Sabine Pass Lighthouse

Oct. 15, 2019
PRINT | E-MAIL

Sabine Pass Lighthouse, Louisiana side of the Sabine River, Cameron Parish, across from Sabine Pass, Texas

SABINE PASS LIGHT

Location: LOUISIANA SIDE OF SABINE PASS/NE TEXAS BORDER 
Station Established: 1856 
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1856 
Operational? NO 
Automated? UNK 
Deactivated: 1952 
Foundation Materials: SIX BRICK BUTTRESSES 
Construction Materials: BRICK 
Tower Shape: OCTAGONAL 
Markings/Pattern: WHITE/BLACK STRIPES "ROCKET SHIP" 
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE 
Original Lens: THIRD ORDER, FRESNEL 

Historical Information:

  • Designed and built by Captain Leadbetter. Considered to be a “sister” lighthouse to Aransas Pass, Timbalier & Barataria towers.
  • 1861 – Extinguished by the Confederates. 
  • January, 1862 - The lamps, lens and clockwork were dismantled and crated for storage.
  • April, 1863 – Union forces attacked twice, and damaged the lens.
  • June, 1886 – Storm created an 8-foot tide which surrounded the tower with 5-feet of water. All the buildings on the site, except the lighthouse itself, were washed away.
  • 1915 – A powerful hurricane caused the tower to vibrate, thus putting the clockworks out of order. The keepers had to turn the revolving lens by hand.
  • 1952 – The lighthouse was discontinued and sometime during the next two years was transferred to the State of Louisiana.
  • 1986 – The property was transferred into private hands.

Keepers:

  • Benjamin Granger (Head Keeper 05/28/1857 - 09/14/1859)
  • Benjamin Gibson (Asst. Keeper 05/28/1857 - 08/17/1860)
  • Gowen Wilson Plummer (Head Keeper 09/04/1859 - 1862) 
  • William Plummer (Asst. Keeper 08/17/1860 - 1862)
  • Charles Crossman (Head Keeper 12/27/1865 - 5/2/1881)
  • Daniel Gillespie (Asst. Keeper 06/05/1866 – quit after just one day)
  • Joseph Horton (Asst. Keeper 06/05/1866 – 12/18/1866)
  • Hector R. Duncan (Asst. Keeper 12/18/1866 – 03/02/1867)
  • Louisa Crossman (Daughter of Charles Crossman - Asst. Keeper 03/02/1867 - 02/08/1868)
  • Charles F. Crossman (Son of Charles Crossman - Asst. Keeper 02/08/1868 - 01/12/1872)
  • William F. Crossman (Son of Charles Crossman - Asst. Keeper 01/12/1872 - 07/15/1874)
  • Fredericka Crossman (Wife of Charles Crossman - Asst. Keeper 07/15/1874 - 06/21/1881)
  • John Anderson (Head Keeper 05/13/1881 - 04/13/1882)
  • Emelius Gerhardt (Asst. Keeper 06/21/1881 – 07/22/1881)
  • John Gleason (Asst. Keeper 11/04/1881 – 11/21/1881)
  • Henry G. Epps (Asst. Keeper 11/21/1881 - 04/22/1882)
  • Andrew Brynn(sp?) (Head Keeper 04/13/1882 - 06/02/1886)
  • Gustav Hummeland(sp?) (Asst. Keeper 04/22/1882 - 06/09/1886)
  • Gustav Hummeland(sp?) (Head Keeper 06/09/1886 - 01/11/1898)
  • William H. Plummer (Asst. Keeper 06/24/1886 - 12/13/1886)
  • John Ericson (Asst. Keeper 01/06/1887 - 12/03/1890)
  • Alfred Hoyer (Asst. Keeper 12/03/1890 - 11/18/1896)
  • Thomas N. Clarisse (Asst. Keeper 12/1896- 02/01/1898)
  • Thomas N. Clarisse (Head Keeper 02/1898 - 09/30/1904)
  • Robert G. Miller (Asst. Keeper 03/09/1898 - 06/08/1898)
  • Patrick Foley (Asst. Keeper 01/01/1901 - 08/01/1903)
  • Charles W. Heartt (Asst. Keeper 08/01/1903 - 10/05/1903)
  • William J. O'Brien (Asst. Keeper 10/01/1903 - 10/20/1903)
  • Forrest C. Hawes (Asst. Keeper 10/20/1903 - 01/04/1904)
  • Edward A. Bourgeois (Asst. Keeper 04/01/1904 - 07/15/1904)
  • Charles W. Heartt (Head Keeper 10/01/1904 - 06/16/1905)
  • Frederick Rooman (sp?) (Asst. Keeper 07/15/1904 - 09/13/1904)
  • Christopher W. Sterry (Asst. Keeper 09/13/1904 - 06/16/1905)
  • Christopher W. Sterry (Head Keeper 06/16/1905 - 05/16/1906)
  • William Bell (Asst. Keeper 07/1905 - 09/1905)
  • Jeremiah Rightmyer (Asst. Keeper Unknown - 1907)
  • Hugh Kelly (Asst. Keeper 04/1908 - 07/1908)
  • Stephen D. Hill (Head Keeper 05/16/1906 - 12/1911)
  • J. L. Deutsch (Asst. Keeper 07/1908 - 08/1908)
  • Charles W. Heartt (Asst. Keeper 08/1909 - 03/1910)
  • William Hill (Brother of Stephen D. Hill - Asst. Keeper 03/1910 – unknown)
  • William Thompson (Head Keeper 12/1911 - unknown)
  • James T. Goodson (Head Keeper 1938 - 1946)
  • James T. Wilson (c. 1952)
  • Steve Purgley (c. 1952) 

Researched and written by Marie Vincent, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Light House Society.
Land Asset Lighthouse