Sabine Pass Lighthouse facts for kids
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| Sabine Pass Light | |
 Sabine Pass Lighthouse
Location in Louisiana
Sabine Pass Lighthouse
Location in the United States
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| Location | Cameron Parish, Louisiana |
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| Coordinates | 29°42′59″N 93°51′01″W / 29.7165°N 93.85018°W |
| Year first constructed | 1856 |
| Year first lit | 1856 |
| Deactivated | 1952 |
| Foundation | Brick buttresses / shellcrete |
| Construction | Brick |
| Tower shape | Octagon with eight buttresses |
| Markings / pattern | White with black stripe, "rocket ship" |
| Height | 75 feet (23 m) |
| Focal height | 85 feet (26 m) |
| Original lens | Third order Fresnel lens |
| Characteristic | Flashing white 90s |
The Sabine Pass Lighthouse is a famous old lighthouse. It is also called the Sabine Pass Light by the United States Coast Guard. This lighthouse is on the Louisiana side of the Sabine River. It is in Cameron Parish, across from Sabine Pass, Texas.
The light first shone in 1857. The Coast Guard stopped using it in 1952. This lighthouse is one of only three in the United States with a similar design. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981. The lighthouse is not used anymore, but people are trying to save it. The Calcasieu Historical Preservation Society thinks it might be the oldest brick building still standing in Southwest Louisiana.
Contents
History of the Sabine Pass Lighthouse
Why Was the Lighthouse Built?
In 1849, the United States Congress set aside $7,500 for a lighthouse at Sabine Pass. A commander named Henry A. Adams checked the area. He said a lighthouse was not needed then. He felt the coast was safe and not many ships used the area.
But people kept asking for a light. So, in 1853, more money was given. Captain Danville Leadbetter helped make the lighthouse happen. He also designed the building.
Building the Lighthouse (1855-1857)
Building started in 1855. Walter H. Stevens oversaw the work. It took two years to finish. The tower was made of brick. It sat on a base of shellcrete and wood.
The ground was marshy, so they added special supports. These supports, called buttresses, spread out from the base. They helped keep the tower steady. The tower was painted white. It had a special Fresnel lens inside. The light turned on for the first time in mid-1857.
The Lighthouse During the Civil War
The light was turned off in 1861 during the Civil War. This was to stop Union ships from using the pass. After the war ended, the light was turned back on in December 1865.
Both Confederate and Union soldiers used the tower to watch for enemies. There was a small fight at the lighthouse in 1863. Several soldiers died there. This happened five months before the Second Battle of Sabine Pass, which was fought nearby.
Storms and Changes to the Lighthouse
A big storm called a hurricane hit in 1886. It destroyed the keeper's house. The lighthouse keeper and his wife stayed safe inside the tower. A new house was built the next year.
Another hurricane hit in 1915. It shook the tower so much that the light's clockwork stopped. The keeper had to turn the light by hand to keep it working.
In the early 1900s, long walls called jetties were built nearby. By 1921, these jetties went far into the gulf. They needed their own lights for ships. This made the old lighthouse less important.
In 1928, a radio beacon was added. The light was changed to electricity in 1929. The plumbing was updated in 1937. In 1932, two black stripes were painted on the tower. A ship captain said the white tower was hard to see in the haze. The lighthouse was finally turned off in 1952.
What Happened After Deactivation?
The lighthouse was in a lonely spot. It was damaged by people and fires. The keeper's house and other buildings were destroyed.
For many years, different government groups owned the lighthouse. In 1985, it was sold to two businessmen. They wanted to build a marina or restaurant there. But their plans never happened. In 2001, they gave the lighthouse to the Cameron Preservation Alliance. This group built a road to the tower. They want to turn the 42-acre (0.17 km2) property into a local history museum.
A company called Cheniere Energy has built a gas terminal nearby. They have also improved the gravel road that goes past their plant and ends at the lighthouse property. They are expanding their project on the 853 acres (3.45 km2) they own.
Current State of the Lighthouse
The Sabine Pass Lighthouse is in bad shape. There are plans to fix it, but getting money has been hard. This is especially true since Hurricane Rita. The hurricane might have also damaged the lighthouse's base.
But the lighthouse is not forgotten. The Cameron Parish and Johnson Bayou libraries support it. Carolyn Thibodeaux, who leads the Cameron Preservation Alliance, says $3 million is needed to make the lighthouse stable again. In 2004, the group tried to get $10 million. This money would have fixed the base and built a museum and gift shop. But they were not successful.
Thibodeaux believes many people are still interested in the lighthouse. The Calcasieu Historical Preservation Society has listed it as one of the area's most endangered buildings. Adley Cormier, a preservationist, said, "We need to know that it is a shared resource." He hopes people from both sides of the river will help. He added, "It's part of our history, too. It's a chance for all Southwest Louisiana to work together."
Cormier wants the lighthouse to be seen as Southwest Louisiana's lighthouse. He hopes the five parishes and Southeast Texas will help. Ami Kamara, a museum curator, said, "When you live on the Gulf, you consider the whole Gulf your home." She also said, "The lighthouses were such an important part of living on a coast and keeping it safe for the shipping industry." East Texans also see the lighthouse as part of their history.
