Point No Point Lighthouse

by James Williamson

Title

Point No Point Lighthouse

Artist

James Williamson

Medium

Painting - Watercolor And Gouache

Description

Point No Point lighthouse before the storm. Guiding mariners navigating the Pacific Northwest inland sea.

Artist James Williamson ASMA,
Signature Member of the American Society of Marine Artists

What is the point of having a lighthouse with the name of 'Point No Point'? Is it pointless?
Actually, there is a point to the unusual name.

Point No Point is an outcropping of land on the northeast point of the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington, the United States. It was the location of the signing of the Point No Point Treaty and is the site of the Point No Point Light. It was named by Charles Wilkes during the United States Exploring Expedition of Puget Sound in 1841.
Wilkes gave the point its name because it appears much less of a promontory at close range than it does from a distance. Point No Point has been noted for its unusual place name.
The marine climate ensures plenty of precipitation in winter and mild temperatures in summer. There are many productive habitats. The spit itself has sandy beaches with log jams, as well as some man-made structures for boating. Behind the beaches is a large mixed freshwater/saltwater marsh with a substantial shrub component. The waters surrounding the point react to swiftly running tides, attracting many marine bird species. And there is a somewhat sheltered bay as well.

Point No Point Light is an operational aid to navigation on the northeastern tip of the Kitsap Peninsula on the west side of Puget Sound, at Point No Point where Admiralty Inlet joins Puget Sound, near the small community of Hansville, Kitsap County, in the U.S. state of Washington. Point No Point Light is considered the oldest lighthouse on Puget Sound and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Local authorities first proposed to locate the lighthouse further north on Foul Weather Bluff. When the Point No Point location was agreed upon, the owners of the land were very reluctant to sell. The terms of the final sales agreement have been variously reported as 10 acres (4.0 ha) for $1,000, 40 acres (16 ha) for $1,000, and 40 acres (16 ha) for $1,800.
Construction of the lighthouse began in April 1879. The first light used was a kerosene lamp. As 1879 drew to a close, the lens and glass for the lantern had not arrived, so the first lighthouse keeper, J.S. Maggs, a Seattle dentist, hung a canvas over the south window openings to break the wind and keep the kerosene lamp from blowing out.

Uploaded

May 9th, 2020

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