Point No Point marks 150 years of Washington lighthouses

Published 8:00 pm Thursday, July 27, 2006

Point No Point Lighthouse, the modest yet stellar landmark of the North End, will be a part of “The Great Lighthouse Hunt 2006” Aug. 12-13. This event, sponsored by the Washington Lightkeepers Association, will feature a live big band, the arrival by canoe and performance of the S’Klallam Tribe Dancers and Drummers, kite flying and lighthouse tours.

”It’s a wonderful way to get the public out to visit lighthouses,” said Elinor DeWire, president and founder of WLA.

This is a landmark year for lighthouses, she noted, with Cape Disappointment light celebrating its sesquicentennial (150th) anniversary and the Mukilteo and Burrows Island lights marking centennial years.

It’s also a landmark year for Point No Point Lighthouse as it is expected to be excessed by the Coast Guard this month and turned over to another governmental or non-profit group later this year. The historic Fresnel lens was turned off in June and replaced with a modern optic light that the Coast Guard will continue to maintain as an aid to navigation.

On Saturday, Aug. 12 Silverport Sound will perform 1940s big band favorites like Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller and Duke Ellington on the lighthouse lawn from 1-3 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to bring kites and a picnic.

On Sunday, Aug. 13 the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe Dancers and Drummers will arrive at the lighthouse by canoe to give a special performance that begins at 1 p.m.

Docents will be on hand both days to share the history of Point No Point Lighthouse and Lighthouse, a newly formed non-profit organization, will provide information on membership, according to docent Paulette Cziske.

Hunting lighthouses

Souvenir 11-by-17-inch maps depicting Washington lighthouses will be available at no charge this month at Point No Point Lighthouse and others throughout the state. The map was designed by Janet Orso of Coupeville who also created the new Washington lighthouse license plate.

On the back of the souvenir maps are blocks for special rubber stamps that can be obtained from each lighthouse visited. After completing the map, lighthouse hunters will earn a special “I’ve Seen the Light” certificate from WLA. Lighthouse lovers can also participate in the “Great Lighthouse Scavenger Hunt,” answering questions about unusual facts specific to each lighthouse as a way to promote a closer look at the structures and their history, and leading to more dialogue with docents.

The hunt is a great way for kids to get involved. “We want it to be education based not just tourism,” DeWire said, “and we hope it will put a jingle in the donation boxes to help support preservation of the lighthouses.”

WLA is also sponsoring a photo contest with cash prizes for amateur photographers of any age. The deadline for submissions is Aug. 15.

Other lighthouses, all highly accessible, participating in the Great Lighthouse Hunt 2006 with special events include the Mukilteo Lighthouse, Cape Disappointment and North Head lighthouses (both near Ilwaco), New Dungeness Lighthouse (Sequim), Grays Harbor Lighthouse (Westport), Admiralty Head Lighthouse (Coupeville), Browns Point Lighthouse (Tacoma), Point Robinson Lighthouse (Vashon Island), Lime Kiln Lighthouse (San Juan Islands), Alki Point Lighthouse (West Seattle), West Point Lighthouse (Seattle), Burrows Island Lighthouse (Anacortes).

For more information on “The Great Lighthouse Hunt 2006,” events, photo contest, maps and lighthouse resources, go to www.walightkeepers.com. For more information on the history of lighthouses in Washington and throughout the country, go to www.lighthousefriends.com.

To become a docent for the Point No Point Lighthouse, contact Paulette Cziske at (360) 638-2535. The lighthouse is open for docent-guided tours noon-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through September.