| The 1890/1901 structure. | |
| Location | New Orleans, Louisiana |
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| Year first constructed | 1838 |
| Year first lit | 1890 (last lighthouse) 2005 (current pole light) |
| Automated | Yes |
| Deactivated | Lighthouse severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina 2005 |
| Foundation | Pile with platform |
| Construction | Wood |
| Tower shape | Square tower on top of house |
| Markings / pattern | White with red roof |
| Focal height | Lighthouse: 49 ft (15m) Current pole light: 15 ft(5m) |
| Original lens | 5th order Fresnel lens |
| Characteristic | Lighthouse: Occulting White 5s Current pole light: Fl 2 White 5s |
| Fog signal | Previous: Bell, every ten seconds |
| ARLHS number | USA-556 |
| USCG number | 4-9992 |
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New Canal Lighthouse
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| Location: | West End Blvd. and Lakeshore Dr., New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Built: | 1890 |
| Architect: | New Orleans Canal and Banking Co. |
| Governing body: | US Coast Guard |
| NRHP Reference#: |
85003186 [4] |
| Added to NRHP: | December 30, 1985 |
The New Canal Light was first established in 1838 at the north end of the New Basin Canal which ran between Lake Ponchartrain and the Mississippi River. The canal was filled in around 1950, but the light remained active until severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. It has been replaced by a light on a pole while efforts are underway to restore the house.
The original light was built in 1838 on a foundation of sheet piling filled in with shells. The tower was octagonal, built of cypress, about 28 feet (9 m) high. The tower deteriorated badly and was replaced in 1855 with a square wood dwelling on screw piles with an iron lantern and a 5th order Fresnel lens. In 1890 the structure was again replaced, with the light being raised to 49 feet (15 m). The 1890 structure was substantially rebuilt in 1901. It was damaged by hurricanes in 1903, 1915, 1926, and 1927. It was moved to its current location in 1910. After the 1927 damage it was raised on new concrete piers and in 1936, the breakwater surrounding it was filled in, putting land under the structure for the first time. From the 1960s through 2001 there was a USCG station at the site.[2] The building was partly destroyed by Katrina in 2005, with only the upper portion remaining intact. The Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation has disassembled and stored the remains of the building and is raising money to restore it.[5]
The light was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 as New Canal Lighthouse.[4]
Wikimedia Commons has many images showing the lighthouse before and after Katrina.
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