A Wisconsin Beauty - Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Lighthouse

The Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Lighthouse stands in the center of a working Coast Guard station. It is located on the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal, Sturgeon Bay, WI. The lantern room houses a third-order Fresnel lens from which its light is visible for 18-miles. Although the lighthouse was built in 1898, it did not become operational until 1899 due to instability and vibration problems with the 102-foot tall tower. For the next few years, different types of supports were tried, but it wasn't until 1903 when the current skeletal steel framework was installed did the tower become study. Originally, the tower was painted a brownish red color, but in 1900 it was painted white.

This lighthouse was active at the time of my visit here in 1998. Condition of the tower and nearby buildings reflected that Coast Guard personnel took great pride in maintaining these assets.  During my travels to visit the many different lighthouses around the country, red roofs, like those shown above, were typical of most Coast Guard buildings.

A Washington Beauty - Alki Point Lighthouse

The Alki Point Lighthouse is located at West Seattle, WA. The first light displayed at the 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. The Lighthouse Service built a lens lantern in 1887 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. The tower's lantern room originally housed a fourth-order Fresnel lens.

The U.S. Coast Guard took over operation of the lighthouse in 1939. They replaced the Fresnel lens in 1962 with a rotating beacon light, similar to those used at airports.

The light station was automated in 1984, which eliminated the need for keepers on site .

At the time of my visit here in 1999, the lighthouse was active and operated by the U.S. Coast Guard.

A Washington Beauty - Mukilteo Lighthouse

Original construction of the beautiful Mukilteo Lighthouse and station, including the tower, two houses, and pump house began in August 1905. They were completed in March 1906. This light station was built at a cost of $27,000. Thirty-six steps lead up to the lantern room. The station is distinguished by its Victorian style wooden structure, surrounded by the white picket fence.The original light, no more than a small kerosene lantern, sat 40-feet above the tide and provided minimum navigational aid to mariners.

This lighthouse was converted to electricity in 1927. It was at this time the current fourth-order Fresnel lens was also installed in the tower. Its light flashes every five seconds and can be seen 12-miles away. When a bulb burns out, three others are in place to rotate into use. If the light totally fails, such as during a power failure, the system automatically switches to a 12-volt light with battery backup. That light can be seen for only about 4-miles. This battery backup can operate for approximately four days on the stored power.

The fog horn at this lighthouse is a first-order horn operated by compressed air, and it can be heard from six to eight miles away. The original air horn was replaced in the 1970's with the current horn, which blasts on for three seconds and then is silent for twenty-seven seconds. The horn is automatically activated by a sensor unit which detects fog within a half-mile range of the light station. If power is lost to the main horn, there is a 12-volt backup system.

This lighthouse and station were turned over to the U.S. Coast Guard in the early 1930's. They automated the light in July 1970, and then the on site staff were reduced from a three man unit to a one man non-resident caretaker. The lighthouse and both of the keeper's quarters were remodeled in early 1972. Between Aug 1987 and early 1988, the lighthouse was restored to its original appearance.

In 1991, custody of the lighthouse was given to the City of Mukilteo. Then in 1998, the federal government awarded the entire light station to the City, with one exception. The light would be maintained and operated by the Coast Guard.

This was an active light and still maintained by the Coast Guard at the time of my visit here in 1999.

A Washington Beauty - Point Wilson Lighthouse

Point Wilson Lighthouse is located in Fort Worden State Park at Port Townsend, WA. (Port Townsend is one of only three registered historic U.S. seaports; the other two are located at Cape May, NJ and Galveston, TX.)

The fourth-order light in this lighthouse was built in 1879 and originally located in a lantern room atop the keeper's house. The light was moved to this 46-foot, concrete octagon tower structure when it was built in 1913 . The lighthouse closed to the public when the light was automated in November 1976.

This was an active light and Coast Guard personnel occupied the keeper's residence at the time of my visit in 1999. The light provides navigational aid for ships past the famous riptides off Point Wilson. This is where the waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound meet.

A Washington Beauty - Admiralty Head Lighthouse

This Spanish-style structure lighthouse is located high on a bluff overlooking Admiralty Inlet on Whidbey Island, WA. The lighthouse was built in 1903.

The U.S. purchased 10 acres of land from a Dr. Kellogg for $400 where the original lighthouse was built in 1861 and had a low square tower made of wood and painted white. It was located roughly one-half mile south of the above pictured lighthouse. In the early 1890's, Fort Casey, with a big-gun battery, was built to protect the waters of northern Puget Sound. Because the location of that first lighthouse also offered the best big-gun location, the original lighthouse was moved north of Red Bluff toward where the present lighthouse is today.

After the new lighthouse was built in 1903, the original wooden lighthouse was used as a non-commissioned officers quarters until 1928. The original lighthouse was dismantled and the materials used to build a Sergeants home on South Whidbey.

The above pictured lighthouse was built by the Army Corps of Engineers and has 18-inch thick brick walls which are covered with stucco. The lighthouse was believed to be the most comfortable home in the territory due to an indoor bathroom and laundry room. Its light operated from 1903 to 1922 and then was extinguished due to changes in the channel and shipping routes. Later, the lens was given to the New Dungeness Lighthouse. (Reference to the lens was also made in my previous post for New Dungeness.) I visited Admiralty Head Lighthouse in 1999.