• Louisiana Lighthouses on the Internet.

Shown after a fog 
signal tower was 
added in 1875
USCG Photo

Southwest Reef, Louisiana

Harbour Lights Limited Edition #530

Built in 1858, with a cast-iron foundation, this sentinel's iron walls and massive cornices were unique among lighthouse of the Gulf Coast region. Originally painted dark red,  workers scraped off the toxic lead-based paint after lightkeepers at the nearby Ship Shoal suffered from lead poisoning and paralysis. Black coal tar replaced the red paint on the lighthouse. It became an oven in the summer months and the heat was almost unbearable for the inhabitants. 

In 1867, a severe hurricane rocked Louisiana and the waves crashed up through the iron floor of the keeper's dwelling, ruining everything inside. The screwpiles bent and twisted in the turbulent ocean, but held until the storm abated, saving the crew hiding inside the tower. In 1875, the structure was raised 10 feet on newer columns and added diagonal supports to the screwpiles. 

The town of Berwick LA has relocated the tower and is restoring the beacon to its original glory. Southwest Reef, planned as the centerpiece of their lighthouse park, will stand as a reminder of our maritime heritage.

* The 2000-2001 Collectors Society Membership gift, Southwest Reef lighthouse was available for those joining the Harbour Lights Collectors Society between May 1, 2000 and April 30, 2001. 

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Photographs by Paul L. Brady  © Harbour Lights  March 13, 2004