1845: Work Begins on a Lighthouse in France

September 25, 1845

Construction began on a lighthouse in the port city of Calais in northern France. This lighthouse was built as a navigational aid for vessels traveling through the Strait of Dover, a narrow but heavily used passage of water that separates France from England and marks the boundary between the English Channel and the North Sea.

Calais Lighthouse was designed by the prolific architect and engineer Léonce Reynaud (1803-1880). It was first lit on October 15, 1848. Calais Lighthouse, which remains in operation today, was electrified in 1883 and automated in 1987. In 2011, this 180-foot (55-meter)-tall structure was officially classified as a Monument Historique (historical monument) by France’s Ministry of Culture and Communication (now called the Ministry of Culture).

Photo Credit: Tanya Dedyukhina (licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en)

Additional information on lighthouses in northern France is available at https://www.ibiblio.org/lighthouse/frhfr.htm