New Orleans, the city of jazz and gumbo, is located in the Mississippi River Delta, nestled between Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi River. A canal was built in the 1830s that spans from Lake Pontchartrain right into the city itself. Remnants of its presence can still be seen even though the canal was filled many years ago. Because it was not the first canal to go through the city, it was given the moniker of the Louisiana New Canal.
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Louisiana New Canal Lighthouse Location
In 1838, prior to the canal’s completion, Louisiana’s New Canal Light was created at the north end of the New Basin Canal between Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi River. It was built on a foundation of sheet piling filled in with shells, with an octagonal tower, built of cypress by Francis D. Gott.
It was relocated to its current location in 1910 and also suffered hurricane damage in the years 1903, 1915, 1926, as well as 1927.The canal was filled in during 1950, but the Louisiana New Canal Light was a mainstay until 2005 when it was damaged by Hurricane Katrina. It has been replaced by a light on a pole while restoration work is being completed. In 1985, the light had the honor of being added to the National Register of Historic Places as New Canal Lighthouse.
