New Dungeness Light

New Dungeness Light

Dungeness Lighthouse after 1927
Location	Sequim, Washington
Year first lit	1857
Automated	1976
Foundation	Surface
Construction	Brick, Sandstone and Stucco
Tower shape	Conical
Height	63 ft
Original lens	Third order Fresnel lens (removed)
Range	18nm
Characteristic	Alternating white flash every 5-seconds

New Dungeness Light Station
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Nearest city:	Sequim, Washington
Coordinates:	48°10′56″N 123°6′17″W / 48.18222°N 123.10472°W / 48.18222; -123.10472Coordinates: 48°10′56″N 123°6′17″W / 48.18222°N 123.10472°W / 48.18222; -123.10472
Area:	8 acres (3.2 ha)
Built:	1857
Architect:	Smith, Isaac; Young, Ammi B.
Architectural style:	Mid 19th Century Revival
Governing body:	COAST GUARD
NRHP Reference#:	93001338[1]
Added to NRHP:	November 30, 1993

New Dungeness lighthouse was first lit on 1857 and was the second lighthouse established in the Washington territory. The original New Dungeness lighthouse was a 1 ½ story duplex with a tower rising from the roof. The tower stood at 100 feet painted black on the top half and white on the lower section.

Over time, the tower developed structural cracks from the artillery at nearby forts. In 1927, the cracks in the tower were so severe that the lighthouse inspector feared that the tower would topple. It was decided that year that the tower would be lowered to it current height of 67 feet. With the new tower dimensions, the original 3rd order Fresnel lens was too large for the tower. To save costs, the lantern room from the decommissioned Admiralty Head lighthouse was removed and placed atop the shorter tower. The newly painted tower was relit with a revolving 4th order Fresnel Lens.

Circa 1944

In the mid-1970s the Coast Guard decided to remove the Fresnel lens and decided to test a DCB airport style beacon. The beacon only lasted a few years until it was replaced by a much smaller AGA-acrylic revolving beacon that provided the same range as the DCB, but with a 150-watt bulb instead of the 1,000-watt DCB bulb. In 1998 the Coast Guard replaced the AGA with a newer Vega Rotating beacon.

In 1994, the Dungeness Lighthouse was one of the few lighthouses in the United States to have a full-time keeper. Michelle and Seth Jackson and their dog Chicago were the last to hold post as lighthouse keepers. In march of '94 the Coast Guard boarded up all the windows at the station, checked all the electrical equipment and left. The station didn't stay boarded up long. Within months, the United States Lighthouse Society started the New Dungeness chapter and were able to secure a lease from the Coast Guard. The station has been completely restored.

Today, the lighthouse is manned weekly by society members who pay a fee to stay at the light.

Henry Blake was the first keeper of this lighthouse. The USCG Coastal Buoy Tender WLM-563 Henry Blake based in Everett, Washington is named after him.

External links

• Official Website of the New Dungeness Lighthouse

References

1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2009-03-13. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html.