Bayou Bonfouca

First proposed in 1840 but delayed several times, the Bayou Bonfouca Light was finally erected and lit in March of 1848. Located on the northern shore of Lake Pontchartrain, the light serviced the ever-growing lake trade. Lake schooners regularly made the journey between Bayou Bonfouca and New Orleans on the southern shore.

Constructed for $2,975 by Joseph M. Howell and Moses Coats of New Orleans, the two-room dwelling was raised on a five-foot brick foundation wall. At its center was a nine-foot chamber that served as the base of the tower, extending twelve feet from the roof. The lantern was fairly small, as the light did not need to be seen from more than five miles. It held four small lamps 39 feet above sea level.

For a year or so after its completion, the Bayou Bonfouca Light was tended by Keeper John Wadsworth. Soon after, however, the post was taken over by Vincenzo Scorza, who would man the light for the rest of its time. Though the 1850s proved to be an economic heyday for local commerce, these times came to an end with the outbreak of the Civil War. Bayou Bonfouca survived until 1862, when in May of that year Confederate soldiers fleeing the invading Union forces arrested Scorza and set the building aflame. Eventually, Scorza escaped Confederate custody and reported to the United States collector at New Orleans. By that time the Bayou Bonfouca Light was nothing more than a smoking pile of rubble.

When considering whether or not to rebuild Bayou Bonfouca, the Light-House Board heard from New Orleans Lighthouse Engineer Max Bonzano, who pointed out that the bayou had shallowed and that the light was no longer helpful to vessels crossing the lake. Paying heed to Bonzano, the board agreed to a successor site at Point Aux Herbes, directly across the lake. After this, there was never more than a small lit beacon used at Bayou Bonfouca.