13 Jan 2019 - New Canal Lighthouse, Milneburg Lighthouse

13 Jan 2019
Cold night  and cool, windy day today and low of 39F predicted for tonight.  Geezo, we are a few miles from the Gulf Coast!  It's supposed to be warm down here!!

New Canal Lighthouse Museum and Education Center

Today we headed out to see two local lighthouses:  the New Canal Lighthouse and the Milneburg Lighthouse.  The New Canal Lighthouse is located at the north end of the New Basin Canal.  It was established in 1838 and connected Lake Pontchartrain to the American portion of New Orleans.  I believe our tour guide called it a 'wedding cake' style lighthouse.  Between Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, the lighthouse was knocked off it's supports and basically collapsed, but they disassembled what was left and put it into storage until funds could be raised to rebuild it.  Reconstruction was started in 2012 and the lighthouse was completed in 2013. 

We paid a nominal fee in the gift shop, Doreen got her lighthouse passport book stamped for both lighthouses, and then a tour guide took us into the museum which is located on the first level of the lighthouse.  The lady was very knowledgeable and was actually a geologist with a wealth of insight relating to the eco system of Lake Pontchartrain and the New Orleans area. 

Our tour guide telling us about Mrs Margaret "Madge" Norvell.

Mrs Margaret "Madge" Norvell was the last of five female lightkeepers here.  She managed the lighthouse from 1924-1932.  It was fairly common for the lighthouses to be managed by a husband-wife team with the husband teaching the wife the duties, the wife taking over as the primary keeper, and the husband getting a separate job to supplement their income.  This was the case with Madge, who actually was the keeper for three lighthouses.  She was credited for rescuing and caring for over 200 passengers of an ill-fated excursion liner, and was also credited for saving a Navy biplane pilot when he crash-landed in Lake Pontchartrain.  

The museum's insurance company would not insure them to allow visitors to climb to the top of the lighthouse, due to this vertical ladder at the last few feet of climb.  The tour guide did open the door so I could at least photograph the ladder.

The spiral staircase which cannot be used due to insurance

The drum Fresnel-style lens that was used in the lighthouse in the early 1900's.

We are glad we were able to at least see the museum and the lighthouse from the outside, but disappointed we could not climb it.

The Milneburg lighthouse is located on the property of the University of New Orleans Research and Technology Park, just a few miles east of the New Canal Lighthouse.  From what we read, the security guards have been pretty nasty to unwelcome visitors, so we did not press the issue, but did photograph it from the road.  It boasts a fifth order Fresnel lens.  

As we drove by we saw no hint of overbearing security guards.  Further research shows there is apparently a project underway to further stabilize the lighthouse and renovate is so as to be the centerpiece of the campus.  Again, it is nice to hear stories that historic structures like this are being preserved.

We returned to the campground.  Doreen did a load of my white 'shop' towels from when I washed the truck a few days ago, and I cleaned/stowed the barbecue grill, stowed the tire covers, emptied the black tank and stowed the hose, and various other tasks to facilitate a quick departure tomorrow morning.  

Tomorrow's stop is at Westlake, LA, about 26 miles from the Texas state line.  We had a great time here in New Orleans but are looking forward to heading further west and new adventures!