PORT TOWNSEND – Fort Worden State Park’s manager is securing an estimate of what it would cost to move the 94-year-old Point Wilson Lighthouse and adjacent structures to save them from threatening storm-driven erosion.
The U.S. Coast Guard, which owns the Point Wilson Lighthouse complex, estimated the cost of moving the buildings in 2004 to be as high as $1.66 million.
The complex includes the century-old light keeper’s house, the boat house and a newer Coast Guard captain’s ranch house now used by the Coast Guard Auxiliary.
During a meeting of the land committee of the State Parks Commission in SeaTac last week, Fort Worden State Park Manager Kate Burke said the focus was on available funding, and capital investment dollars required to take on the long-term maintenance of lighthouse complex structures.
“We want to make sure that everyone is going in with their eyes wide open on what impacts this might mean,” said Burke, who attended the meeting Wednesday.
“With the new budget from the governor, this would be almost a new part of the park,” Burke said of the lighthouse site being added to the state-owned and operated Fort Worden.
