Friday, July 15, 2011

0058. USA - Admiralty Head Lighthouse (US Coast Guard LH Series-1990)


Admiralty Head Lighthouse was located on the Western edge of Whidbey Island.  The first Admiralty Lighthouse (known as Red Bluff Lighthouse) was built on the headland during 1860.  The Lighthouse had a 2-story wooden structure and the lantern room contained a 4th order Fresnel lens.

The Lighthouse guides ships bound from Pacific to Seattle which pass along the San Juan de Fuca strait.  The Admiralty Lighthouse defines the entrance to Admiralty Inlet from the strait on the east. The Lighthouse is placed at the right place to guide shipping.

The present day Lighthouse was built in a Spanish style and included a 2-story keeper's house.  The Lighthouse was extinguished in 1922, as the modern vessels powered by steam hug the western side of the inlet.  The lantern was removed and placed on the New Dungeness Lighthouse.

USPS commemorated the Admiralty Head Lighthouse (State of Washington - US Western Coast) by the release of  25c stamp on 26-Apr-1990 in its Lighthouse Stamp Series-1990.

The 1990 Lighthouse Stamp series is to commemorate the US Coast Guard Bicentennial and US Lighthouse Service and also the series represented one Lighthouse from each of the main coastal regions in the United States.

Built in the year 1903, the Admiralty Head Lighthouse:

  • Tower is ROUND stucco-clad brick
  • Tower is painted WHITE
  • Tower attached to 2-story California Spanish style stucco keeper's house
  • Lantern and trim painted BLACK
  • Keeper's house roof is painted RED
  • Height is 9 metres
  • Original lantern and 4th order Fresnel lens moved to New Dungeness Lighthouse

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