State of Louisiana

Louisiana's Military Heritage:

     Lighthouses & Lightship Stations

Seal of the U.S. Coast Guard

 

The Seal of the U.S. Lighthouse Service

The Lighthouse Service, founded in 1789, was responsible for providing warning to mariners of navigational hazards.  This was done through the establishment of coastal lighthouses and offshore lightship stations.  The Service would later be merged with the Revenue Cutter Service and the Life Saving Service to form our modern-day United States Coast Guard.  Louisiana's many rivers, shallow water lakes, and bayous present numerous challenges to even the most skilled mariner.  As such, the Coast Guard—and the Lighthouse Service before it—has provided an invaluable service and continues to do so.  Listed below are some of the many lighthouses and lightship stations maintained along Louisiana's coastline since 1803.

 

 

LIGHTHOUSES

 

 

BARATARIA BAY ~ CUBITS GAP    |    EAST RIGOLETS ~ PASS A L'OUTRE

 

PASS MANCHAC ~ SHIP SHOAL    |    SOUTH PASS ~ WEST RIGOLETS

 

 

LIGHTSHIP STATIONS

 

 

 

BARATARIA BAY LIGHTHOUSE

 

Location:  Northeasterly corner of the cover-face of Fort Livingston, southwesterly end of Grande Terre Island, easterly side of the entrance to Barataria Bay

Station Established:  1857

Year Tower First Lit:  1857

Still Operational:  Yes

Automated:  Yes (1945)

Tower Shape:  Octagonal brick tower (destroyed by hurricane in 1893); white, square, pyramidal, wooden skeleton tower (1903).

Height:  76 ft., 6 in.

Original Lens:  4th Order Fresnel;  200mm optic (present)

 

Barataria Bay Lighthouse

The Barataria Bay Lighthouse was destroyed by a hurricane in 1893 but was rebuilt and remains in operation today.

 

 

 

Bayou St. John Lighthouse

The Bayou St. John Lighthouse was twice destroyed

by storms before being deactivated in 1878.

BAYOU ST. JOHN LIGHTHOUSE

 

Location:  Canal de Carondolet between New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain

Station Established:  1811

Year Tower First Lit:  1811

Year Deactivated:  1878

Automated:  No

Tower Shape:  Octagonal wooden tower on artificial island, destroyed by storm in 1837.  In 1838, a new 48-ft. tower was constructed.  In 1855, a screwpile cottage-type structure was built and was damaged during the 1860 hurricane.  In 1869, a tower was built on the screwpile foundation. 

Height:  48 ft.

Original Lens:  6th Order Fresnel (1869)

 

BONFOUCA (BAYOU BONFOUCA) LIGHTHOUSE

 

Location:  Northern Lake Pontchartrain

Station Established:  1848

Year Tower First Lit:  1848

Deactivated:  1862

Tower Shape:  The station was originally a two-story dwelling with a 12-ft. tower constructed on the roof.  Confederate forces burned the structure in 1862.  It was replaced by the Point Aux Herbes Lighthouse.

Height:  12 ft.

 

Bonfouca Lighthouse

The Bonfouca Lighthouse was burned by Confederates in 1862.

 

CALCASIEU RANGE REAR LIGHTHOUSE

 

Location:  Calcasieu River

Station Established:  1876

Year Tower First Lit:  1876

Still Operational:  No

Deactivated:  Unknown

Automated:  Unknown

 

Foundation Materials:  Pile

Construction Materials:  Unknown

Tower Shape:  Skeletal pyramidal

Markings/Patterns:  Unknown

Original Lens:  5th Order, Fresnel (1876)

 

CHANDELEUR ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE

 

Location:  Outer rim of Chandeleur Sound

Station Established:  1896

Year Tower First Lit:  1896

Still Operational:  Yes

Automated:  Yes

Foundation Materials:  Pile

Construction Materials:  Iron

Tower Shape:  Skeletal with Cylinder

Markings/Patterns:  Brown with Black Lantern

Original Lens:  3rd Order, Fresnel 1896

 

Chandeleur Island Lighthouse

Active since 1896, the Chandeleur Island Lighthouse guards one of the approaches to the Mississippi River.

 

CUBITS GAP LIGHTHOUSE

 

Location:  On the southeasterly side of Cubits Gap, northeasterly bank of the Mississippi River

Station Established:  1891

Year Tower First Lit:  1891

Still Operational:  Yes

Automated:  Yes (1961)

Tower Shape:  Lantern on top of square, white, pyramidal, wooden bell tower (1891- ?); then a white metal skeleton tower.

 

 

Height:  80 ft.

Original Lens:  Lens Lantern (1891 - ?); 300mm (? - 1961); DCB-24 (1961)

Characteristic:  Fixed red (1891-1961); flashing white light every 8 seconds (duration of 0.1 seconds; after 1961).

Fog Signal:  Bell struck by machinery every 15 seconds (1891 - ?); then a DCB-24 beacon; on June 5, 1961, changed to a diaphragm horn, 1 blast every 10 seconds.

 

 

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All information listed above courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard.
All photos courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard unless otherwise noted.

 

**Copyright 1997-2007 by Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission**