The Tree Point Light is a lighthouse located adjacent to Revillagigedo Channel in Southeast Alaska, United States. It is located near the southernmost point of mainland Alaska.

Tree Point Light
Current lighthouse, completed in 1935
Map
LocationRevillagigedo Channel, Alaska
Coordinates54°48′10″N 130°56′02″W / 54.80278°N 130.93389°W / 54.80278; -130.93389
Tower
Constructed1905 (first)
Foundationconcrete
Constructionreinforced concrete tower
Automated1969
Height58 feet (18 m)
Shapesquare tower with lantern attached to oil house
Markingsart deco architecture,
white tower, red lantern
Power sourcesolar power Edit this on Wikidata
OperatorUnited States Coast Guard[1] [2]
HeritageNational Register of Historic Places listed place Edit this on Wikidata
Light
First lit1935 (current)
Focal height86 feet (26 m)
LensFourth order Fresnel lens (original), VRB-25 lens (current)
Range9 nautical miles (17 km; 10 mi)
CharacteristicFl W 6s.
obscured from 158° to 318°
Tree Point Lighthouse
Alaska Heritage Resources Survey
Nearest cityKetchikan, Alaska
Area76.5 acres (31.0 ha)
Built1935
ArchitectU.S. Lighthouse Service; D.A. Chase; Edwin Laird
Architectural styleArt Deco, Classical Revival, et al.
MPSLight Stations of the United States MPS
NRHP reference No.04001177[3]
AHRS No.XPR-006
Added to NRHPOctober 27, 2004

History

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Original 1904 Lighthouse – USCG archive photo

The Lighthouse Board approved the construction of the Tree Point Lighthouse on April 24, 1903, and just over a year later the light was activated on April 30, 1904. The lighthouse was the first, and only lighthouse, to be built on mainland Alaska. In the early 1930s, the Bureau of Lighthouses authorized reconstruction of the station with reinforced concrete. Work began in 1933 and was completed in 1935. The 1935 lighthouse was equipped with a fourth-order Fresnel lens, which is now displayed at the Tongass Historical Museum in Ketchikan, Alaska. In 1969 it was automated. The Fresnel lens was replaced with a lens mounted outside the lantern room. In the summer of 1977 the lens on the gallery was replaced with a modern, solar-powered VRB-25 Vega lens placed back inside the lantern room.

The lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as an historic district in 2004.[3] Its 2003 NRHP nomination stated that it was "the most intact [lighthouse] outpost in the southern section of Southeast Alaska. The listing includes the concrete light and fog-signal building built in 1935, one standing keeper residence, the two original oil houses, the later-period boathouse, and features of the water supply system. In addition, the tramway run is relatively intact." Additional features of a derrick and winch were deemed non-contributing, because they are relatively recent replacements.[4]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Alaska". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  2. ^ Alaska Historic Light Station Information & Photography United States Coast Guard. Retrieved 9 June 2016
  3. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  4. ^ Robert M. Weaver (February 27, 2003). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Tree Point Lighthouse / Tree Point Light Station (AHRS Site No. XPR-006)". National Park Service. and accompanying five photos from 2002
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