Patos Island Light
 | |
   | |
| Location | San Juan Islands, Washington |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 48°47′20″N 122°58′17″W / 48.789°N 122.9715°WCoordinates: 48°47′20″N 122°58′17″W / 48.789°N 122.9715°W[1] |
| Year first lit | 1908 |
| Automated | 1974 |
| Foundation | Surface |
| Construction | Wood |
| Tower shape | Square |
| Height | 38 feet (12 m) |
| Original lens | Fourth order Fresnel lens |
| Characteristic |
White light every 6 s; two red sectors marking dangerous shoals |
|
Patos Island Light Station | |
 | |
| Nearest city | Eastsound, Washington |
| Area | 1 acre |
| Built | 1893 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival-Victorian |
| NRHP Reference # | 77001355[2] |
| Added to NRHP | October 21, 1977 |
Patos Island Lighthouse is an active aid to navigation overlooking the Strait of Georgia at Alden Point on the western tip of Patos Island in the San Juan Islands, San Juan County, Washington, in the United States.[3] The station is the northernmost in the San Juan Islands and marks the division point between the eastern and western passages into the Strait of Juan de Fuca.[4] It is part of Patos Island State Park.[5]
History
The original light station was a post light and third-class Daboll trumpet fog signal. Beginning operation on November 30, 1893, the light was used as a navigational aid to steamships traveling to ports around Georgia Strait such as Vancouver, and up the Inside Passage to Alaska.
The lighthouse was improved in 1908 with a new fog signal and a 38-foot (12 m) tower, which housed a fourth-order Fresnel lens.[6] The light was automated in 1974.[7] Today, it has a modern lens which flashes a white light once every six seconds and has two red sectors marking dangerous shoals off the island. The original fourth-order Fresnel lens is now in private ownership in Oregon.[8]
The early years of the light were recorded in The Light on the Island, the childhood recollections of Helene Glidden, daughter of Edward Durgan who was lighthouse keeper from 1905-1913.[9]
Through the efforts of the non-profit Keepers of the Patos Light, the lighthouse was renovated in 2008 with a new roof, doors, windows, gutters and downspouts, and new paint inside and out.[10] The lighthouse is the last remaining structure at the site: the original keepers house was demolished in 1958 when modern quarters were built.[6] Those and other modern buildings were subsequently razed and burned by the Bureau of Land Management and the Coast Guard.[5]
References
- ↑ "Patos Light". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
- ↑ National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
- ↑ "Patos Island Light". Inventory of Historic Light Stations: Washington Lighthouses. National Park Service. Archived from the original on April 18, 2004. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
- ↑ "National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form" (PDF). National Park Service. October 21, 1977. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
- 1 2 "Patos Island State Park". Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
- 1 2 Dougherty, Phil (March 26, 2012). "Patos Island Lighthouse". The Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History. HistoryLink. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
- ↑ "Historic Light Station Information & Photography: Washington". U.S. Coast Guard. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
- ↑ Rowlett, Russ (October 19, 2014). "Lighthouses of the United States: Washington". University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
- ↑ "Light on the Island". Keepers of the Patos Light. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
- ↑ "Patos Island, WA". Lighthousefriends. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Patos Island Lighthouse. |
- Keepers of the Patos Light
- Patos Islands Bureau of Land Management
- Patos Island State Park Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
