Tatoosh Island Lighthouse
News 10-Tatoosh
Aerial view of Tatoosh Island and Cape Flattery Light Station
Tatoosh Island is located at the extreme northwest corner the Olympic Peninsula at the seaward mouth of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The island has been inhabited seasonally by the Makah people for centuries. In 1855, the US Coast Guard built Cape Flattery Lighthouse to signal the south entrance to the Salish Sea.
Last November, Greg Coons, of SSF Structural Engineers, and I reviewed the lighthouse and the adjacent Fog Signal Building. We flew to the island in a US Coast Guard helicopter and spent the day documenting and studying the historic structures. Along with representatives of the Makah Tribe and the US Coast Guard, we evaluated existing conditions and studied the pre-civil war era lighthouse construction methods. We developed a plan for stabilizing both structures, as well as a plan for restoring the lighthouse and fog signal building. Tatoosh Island is an incredible place, and we are hoping to return soon and continue efforts to refurbish the historic structures.
Last November, Greg Coons, of SSF Structural Engineers, and I reviewed the lighthouse and the adjacent Fog Signal Building. We flew to the island in a US Coast Guard helicopter and spent the day documenting and studying the historic structures. Along with representatives of the Makah Tribe and the US Coast Guard, we evaluated existing conditions and studied the pre-civil war era lighthouse construction methods. We developed a plan for stabilizing both structures, as well as a plan for restoring the lighthouse and fog signal building. Tatoosh Island is an incredible place, and we are hoping to return soon and continue efforts to refurbish the historic structures.