The lighthouse?

The maps of Fort Flagler State Park showed a little icon of a lighthouse and I was pleased to discover that a beach road would take us fairly close. The New Dungeness Light Station in Sequim, after all, is a 5 mile beach walk each way.

The area around the light station is fenced, but a walk on the beach comes close to it. That’s it, on the larger building to the left. I think the smaller building, to the right, is where it used to be in a larger incarnation. I can’t say it fits that dreamy, somewhat romantic lighthouse image. But I guess it does the job.

Fort Flagler 2

Yesterday I showed you parts of Battery Calwell at Fort Flagler State Park. Today’s view is of “FS9”, or Fire Station 9, a former gun emplacement along the bluff overlooking Port Townsend Bay. The structure is open to the sky and a metal grillwork has been placed over the top, likely with an eye toward visitor safety. The play of light and shadow created wonderful patterns.

Fort Flagler 1

Fort Flagler State Park is a historic military installation about an hour from Sequim. Constructed beginning in 1897, it was one of three forts responsible for protecting the Puget Sound area from foreign invasion. A military presence continued here until 1953 and it became part of the state park system in 1955.

Battery Calwell, shown here, is within walking distance of a campground that’s located steps from a spectacular scenic beach. Coming upon this battery at the edge of the woods on a bluff overlooking Puget Sound felt oddly like coming upon an archaeological ruin. Despite the concrete and iron that comprised its flesh and bones it seemed very ancient and a little alien, particularly since I’ve been blessedly removed from war-making.

Huge circular structures that once housed enormous guns are now filled with a scruff of weeds. The guns were removed in 1917 and shipped to Europe for use during World War 1.

Battery Calwell is named after Captain James H. Calwell, a fallen Mexican-American War soldier who died in 1847.