Pass Manchac Lighthouse
Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana
Pass Manchac Lighthouse
Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana
Pass Manchac was one of the sites that was in a system of five Lake Pontchartrain lights. The station was established in 1837, with the original lighthouse being completed in 1839.The current lighthouse, the fourth one built, was completed in 1857, using the old reflector lights from the previous lighthouse. It received a fourth order lens that was first exhibited in February, 1859. This lens was removed in 1952. The dwelling was razed in the same year, to prevent vagrants from living there.
The tower has a stone foundation and is the only cylindrical brick tower built on the Gulf. The tower, white in color, had a focal plane height of 45 feet. As you can see from the picture, the tower is now completely surrounded by water, and is not visible from any of the roads in the area.
Special thanks go to Mr. & Mrs. Harold Corkern and to Susan Corkern for providing transportation to enable me to photograph this lighthouse.
