Point No Point Light (Washington)

Point No Point Light is an operational aid to navigation on the northeastern tip of the Kitsap Peninsula on the west side of Puget Sound, at Point No Point where Admiralty Inlet joins Puget Sound, near the small community of Hansville, Kitsap County, in the U.S. state of Washington.[4] Point No Point Light is considered the oldest lighthouse on Puget Sound[5] and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[6]

For the light in the Chesapeake Bay, see Point No Point Light (Maryland).
Point No Point Light
LocationHansville, Washington
Coordinates47.9123°N 122.5268°W / 47.9123; -122.5268[1]
Year first constructed1879
Year first lit1880
Automated1977
FoundationMasonry
ConstructionBrick and stucco
Tower shapeSquare
Tower height30 feet (9.1 m)
Focal height27 feet (8.2 m)
Original lensFifth order Fresnel lens (1880); Fourth order Fresnel lens (1898)
Range14 nautical mile 
Characteristic3 white flashes every 10 s[2]
Heritageplace listed on the National Register of Historic Places 
Point No Point Light Station
Nearest cityHansville, Washington
Area3 acres (1.2 ha)
Built1879-80 (1879-80)
NRHP reference No.78002758[3]
Added to NRHPAugust 10, 1978

History

Local authorities first proposed to locate the lighthouse further north on Foulweather Bluff.[5][7] When the Point No Point location was agreed upon, the owners of the land were very reluctant to sell.[5][8] The terms of the final sales agreement have been variously reported as 10 acres (4.0 ha) for $1,000,[8] 40 acres (16 ha) for $1,000,[7] and 40 acres (16 ha) for $1,800.[5]

Construction of the lighthouse began in April 1879. The first light used was a kerosene lamp. As 1879 drew to a close, the lens and glass for the lantern had not arrived, so the first lighthouse keeper, J.S. Maggs, a Seattle dentist, hung a canvas over the south window openings to break the wind and keep the kerosene lamp from blowing out.[5][7]

Upon completion of the light station in February 1880, the lantern room held a fifth-order Fresnel lens. The original masonry structure was 27 feet (8.2 m) high. The present 30-foot (9.1 m) brick and stucco tower is square and situated between the office and fog signal building. A fog signal, formerly used at New Dungeness Lighthouse, was installed in April 1880.[8] In 1900, the fog bell was replaced by a Daboll trumpet. With no roads to the lighthouse for its first 40 years, supplies had to be brought in by boat.[5]

In 1898, the original lens was replaced with a fourth-order fresnel lens,[9] which is still in place although it is no longer in use.[8] Popular history holds that when lightning struck in 1931, it caused the lens to crack. However, according to McClary, records indicate "the damage occurred when a faulty oil vaporizer tube allowed explosive vapors to build up in the light chamber."[5] The tower was also damaged which required patching and replacing the copper tubing.

In 1975, a 90-foot (27 m) radar tower was built on the west side of the lighthouse. The tower is used for the Vessel Traffic Service (VTS). In 1977, the lighthouse became fully automated and only required one keeper to be assigned to the station. The Coast Guard replaced the light in 2006 with a low-maintenance, post-mounted, rotating beacon.[5]

Park and headquarters

In 1997, the last Coast Guard personnel left Point No Point and it stood empty until it was leased to Kitsap County Parks and Recreation. The county purchased adjoining parcels and created 60-acre (24 ha) Point No Point Lighthouse and Park.[2][10] In 2012, the Department of the Interior announced the transfer of ownership of the lighthouse to Kitsap County.[11]

Since 2008, the station's keeper's quarters has been the national headquarters of the United States Lighthouse Society, a nonprofit preservation and educational organization.[12]

References
  1. "Point No Point Light". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  2. Rowlett, Russ (October 19, 2014). "Lighthouses of the United States: Washington". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved May 7, 2015.
  3. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  4. "Point No Point Light". Inventory of Historic Light Stations: Washington Lighthouses. National Park Service. Archived from the original on April 18, 2004. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  5. "National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form". National Park Service. August 10, 1978. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  6. "History: The light station is established". Friends of Point No Point Lighthouse. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  7. "Point No Point, WA". Lighthousefriends. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  8. "Historic Light Station Information & Photography: Washington". U.S. Coast Guard. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  9. "Point No Point Lighthouse and Park". Kitsap County. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  10. "Secretary Salazar Announces Transfer of Lighthouses in Washington and Michigan to Local Ownership" (Press release). National Park Service. July 18, 2012. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  11. "Society History". United States Lighthouse Society. Retrieved May 12, 2015.

More reading
  • Sharlene and Ted Nelson (1998). Umbrella Guide to Washington Lighthouses. Epicenter Press. ISBN 9780945397700.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  • Strait History, the quarterly publication of the Clallam County Historical Society and Museum, 1(4).
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