Lighting Up the Past at Browns Point
Browns Point Lighthouse Park
Historical society, Parks Tacoma celebrate restoration of iconic Art Deco lighthouse with Rededication Event Oct. 17
When the Browns Point Lighthouse opened its elegant, square-edged structure in June, 1933, the community joined in the festivities. Ladies wore floral dresses, men sported straw boaters, the Stadium High School band perched on the steps with horns and a sousaphone. Behind them a tall, newly-built Art Deco lighthouse shone bright in the sunlight.
Similar festivities will replay October 17, 2021 as the still-working lighthouse celebrates nearly 90 years of existence – and a big makeover. The restoration project cost $150,000, and prompted generous in-kind donations to bring back key architectural and aesthetic elements that make this beloved lighthouse so distinct.
Celebration Slideshow - Click left and right arrows to view the images
No-one could be more pleased than the partners who care for it: Points Northeast Historical Society, whose volunteers run the historical site and masterminded the entire restoration, and Parks Tacoma, which leases the U.S. Coast Guard-owned land and stewards its operation as a public park.
“This lighthouse is an icon of Browns Point,” said Jim Harnish, vice-president of Points Northeast. “It’s one of very few Art Deco lighthouses in the world, and our community loves it. We’re so happy to restore it to its original beauty.”
But it’s been a long road to restoration. The lighthouse that now sits on the tip of Browns Point in northeast Tacoma was actually built in 1933 to replace a wooden lighthouse that had lit up local waters since 1903. Prior to that, a post-lantern standing 50 yards out on the tideflats had illuminated the entrance to Commencement Bay since 1887.
Standing 38 feet high and 9.5 feet wide, the square lighthouse tower built in Art Deco (or “Moderne”) style was highly unusual for West Coast lighthouses. But the years took their toll. The original cross-framed windows were removed and boarded up; an ugly replacement door grew rusty. The “wedding-cake” step of the plinth – a signature element in Art Deco architecture – was filled in flush with concrete. The exterior lead paint deteriorated, the front steps sagged, solar panels and a black security fence marred the clean white lines. Most importantly, the “lantern” – a pointy cupola that originally housed the navigational beacon – disappeared.
Enter the volunteers of Points Northeast Historical Society.
“The planning took three years, the fundraising took three months,” says Harnish.
Many Tacoma groups and individuals gave generously: the Ben B. Cheney Foundation, the Port of Tacoma, Pierce County Historic Preservation, the Tacoma Landmarks Commission, plus around $65,000 donated by northeast Tacoma families and businesses.
And that’s not to mention in-kind contributions like Specialty Metals, a local company who fabricated replica windows and doors at a fraction of the original bid and donated their services to rebuild the missing “lantern”.
Since July, folks enjoying the sunshine, grassy slopes, cascading trees and beach at Browns Point Park have seen the lighthouse gradually restored: the lead paint removed and a fresh white coat added, the steps raised and plinth ledge uncovered, even a replica of the missing foghorn added along with the lantern cupola. A graceful white fence has replaced the stern black one, and the solar panels have been moved to the seaward side (much better for all those Instagram shots).
The last step will be when the U.S. Coast Guard replaces the working solar LED lamp and removes the temporary light-buoy that has guided vessels around the point during the restoration.
For Points Northeast, it will be the final triumph in years of patiently restoring the point’s surrounding historic buildings – the bell house, boathouse, oilhouse, former crew quarters, generator building and keeper’s cottage – to their 1930s glory. Once again, visitors can spend a night in the keeper’s cottage (rented via Vrbo.com and Airbnb.com), reliving an era of jazz, fancy clothes and lantern-lighting.
“We are so fortunate to have dedicated partners like Points Northeast Historical Society,” shared Park Board President Erik Hanberg. “Throughout the years, this incredible group of volunteers has not only restored and helped preserve each of the historic structures that define Browns Point Lighthouse Park, they’ve also provided learning opportunities for thousands of school children and created unforgettable Northwest experiences for park visitors and tourists. Their commitment makes this special getaway a highly treasured community space.”
School and public tours will remain on hold, however, due to Covid-19 precautions.
Over the years, Points Northeast Historical Society has hosted countless events for the community to gather and celebrate at Browns Point Lighthouse Park.
The Rededication Event from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, October 17 will be a capstone celebration for the non-profit group, which celebrates its 35th anniversary this year. They invite the whole community to join in the festivities and fun.
“Visiting Browns Point Park is like stepping back in time,” says Points Northeast president Nancy Bess, gazing at the elegant white lighthouse surrounded by calm blue waters. “It’s a community place, for picnics and weddings, and one of the most photographed places around Puget Sound. Now our restored lighthouse completes that picture of a bygone era.”
For more information on Browns Point Lighthouse Park, see metroparkstacoma.org/browns-point-lighthouse-park.
For Points Northeast Historical Society and lighthouse history, see pointsnortheast.org.
Learn more about the Lighthouse Celebration on October 17
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Contacts:
Rosemary Ponnekanti, Communications Media Administrator/PIO: [email protected], (253) 345-0948;
Photographs of the lighthouse are available for media use. Please contact Parks Tacoma: [email protected]