The 1861 building, known as Red Bluff Lighthouse. (Island County Historical Society)

The promontory known as Admiralty Head, on the west coast of Whidbey Island in Washington, juts out into the east side of the entrance to Admiralty Inlet, a busy passage that leads to Puget Sound. Admiralty Head’s light station went into service in January 1861. It was originally known as Red Bluff Lighthouse.

Because of the development of Fort Casey in the early 1900s, the lighthouse had be built in a different position in 1903. The new building's striking architecture is often referred to as “Spanish-style.”

Photo: Admiralty Head Lighthouse after 2020 restoration work. Photo by Jim Castaneda, Twisted Firs Photography

Wayne Clark and Patrick Hussey(Keepers of Admiralty Head Lighthouse)

With changes in the shipping lanes, the lighthouse was decommissioned in 1922. The lighthouse was opened as part of Fort Casey Historical State Park in the early 1960s.

Today, the nonprofit group Keepers of Admiralty Head Lighthouse and the Admiralty Head Docents Program preserve and interpret the lighthouse.

Wayne Clark is the president of Keepers of Admiralty Head Lighthouse, and last year he received a volunteer of the year award from Washington State Parks.

Patrick Hussey and Dick Malone are interpretive docents.

Left: Dick Malone (Whidbey News-Times)

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