Cat Island Light
Encyclopedia
The Cat Island Light was a lighthouse
off the coast of Mississippi
. Originally built to guide shipping through the Mississippi Sound
, it was discontinued as traffic moved further south.
The first lighthouse at this location was erected in 1831, following an appropriation in 1827. 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. 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. An 1854 inspection, however, revealed that the structure was set directly on the sand, with no foundation whatsoever. 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.
The tower was constantly threatened by erosion, and in 1856 funds were appropriated to move it; however, nothing ever came of this. This followed the destruction of the original keeper's house in the 1855 hurricane. The tower was damaged in a hurricane in 1860 and burned by the Confederates during the Civil War
. After the war, the lantern was taken to be used for the Tchefuncte River Range Rear Light, and in 1872 the bricks were removed to be used as riprap
to shore up the failing St. Joseph Island Light.
The previous year, a new lighthouse was erected, a square screw-pile
structure. Erosion and storms continued to be problems, and in 1900 riprap was piled around the piles to stabilize it. In 1937 the light was discontinued due to decreasing traffic through the area. The house stood abandoned and eventually burned in 1961. The iron foundation continues to stand and appears as a hazard on NOAA charts. It is also a local fishing spot, known affectionately as The Bird Cage.
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
off the coast of Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
. Originally built to guide shipping through the Mississippi Sound
Mississippi Sound
The Mississippi Sound is a sound along the Gulf Coast of the United States. It runs east-west along the southern coasts of Mississippi and Alabama, from Waveland, Mississippi, to the Dauphin Island Bridge, a distance of about 145 kilometers...
, it was discontinued as traffic moved further south.
History
Winslow Lewis
Winslow Lewis was a sea captain, engineer, inventor and contractor active in the construction of many American lighthouses during the first half of the nineteenth century....
, who also constructed the Pass Christian Light under the same contract. 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. An 1854 inspection, however, revealed that the structure was set directly on the sand, with no foundation whatsoever. It was provided with the lamp and reflector arrangement typical of such early lights. This was replaced in 1857 with a Fresnel lens
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design...
, and in 1859 a new lantern was constructed.
The tower was constantly threatened by erosion, and in 1856 funds were appropriated to move it; however, nothing ever came of this. This followed the destruction of the original keeper's house in the 1855 hurricane. The tower was damaged in a hurricane in 1860 and burned by the Confederates during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. After the war, the lantern was taken to be used for the Tchefuncte River Range Rear Light, and in 1872 the bricks were removed to be used as riprap
Riprap
Riprap — also known as rip rap, rubble, shot rock or rock armour or "Rip-rap" — is rock or other material used to armor shorelines, streambeds, bridge abutments, pilings and other shoreline structures against scour, water or ice erosion.It is made from a variety of rock types, commonly granite or...
to shore up the failing St. Joseph Island Light.
The previous year, a new lighthouse was erected, a square screw-pile
Screw-pile lighthouse
A screw-pile lighthouse is a lighthouse which stands on piles that are screwed into sandy or muddy sea or river bottoms. The first screw-pile lighthouse was built by blind Irish engineer Alexander Mitchell...
structure. Erosion and storms continued to be problems, and in 1900 riprap was piled around the piles to stabilize it. In 1937 the light was discontinued due to decreasing traffic through the area. The house stood abandoned and eventually burned in 1961. The iron foundation continues to stand and appears as a hazard on NOAA charts. It is also a local fishing spot, known affectionately as The Bird Cage.