Head of the Passes Lighthouse, Mississippi River, Louisiana
HEAD OF THE PASSES (WEST JETTY) LIGHT
Location: DEER ISLAND, APPROACH TO MISSISSIPPI RIVER, GULF OF MEXICO
Station Established: 1852
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1852
Operational? NO
Automated? NO
Deactivated: ?
Foundation Materials: N/A
Construction Materials: N/A
Tower Shape: SEE BELOW
Markings/Pattern: N/A
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE
Original Lens: SIXTH ORDER FRESNEL
Historical Information:
- In 1852 the Head of Passes Light consisted of a 67-foot tower. The tower was moved to Pass a l’Outre in 1854.
- The light was placed in a dormer window of a dwelling in 1853.
- In 1863 the light was placed on a wooden tripod.
- Margaret Novell served as head keeper from 1891 to 1896. She went on to keep Port Pontchartrain Light and West End light.
- From 1888 on Head of Passes was classified as a Light Attendant Station, servicing river lights on the Mississippi. It was in operation through at least the late 1960s.
- The light has since been destroyed.
Researched and written by Melissa Buckler, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.