New Canal Light

The New Canal Light was first established in 1838 at the north end of the New Basin Canal which ran between Lake Ponchartrain and the Mississippi River. The canal was filled in around 1950, but the light remained active until severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. It has been replaced by a light on a pole while efforts are underway to restore the house. The original light was built in 1838 on a foundation of sheet piling filled in with shells. The tower was octagonal, built of cypress, about 28 feet (9 m) high. The tower deteriorated badly and was replaced in 1855 with a square wood dwelling on screw piles with an iron lantern and a 5th order Fresnel lens. In 1890 the structure was again replaced, with the light being raised to...