Turn Point Light

The Turn Point Light is an active aid to navigation overlooking the Haro Straits from the western tip of Stuart Island, San Juan County, off the coast of Washington state in the northwest of the United States.[2][3]

Turn Point Light
LocationStuart Island, Washington
Coordinates48°41′21″N 123°14′14″W[1]
Year first lit1936
Automated1974
FoundationSurface
ConstructionConcrete
Tower shapeSquare
Tower height20 feet (6.1 m)
Focal height13 metre 
Original lens12 inches (300 mm)
Range8 nautical mile 
CharacteristicWhite flash every 2.5 s

History

Operations commenced in 1893 with the construction of a fog signal building and a two-story keeper's quarters. The station's first light was a lens lantern displayed from a post located close to the point. A steam-powered Daboll trumpet served as the fog signal.[4]

In 1936, a square concrete tower was added to the site with a 12-inch (300 mm) light emanating at a 44-foot (13 m) focal plane.[5] A diaphragm foghorn replaced the Daboll trumpet. The station was automated in 1974.[4]

The station is owned by the U.S. Coast Guard and managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. It is part of the San Juan Islands National Monument, which was created in 2013.[6] Volunteers through the Turn Point Lighthouse Preservation Society[7] offer seasonal docent guided tours of the original 1893 Keepers House and a first class exhibit of historic photos.

References
  1. "Turn Point Lighthouse". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  2. "Historic Light Station Information & Photography: Washington". U.S. Coast Guard. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  3. "West Point Light". Inventory of Historic Light Stations: Washington Lighthouses. National Park Service. Archived from the original on May 1, 2004. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  4. "Turn Point, WA". Lighthousefriends. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  5. Rowlett, Russ (October 19, 2014). "Lighthouses of the United States: Washington". University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  6. "San Juan Islands National Monument: Plan Your Visit". U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Retrieved April 15, 2013.
  7. "TPLPS Home Page". www.tplps.org. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
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