Cape Decision Light
 | |
  Location in Alaska | |
| Location | Kuiu Island, Alaska |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 56°00′05″N 134°08′09″W / 56.0015°N 134.1357°WCoordinates: 56°00′05″N 134°08′09″W / 56.0015°N 134.1357°W |
| Year first lit | 1932 |
| Automated | 1974 |
| Foundation | Rock |
| Construction | Concrete |
| Tower shape | square |
| Height | 75 feet (23 m) |
| Original lens | Third order Fresnel lens |
| Range | 18 nautical miles (33 km; 21 mi) |
| Characteristic | White art deco marking, flashing White 5s, Obscured from 134° to 245°. Emergency light (Fl W 5s) of reduced intensity if main light is extinguished. |
| Admiralty number | G6286 |
| ARLHS number | ALK-001 |
| USCG number |
6-1020 |
|
Cape Decision Light Station | |
| Nearest city | Sitka, Alaska |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Architect | U.S. Lighthouse Service |
| Architectural style | Moderne |
| Governing body | Private |
| MPS | Light Stations of the United States MPS |
| NRHP Reference # | 04001568[1] |
| Added to NRHP | February 2, 2005 |
Cape Decision is a lighthouse located on Kuiu Island adjacent to Sumner Strait in Southeast Alaska.
History
The first attempt to light these waters was an acetylene lantern placed on the Spanish Islands, just off the southern end of Kuiu Island. The lantern was proved ineffective and consequently Congress appropriated $59,400 in 1929 for a lighthouse and construction began in September of that year. However, weather and inadequate funds delayed the completion of the station until it finally became active in March 1932. The total cost ended up in excess of $150,000. The lighthouse became automated in 1974 and in 1989 fire damaged the tram, dock, boathouse, hoist house, paint shed, and helipad. The original third order Fresnel lens was replaced in 1996 with solar powered aero beacon. The lens is on display in Clausen Museum in the nearby community of Petersburg.
The lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.[1][2]
It is currently an active aid to navigation.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2009-03-13.
- ↑ "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Cape Decision Light Station". National Park Service. and accompanying photos
External links
- "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: Alaska". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office.
- Lighthouse Friends — Cape Decision Lighthouse
- Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Alaska". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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