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.