Windmill Point Light (Vermont)
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| Windmill Point Light (Vermont) | |
|---|---|
 Undated photograph of Windmill Point Light (USCG) |
|
| Location: | West of Alburgh, Vermont on Lake Champlain |
| Coordinates WGS-84 (GPS) |
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| Year first constructed: | 1830 |
| Year first lit: | 1858, relit 8/7/2002 |
| Deactivated: | 1931-2002 |
| Foundation: | Surface rock |
| Construction: | Blue limestone |
| Tower shape: | Octagonal |
| Markings/Pattern: | Natural with pink lantern |
| Height: | 40 feet |
| Elevation: | 52 feet |
| Original lens: | Sixth order Fresnel lens |
| Current lens: | 1.15 amp 300 mm prototype |
| Range: | 9 miles |
| Characteristic: | Flashing white every 4 seconds |
For the light in the Chesapeake Bay see Windmill Point Light (Virginia).
The Windmill Point Light in Vermont is the northernmost lighthouse on Lake Champlain. Extinguished for seventy years, it was reactivated in 2002 to replace the skeleton tower erected next to it.
[edit] History
The first lighthouse on this site was privately erected in 1830. In 1858, the Lighthouse Service contracted with the Ellis and O'Neil firm to erect the present octagonal tower, which is connected directly to the keeper's house. Together with the Isle La Motte Light, it forms a rough line marking the channel through the center of the lake. It remained in service until 1931, when a steel tower was erected on the property with an automated acetylene light on top. The keeper's house was transferred to the customs service for use in battling smuggling during Prohibition. The tower and house were eventually sold to a private individual.
In 1963 the light was purchased by Lockwood Clark, who had come across the then-owner while showing his bride-to-be around the point. In 2001, he was approached by the Coast Guard about returning the light to the original tower. This would have not only the sentimental value of bringing the old light back to life, but would save the Coast Guard a considerable sum, as the steel towers were in need of expensive refurbishment if not replacement. In August 2002 a new solar powered beacon was installed in the old tower, the first of a series of such restorations on the lake. The light is still in service and remains an active aid to navigation.
[edit] References
- Vermont Light Stations. United States Coast Guard. Retrieved on 2008-05-16.
- Windmill Point, VT. lighthousefriends.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-16.
- Windmill Point Light: History. D'Entremont, Jeremy. Retrieved on 2008-05-16.
