Sabine Pass Light
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Sabine Pass Light |
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Location: | Cameron Parish, Louisiana |
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Coordinates WGS-84 (GPS) |
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Foundation: | Brick buttresses / shellcrete |
Construction: | Brick |
Year first lit: | 1857 |
Deactivated: | 1952 |
Tower shape: | Octagon with 8 buttresses which gives it a 'rocket ship' appearance. |
Height: | 85 feet |
Original lens: | Third order, Fresnel lens |
Characteristic: | White, flashed every 90 seconds |
The Sabine Pass Light, one of only three built in the United States of similar design, went into operation in 1857. It remained lit for 95 years with the exception of a brief period during the Civil War when it was temporarily shut down. The light was permanently extinguished by the Coast Guard in 1952 when modern technology made it obsolete. The wharfs, keeper's house and wooden outbuilding have all been destroyed by marsh fire. The lighthouse has since been entered into the National Register of Historic Places, reference #81000290.
A restoration effort is being made by the Cameron Preservation Society.