Deb Garland

Threading our way through Deception Pass at slack tide and motoring north past Anacortes, WA, I was surprised to glance up and find a historic light station perched on the southwest corner of Burrows Island. From Skyline Marina, I can look west and see the steep bluffs and heavily forested island, but the oldest intact wooden lighthouse in Washington State is hidden from my view. Designed by U.S. Lighthouse Board architect, Carl W. Leick, it took a little more than three years after the U.S. Congress appropriated funds on February 24, 1903 before the lighthouse began operating on April 1, 1906. The station helps ships navigate Rosario Strait and warns sailors to steer clear of nearby Dennis Shoal and Lawson Reef. Ironically, the lifesaving station where light keepers once rescued ships’ crews in peril, now needs rescue by a crew of skilled and unskilled volunteers!

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

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