LIME KILN LIGHTHOUSE
SAN JUAN ISLAND
Located on the west side of San Juan Island,
Lime Kiln Lighthouse received its name from
the lime kilns built in the area in the 1860s.
The lighthouse overlooks the entrance of Haro
Strait, a major shipping route that linked the
Puget Sound and the Strait of Georgia. Built
atop solid rock, construction of the lighthouse
began in 1916. It was completed in August of
1918 and the first light signal was broadcast in
June 1919. Situated approximately 20 feet above
high water, the octagonal tower is 38-feet tall
and its helical-bar lantern room has a diameter
of over seven feet and is encircled by a concrete
deck and gallery. The original Fresnel lens had
three 60 degree panels situated opposite a 180
degree spherical mirror, and revolved atop a
mercury float to produce three flashes every
10 seconds. Kerosene for the incandescent
oil-vapor lamp was stored in a tank at the foot
of the tower and forced to the service room
by compressed air. It holds the distinction of
being the last lighthouse in Washington state
to receive electricity (1951). Today, the tower
flashes white light once every 10 seconds, and
the fog signal has been decommissioned. In
1978 Lime Kiln Lighthouse and the surrounding
area was dedicated as a whale sanctuary and
research station for marine mammal scientists.
In 1978 Lime Kiln Lighthouse was declared a
Historic Site by the state of Washington and was
later placed on the National Register of Historic
Places. Today, it used by the Whale Museum to
monitor movements of orca whales.
EDMOND LOWE PHOTO
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explore:NW | The Official Magazine for kenmore air | Summer 2016