Makapuu Point Light facts for kids
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| Makapuʻu Point Light (USCG) undated archival photograph (note the men in the picture) | |
 Makapuu Point Light
Location in Hawaii
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| Location | southeast point of Oahu |
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| Coordinates | 21°18′36″N 157°38′59″W / 21.309889°N 157.649748°W |
| Year first constructed | 1909 |
| Year first lit | 1909 |
| Automated | 1974 |
| Foundation | masonry basement |
| Construction | brick tower |
| Tower shape | cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern |
| Markings / pattern | white tower, red lantern roof and grey trim and parapet. |
| Height | 46 feet (14 m) |
| Focal height | 420 feet (130 m) |
| Original lens | hyperradiant Fresnel lens |
| Intensity | 115,000 candlepower white |
| Range | 17 nautical miles; 31 kilometres (19 mi) |
| Characteristic | Oc W 10s, |
| Admiralty number | G7326 |
| ARLHS number | HAW-005. |
| USCG number | 6-28925 |
The Makapuʻu Point Light on the island of Oʻahu has the largest lens of any lighthouse in the United States. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977, recognizing its importance.
Contents
Building the Makapuʻu Lighthouse
Before this lighthouse was built, the location was very important for ships. It greatly needed a light to guide them safely.
Makapuʻu Point is the most southeastern tip of Oahu. It was the first land ships saw when coming from the American west coast to Honolulu.
After the 1887 Constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom was signed, which started steps towards Hawaii joining the U.S., shipping companies really wanted a lighthouse here. They started asking for it with a petition in 1888.
In 1890, Lorrin A. Thurston, who was a minister for the Hawaiian Kingdom, asked a British company about getting a special lens and other equipment. However, the lighthouse plans were put on hold until Hawaii became part of the U.S. Construction finally began in 1906, after the United States House of Representatives approved money for it.
The Giant Lens: A Unique Feature
Over time, the planned size of the lighthouse lens grew much bigger. Thurston first asked for a third-order Fresnel lens, which was a good size. But later, plans were updated to use a second-order, and then an even larger first-order lens.
At the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, the United States Lighthouse Board showed off its amazing engineering achievements. They displayed a huge hyperradiant Fresnel lens. This was the largest size ever made, even bigger than the usual first-order lenses.
This giant lens was available when it was decided to build the Makapuʻu Point Light. Instead of ordering a new one, this huge lens was chosen. It was twelve feet tall and had over a thousand prisms!
Because of this, Makapuʻu Point Light became the only U.S. lighthouse with such a lens. Since it started working in 1909, it has had the largest lens in use in the United States.
Height and Importance
When it was built, the Makapuʻu Point Light also had the second highest focal plane (the height of the light above sea level) in the U.S. It was 420 feet high. Only the Cape Mendocino Light in California was higher at 422 feet.
Today, it is the third highest light in the U.S. It is still an active light that helps guide ships.
Lighthouse Operations and Changes
Originally, the lighthouse used an oil vapor lamp with three gas mantles. To start this lamp, a small alcohol burner was needed.
In 1927, the lighthouse got a radio beacon, which was the first in Hawaii. This needed a power station, so the lamp was changed from oil vapor to a 500-watt incandescent bulb.
The light became automated in 1974, meaning it no longer needed people to operate it. The radio beacon was stopped the year before.
Challenges and Preservation
Because the lighthouse is in an isolated area, its buildings were sometimes damaged. In 1984, someone even shot a hole in the giant lens.
In 1987, the Coast Guard decided they didn't need much of the land around the lighthouse anymore. This land was given to the State of Hawaii.
The lighthouse itself is still controlled by the Coast Guard. It is surrounded by state-owned land. A popular hiking trail leads to the light, and many people enjoy visiting it.
The lighthouse tower is white with a red lantern roof. It used to have a black lantern, and some old sources might still say that.
The lighthouse sits high on a volcanic point with rocky cliffs. These cliffs are a popular spot for hang gliders.
Images for kids
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Makapu'u-Lighthouse-Oahu-Hawaii.jpg
Makapu'u Lighthouse in Oahu, Hawaii
