National Register of Historic Places

Browns Point Lighthouse and Keeper's Cottage

Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington
Listed
March 28, 1989
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
89000208

About this property

The Browns Point Lighthouse is a lighthouse located near Tacoma on Browns Point at the east entrance to Puget Sound's Commencement Bay, Pierce County, Washington. Cupy the first light station on Browns Point, erected in 1887, consisted of a white light lens lantern on a white post that stood 12 feet (3.7 m) above sea level and 50 yards from the low tide shoreline. A wood-frame lighthouse and separate keepers cottage were built in 1901. The current lighthouse was built in 1933 and automated in 1963. The lighthouse plus the original keeper's cottage, oil house and boathouse are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2021, the lighthouse was restored, in an effort led by the Points Northeast Historical Society, with $65,000 in donations from local residents. The restoration was led by Metro Parks Tacoma, and the lighthouse was re-dedicated on October 17, 2021. The Points Northeast Historical Society rents out the keeper's cottage with the renter serving as an honorary lightkeeper who conducts lighthouse tours on Saturday afternoons. The Society also operates two museums by the lighthouse: the History Center with changing history exhibits and the Boat House Museum with displays of a replica surfboat and maritime artifacts. The lighthouse is on the grounds of Browns Point Lighthouse Park which offers picnicking and scenic vistas of sea traffic and mountains. Sharlene Nelson & Ted Nelson (1998). Umbrella Guide to Washington Lighthouses. Epicenter Press. ISBN 9780945397700. Media related to Browns Point Light at Wikimedia Commons

Location

201 Tulalip NE
Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington
47.30581, -122.44364

Categories

ARCHITECTUREMARITIME HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Questions about this property

When was Browns Point Lighthouse and Keeper's Cottage listed on the National Register?

Browns Point Lighthouse and Keeper's Cottage was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 28, 1989.

What type of historic resource is Browns Point Lighthouse and Keeper's Cottage?

Browns Point Lighthouse and Keeper's Cottage is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Browns Point Lighthouse and Keeper's Cottage?

The period of significance for Browns Point Lighthouse and Keeper's Cottage is recorded as the listed era.

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