West Point is bounded by Elliott Bay to the south and the Lake Washington Ship Canal to the north. Today, Elliott Bay leads to the Seattle Harbor and Seattle Waterfront, and the canal leads to Lake Union and Lake Washington.

Recognizing the potential of the area, the government recommended a lighthouse for the site as early as 1872. A station was finally built in 1881. The 27-foot tower housed a fourth-order Fresnel lens and fog signal - first a fog bell from Cape Disappointment, and later a Daboll trumpet in 1886.

The lighthouse has had several neighbors. US troops arrived at the newly created Fort Lawton in 1901. The fort's grounds were declared surplus in 1964, and much of it was transferred to the city of Seattle in 1972. The Lake Washington Ship Canal was completed in 1915. The West Point Sewage Treatment Plant was built just north of the lighthouse in 1966 and remains today.

The lighthouse celebrated its 100th birthday in 1981. Keeper Marvin Gerbers poured champagne on the tower to honor the occasion. In 1985, West Point became the last of Washington's lighthouses to be automated. The red and white Fresnel lens, which has operated for over 400,000 hours, still shines from the tower. The residences are Coast Guard housing.

The light was turned over to the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation as part of the National Historic Lighthouses Preservation Act of 2000. In 2006, the lighthouse was scheduled to be open for limited tours in August. In addition, $600,000 in repairs to the keepers quarters and other buildings have been scheduled for Spring 2007.

References (see links)

Umbrella Guide to Oregon Lighthouses, Nelson pp. 24-26
Pacific Northwest Lighthouses, Roberts and Jones p.44
Flyer, Discover Park
Keeper's Log Fall 2003
Lighthouse Digest August 2006

Station Bell

Oil House

Station Residences