National Register of Historic Places

Smith Island Light Station

Port Townsend, Island County, Washington
Listed
April 5, 1978
Type
Site
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
78002746

About this property

The Smith Island Light was a lighthouse on Smith Island, Island County, Washington. The Smith Island Light was constructed in 1858 using the classic New England design of a 1+1⁄2-story keeper's house with a light tower centered on the roof. Electric power was provided by a bank of 18 lead-acid truck batteries connected in series and recharged by gasoline-powered generators. The structure stood about 200 feet (61 m) from the island's western edge. The bluff began to erode, and when the bluff reached the front door in the 1950s, the lighthouse was abandoned. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The broken lighthouse could be seen clinging precariously to the bluff from the 1980s until the spring of 1998, when the last remains toppled into the sea. The lighthouse was replaced with an automated navigational light emanating on a 97-foot (30 m) focal plane from a 50-foot (15 m) skeletal tower constructed in 1957. The tower also houses a weather station operated by the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Before erosion toppled it into the sea, maritime author Jim Gibbs obtained permission from the Coast Guard to retrieve the lantern room. The lantern room is now part of the privately owned Skunk Bay Memorial Lighthouse located on northern tip of the Kitsap Peninsula near Hansville.

Location

Port Townsend, Island County, Washington
48.31837, -122.84482

Categories

MILITARY
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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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
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LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
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The Civil War
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The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
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Rivers & Rail
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Notable People
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Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Nearby Historic Sites

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Central Whidbey Island Historic District
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10.2 mi
Deception Pass State Park-Cornet Bay Incinerator
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10.5 mi
Center School
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10.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Smith Island Light Station listed on the National Register?

Smith Island Light Station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 5, 1978.

What type of historic resource is Smith Island Light Station?

Smith Island Light Station is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Smith Island Light Station?

The period of significance for Smith Island Light Station is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Smith Island Light Station?

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