Southwest Reef, Louisiana Harbour Lights Limited Edition #530 Built in 1858, with a cast-iron foundation, this sentinel's iron walls and massive cornices were unique among lighthouse of the Gulf Coast region. Originally painted dark red, workers scraped off the toxic lead-based paint after lightkeepers at the nearby Ship Shoal suffered from lead poisoning and paralysis. Black coal tar replaced the red paint on the lighthouse. It became an oven in the summer months and the heat was almost unbearable for the inhabitants. In 1867, a severe hurricane rocked Louisiana and the waves crashed up through the iron floor of the keeper's dwelling, ruining everything inside. The screwpiles bent and twisted in the turbulent ocean, but held until the storm abated, saving the crew hiding inside the tower. In 1875, the structure was raised 10 feet on newer columns and added diagonal supports to the screwpiles. The town of Berwick LA has relocated the tower and is restoring the beacon to its original glory. Southwest Reef, planned as the centerpiece of their lighthouse park, will stand as a reminder of our maritime heritage. |
Captains Cove 851 W Harbor Drive C, San Diego California 92101 
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