-foot brick tower painted with spiraling black and white bands. It is the only spiral banded FL lighthouse. This lighthouse was equipped with a first-order Fresnel lens and six flights of stairs with frequent landings. Construction was completed in 1874.


After the light was automated in 1955, the federal government sold the station grounds to St. Johns County. The Junior Service League of St. Augustine later leased the property. In 1980 they began a sweeping restoration of the entire site, which resulted in it being returned to exceptional condition. At the time of my visit here in 2001, the original first-order Fresnel lens still functioned and was active. Although the frequent landings in the stairway make the 165-foot tower a less tiring climb to the lookout, it is well worth it for the sweeping view it affords of "America's Oldest City."