Logbooks of the US Lighthouses, 1872-1940
Our holdings of logbooks of US lighthouses are located at the National Archives building in Washington, DC, and begin in 1872, the year the Federal Government started requiring lighthouse keepers to keep such a record. Lighthouse logbooks are found in the several series listed below. The US Light House Service became part of the US Coast Guard in 1939, and as a result its records are described in Record Group 26.
Lighthouse Station Logs 1897-1941 (1872-1941)
Record Group 26, (NC-31) Entry 80, National Archives Identifier 559753
Logs of Journals Related to Misc. Ships and Stations 1886 - 1947
Entry (UD) 31, National Archives Identifier 478388
US Coast Guard Log Books 1942-47
Entries (NC-31) 159 D-I, National Archives Identifier 587169
Lists forthcoming
Logs Of (USCG) Ships And Shore Installations, 1948-1972
Entries (A-1) 330A - Z, National Archives Identifier 559642
File forthcoming
Note: some lighthouse logs for the period of US involvement in World War I (1917-19) may be found in the Logbooks of the US Navy (Record Group 24, Entry 118A, National Archives Identifier 581208) also at the National Archives building in Washington, DC.
Information documented in these logs varies with time. Early entries are characterized as offering single line descriptions of weather conditions, but also may include records of repairs, personnel changes, station inspections, rescues, and the like. Later logs also include similar information in greater detail.
Inquiries regarding the records may be directed to archives1reference@nara.gov, or write to:
National Archives
Archives 1 Reference Section
700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20408-0001.