Horn House and Lens
The first Fog Signal in this building used coal and water from the concrete catch basins to make boiling water for steam and became operational in 1891. In 1915 the original boilers were replaced with compressors and fog horns run with kerosene.
Because the Fog Signal at a lighthouse was used for navigation, every one had to be unique. It was important for ship captains to know where they were on the coast and be able to safely enter the correct harbor.
In 1935, electricity came to the Lighthouse and the Fog Signal was converted to run off this new source.
Fresnel Lens
Augustin Fresnel was a French physicist who revolutionized lighthouse technology worldwide. He discovered that by angling a series of prisms around a main lens, he could redirect light out in a steady beam that could be seen up to 18 miles at sea.
We are so fortunate to have our original Fresnel Lens- most lighthouses did not retain theirs!
The light was originally lit with kerosene and became operational June 30, 1890. A 4th Order Fresnel lens, it would generate alternate red and white flashes of light every 30 seconds that would be visible 17 nautical miles (31 km) out to sea. It was retired out of the lighthouse tower in 1969 and resides in the Horn House for display.
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