Established: 1899 First lighted: November 10, 1899 First keeper: Ole N.A. Anderson, appointed October 29, 1899 Light: (1899) fifth order Fresnel lens, fixed red Light: (1900) fourth order Fresnel lens, fixed red Light: (1939) fourth order Fresnel lens, incandescent oil vapor, 870 cp, fixed red Light: (1988) 300mm lens, 2.03 amp lamp, flashing white, 5 seconds Fog signal: (1900) blower siren and trumpet Fog signal: (1905) second class Daboll trumpet, blast 3 seconds, 17 seconds Fog signal: (1924) second class reed horn, blast 3 seconds, 17 seconds Fog signal: (present) two blasts every 30 seconds Height of light above sea level: (1907) 64 feet Automated: 1966 Renovated: 1974 The Orient Point Lighthouse, known as the Coffee Pot, was built in 1899 to mark the end of Oyster Point Reef and to guide mariners through the dangerous currents of Plum Gut. The lighthouse was designed in the shape of a truncated cone of curved cast iron plates bolted together. The foundation is a circular cast iron caisson filled with concrete resting on a leveled portion of the rocky Oyster Point reef. The brick lined superstructure has a 21 ft. diameter base and a height of 64 ft. with three stories of living quarters. The construction of the lighthouse began in early 1898 and proceeded despite adverse weather conditions, harsh tides and an October 1898 gale that swept away the 1st and 2nd course of plates. The structure, except for the riprap, was completed on July 4th, 1899, but because of problems hiring keepers its fixed red fifth-order light did not begin operation until November 10, 1899. The light’s first keeper was Ole N. A. Anderson at an annual salary of $600. The Coffee Pot served as a manned beacon from 1899 to the 1960’s, when it became an automated light. In 1970, the Coast Guard declared it unsafe for servicing personnel and uneconomical to repair, which evoked a strong protest to save the light. After a 3 year hiatus, the cast iron caisson underwent a major renovation by Chesterfield Associates consisting of concrete pumped into the base, sandblasting and coating the structure with a preservative and epoxy. The Coffee Pot, although it lists gently about 5 degrees out of plumb, is an excellent example of a cast iron caisson with 2 graceful iron galleries. The 100 year anniversary of the construction of this lighthouse was celebrated with a special event including ceremonies aboard the US Coast Guard Cutter Katherine Walker and a 40mm gun salute.