GH Lighthouse Fresnel lens relighting Tuesday to mark 117th anniversary

A ceremonial re-lighting of the original third-order Fresnel lens mounted in the top of the Grays Harbor Lighthouse is set for 9:30 p.m. next Tuesday, June 30. The clamshell-shaped lens was manufactured in Paris, France by Henri LePaute and Sons 120 years ago. The event will mark the 117th anniversary since the light went into service in 1898.

This will be the first time in 23 years that the lens has produced the beam that guided mariners off Grays Harbor for nearly a century. With the lens currently fixed in a permanent north-south facing direction, its bright, broad, white beams will shine nearly 20 miles in each direction until midnight.

Hosted by the Westport South Beach Historical Society, owners of the lighthouse since 2004, “This event is to celebrate the significance of the lighthouse, with the lighting being a reminder of the beauty and power of the light in its original form,” said Peter Eberle, chairman of the Society’s GH Lighthouse Restoration Committee. The committee steers plans and projects for lighthouse maintenance and its restoration to its original configuration.

Share the wonder; climb to the top

South Beach residents and visitors are invited to come and share in the wonder and power of the original lens working in all its glory. Following very brief remarks, the switch will be thrown to light up the night sky by Grayland resident and Westport business owner, Laura Rust, who was the Historical Society’s president during the period when the group secured ownership of the Grays Harbor Light Station.

Following the lighting, visitors are welcome to climb for free the 135-step iron circular staircase leading up to the lantern room for a close look at the lens at work.

Dark since 1992

Since the summer of 1992, mariners off the coast of Grays Harbor have been guided by the light of a small fixed bulb attached to the upper west railing of the Grays Harbor Lighthouse. In August of that year, the original third order Fresnel lens, with its prisms lighted by a 1,000 watt quartz bulb, was turned off and replaced by the current small light manufactured in New Zealand. Permanently mounted to the balcony railing, that small light operates on a 35 watt bulb that can been seen up to 19 miles at sea on the white sector and 17 miles on the red, with the colors alternating at 15 second intervals.

Modern technology being what it is, the little light on the lighthouse railing does its job just fine. But, unfortunately, the magnificence and beauty of the bright beam of light thrown through the original Fresnel lens was lost — some thought, forever.

Idea to reality

But now, through the work of Eberle, fellow Lighthouse Restoraton Committee member Jeff Pence and Museum and Lighthouse Director, John Shaw, the light is set once again to shine on special occasions.

Pence came up with the idea of relighting the lens to celebrate the 117th anniversary of Washington state’s tallest lighthouse. Fellow GH Lighthouse Committee members Eberle, Jeff Andrews, Paul Robinson, Evelyn Robinson and Angela Fuller welcomed his idea, so Eberle presented it to the Historical Society board, receiving their approval, as well.

Shaw then took the reigns to push a request for approval for the special light show through the appropriate Coast Guard chain of command.

Modifications made

While waiting for the official go-ahead, Eberle and Pence made a few minor modifications to the existing fixture that holds the bulbs. That fixture allowed a spare bulb to automatically rotate into place when the primary bulb burned out. The automated feature was bypassed and a separate power cord connected to the existing modern circuit at the work rook level.

“The bulbs used when the light converted to electricity were like the ones used in stage and airport lighting. We were fortunate to have an original spare that is normally on display in the Destruction Island Light Lens Exhibit Hall. Along with the fixture modifications, a new electrical outlet was also installed in the lighthouse lens room,” said Shaw.

Coast Guard go-ahead

Final approval for the lighting from the Coast Guard was granted last Thursday, June 18, when an official Notification to Mariners went out letting those at sea know that the lens will be relit from 9:30 p.m. to midnight, not only next Tuesday, but also on the Fourth of July.

More lightings

According to Shaw, the Society is considering establishing some sort of a regular schedule for relighting the lens on a predictable basis in the future, so that locals and visitors can plan ahead to enjoy the Grays Harbor Lighthouse as it originally operated.