Pass Manchac Light
Encyclopedia
Pass Manchac Light is a historic lighthouse
that was first erected in 1838 to mark the north side of the entrance to Pass Manchac, the channel between Lake Pontchartrain
and Lake Maurepas
, Louisiana
. The current tower, now unused, is the fourth on the site. The first three were built in 1838, 1842, and 1846, in each case requiring replacement due to poor construction and encroaching lake waters.
The 1857 structure, a brick cylinder with attached house, was damaged in the Civil War
and in storms in 1888, 1890, 1915, 1926, and 1931. The station was automated in 1941 and the keeper's house was removed in 1953, at which time the light was on an island. The Coast Guard replaced it in 1987 with a skeleton tower on the south side of the pass. It now sits in several feet of water and leans somewhat. Restoration efforts are underway, but in the process the structure has broken in half.
Pass Manchac Light was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1986.
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....
that was first erected in 1838 to mark the north side of the entrance to Pass Manchac, the channel between Lake Pontchartrain
Lake Pontchartrain
Lake Pontchartrain is a brackish estuary located in southeastern Louisiana. It is the second-largest inland saltwater body of water in the United States, after the Great Salt Lake in Utah, and the largest lake in Louisiana. As an estuary, Pontchartrain is not a true lake.It covers an area of with...
and Lake Maurepas
Lake Maurepas
Lake Maurepas is located in southeastern Louisiana approximately halfway between New Orleans and Baton Rouge directly west of Lake Pontchartrain.-Namesake:...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. The current tower, now unused, is the fourth on the site. The first three were built in 1838, 1842, and 1846, in each case requiring replacement due to poor construction and encroaching lake waters.
The 1857 structure, a brick cylinder with attached house, was damaged in 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...
and in storms in 1888, 1890, 1915, 1926, and 1931. The station was automated in 1941 and the keeper's house was removed in 1953, at which time the light was on an island. The Coast Guard replaced it in 1987 with a skeleton tower on the south side of the pass. It now sits in several feet of water and leans somewhat. Restoration efforts are underway, but in the process the structure has broken in half.
Pass Manchac Light was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1986.