Burrows Island Light

The Burrows Island Light is a lighthouse on the western tip of Burrows Island, facing Rosario Strait, near Anacortes, in Skagit County, Washington.[2]

Burrows Island Light
Burrows Island Light (USCG)
LocationBurrows Island, Washington
Coordinates48°28′41″N 122°42′49″W[1]
Year first constructed1906
Year first lit1906
Automated1972
FoundationStone
ConstructionWood
Tower shapeWhite square tower on fog signal building
Tower height34 feet (10 m) (57 feet (17 m) above sea level)
Focal height17 metre 
Original lensFourth-order Fresnel lens (removed)
Range9 nautical miles (17 km; 10 mi)
CharacteristicFlashing white light every 6 s. Emergency light Iso W 6 s, operates at reduced intensity. Horn: 2 blasts ev 30s (2s bl-2s si-2s bl-24s si).

History

In 1905, prompted by the loss of several vessels to nearby Dennis Shoal and Lawson Reef, the Lighthouse Board selected the westernmost tip of Burrows Island, near Anacortes, Washington, as the site for a new light station. The island covering more than 400 acres (160 ha) stands just off Fidalgo Island, and presents a rugged aspect to sailors. The Burrows Island Light, faces Rosario Strait and was first lit April 1, 1906.[3] The Seattle Post-Intelligencer published a small photograph and enthusiastic article on May 2, 1906. "The fog signal station is a model plant and contains all the latest improvements. A fourteen foot trumpet is used to sound the warnings instead of a bell, and the contrivance is operated by the power of two powerful gasoline engines."

The Daboll trumpet fog signal blew the next year for 329 hours. The 34 square feet (3.2 m2) tower is attached to the fog signal building and once held a fourth-order Fresnel lens.[4]

Captain James Hermann and his assistant Edward Pfaff were the first keepers at the station, which consisted of four buildings: the lighthouse itself, a boathouse and shop, a small coal and oil building and the massive duplex which dominates the station.[4]

The wood-framed lighthouse stands nears the island's shoreline, which mainly consists of sharp and rocky drop-offs that demanded a derrick be constructed for loading the station boat and bringing in supplies.[5] Automated in 1972, the Fresnel lens was replaced with modern optics and a helicopter landing pad located where the lighthouse keeper's home formerly stood.[4]

In 2011, the Northwest Schooner Society began a long-term restoration project of the property and its weather-damaged and vandal-ravaged buildings.[6]

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References
  1. "Burrows Island Lighthouse". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  2. "Burrows Island Light". Inventory of Historic Light Stations: Washington Lighthouses. National Park Service. Archived from the original on April 7, 2004. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  3. "Historic Light Station Information & Photography: Washington". U.S. Coast Guard. November 17, 2014. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  4. "Burrows Island, WA". Lighthousefriends. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  5. "13th Coast Guard District Lighthouses". 13th Coast Guard District. January 1996. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  6. "Burrows Island Light Station Restoration". Northwest Schooner Society. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
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