Cat Island Light

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Cat Island Light
Cat Island Light 1871.JPG
Cat Island Light in 1915 (USCG)
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap
Locationwest end of Cat Island off Mississippi coast[1]
Coordinates30°13′50.94″N 89°09′41.68″W / 30.2308167°N 89.1615778°W / 30.2308167; -89.1615778Coordinates: 30°13′50.94″N 89°09′41.68″W / 30.2308167°N 89.1615778°W / 30.2308167; -89.1615778
Constructed1831 Edit this on Wikidata
Foundationnone (1st)
screw-pile (2nd)[1]
Constructionbrick (1st)
cast-iron/wood (2nd)[1]
Tower height30 feet (9.1 m) (1st)
40 feet (12 m) (2nd)
Tower shapeconical tower (1st)
square house (2nd)[1]
First lit1831 (1st)
1871 (2nd)[1]
Deactivated1937[1]
Lens10 lamps w/reflectors
fifth-order Fresnel lens (2nd)
ARLHS no.USA-145[2]
[edit on Wikidata]

The Cat Island Light was a lighthouse located on Cat Island off the coast of Mississippi. Originally built to guide shipping through the Mississippi Sound, it was discontinued as traffic moved further south.

History[]

The 1831 tower (USCG)

The first lighthouse at this location was erected in 1831, following an appropriation in 1827.[1] Construction was delayed by the need to survey and acquire land. The contract was given to Winslow Lewis, who also constructed the Pass Christian Light under the same contract.[3] Lewis subcontracted construction of the Cat Island tower to Lazarus Baukens, who erected a conical brick tower to the same design as that used for the Pass Christian Light.[1] An 1854 inspection, however, revealed that the structure was set directly on the sand, with no foundation whatsoever.[3] It was provided with the lamp and reflector arrangement typical of such early lights. This was replaced in 1857 with a Fresnel lens, and in 1859 a new lantern was constructed.[3]

The tower was constantly threatened by erosion, and in 1856 funds were appropriated to move it; however, nothing ever came of this.[3] This followed the destruction of the original keeper's house in the 1855 hurricane.[3] The tower was damaged in a hurricane in 1860[3] and burned by the Confederates during the Civil War.[1] After the war, the lantern was taken to be used for the Tchefuncte River Range Rear Light,[4] and in 1872 the bricks were removed to be used as riprap to shore up the failing St. Joseph Island Light.[3]

The previous year, a new lighthouse was erected, a square screw-pile structure.[1] Erosion and storms continued to be problems, and in 1900 riprap was piled around the piles to stabilize it.[3] In 1937 the light was discontinued due to decreasing traffic through the area.[3] The house stood abandoned and eventually burned in 1961.[3] The iron foundation continues to stand and appears as a hazard on NOAA charts.[5] It is also a local fishing spot, known affectionately as The Bird Cage.[citation needed]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: Mississippi". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. Archived from the original on 2017-05-01. Retrieved 2009-06-12.
  2. ^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of the United States: Mississippi". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j Ellis, Dan. "Cat Island Lighthouse". Retrieved 2009-06-12.
  4. ^ "Inventory of Historic Light Stations: Louisiana Lighthouses - Tchefuncte River Range Rear Light". National Park Service. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
  5. ^ Intracoastal Waterway: Dog Keys Pass to Waveland (Map) (33 ed.). 1:40,000. NOAA. 6/1/2007. Chart 11372. Retrieved 2009-06-09. Check date values in: |date= (help)
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