West Rigolets Lighthouse

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From your position in the parking lot, look towards the overpass leading northeast. Underneath the bridge, you can see the point where the Rigolets Pass snakes towards Lake Ponchartrain. West Rigolets Lighthouse stood at the head of this peninsula.

The West Rigolets Lighthouse was built in 1855 to mark the entrance to the Rigolets from Lake Pontchartrain. During the Civil War, it was occupied by Union troops who used a ship's lantern to signal passing vessels. The lighthouse was operable until 1945 when an electric signal was built nearby. The light was sold to a private owner and stood until Hurricane Katrina dislodged it from its pilings. It has since been removed but is remembered as being an important part of commerce and the defense of New Orleans.

Photographs are all that remains of the lighthouse. If you look at the second image included here, you can see the pilings above the waterline where the lighthouse used to stand prior to 2005.