(1984  Photograph courtesy of Cliff Hebert )

Timbalier Bay Lighthouse
Louisiana

The photo shown is the third lighthouse to be built at Timbalier Bay, being built in 1917. When built, it was a white square structure on 25 iron encased wood pilings. On August 24, 1926, a hurricane tipped the lighthouse toward the northwest.  Five hundred tons of rip rap were placed around the foundation piles, but were washed away in 1931.

The station was discontinued in 1934, but reactivated a few months later. In 1939 it was changed to unmanned operation, and had an 850 candlepower light, which was 56 feet above the water.  Flashing every 4 seconds, it could be seen for 13 miles. It was abandoned in the 1950s and left as a daymark. In 1985, the lighthouse was destroyed by Hurricane Juan.

The original lighthouse was completed in 1857. In 1866, the entire light station was annihilated.

The second tower was lit on January 26, 1875. It was an iron skeleton tower. A second order lens was 111 feet above sea level. It was a fixed white light with a red flash every minute. In 1894, the tower toppled due to a new channel forming that was scouring the sand from the base of the tower.

My thanks to Mr. Cliff Hebert for this photo.

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