USCGC Fir
Lighthouse tender in Seattle, Washington. Built 1939. Added to the National Register in 1992, and a National Historic Landmark.
What it is
The United States Coast Guard Cutter Fir was the last lighthouse tender built specifically for the United States Lighthouse Service to resupply lighthouses and lightships, and to service buoys. Fir was built by the Moore Drydock Company in Oakland, California in 1939. On 22 March 1939, the U.S. Lighthouse Tender Fir was launched. She was steam driven with twin screws, 175 feet (53 m) in length, had a beam of 32 feet (9.8 m), drew 11 feet 3 inches (3.43 m) of water, and displaced 885 tons. Fir was fitted with a reinforced bow and stern, and an ice-belt at her water-line for icebreaking. She was built with classic lines and her spaces were lavishly appointed with mahogany, teak, and brass. The crew did intricate ropework throughout the ship. The cost to build Fir was approximately US$390,000. Fir's homeport was Seattle, Washington for all but one of her fifty one years of service when she was temporarily assigned to Long Beach, California when USCGC Walnut was decommissioned on 1 July 1982.
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The record
| Property type | Structure |
| Address | 1519 Alaskan Way, S., Seattle, WA |
| County | King County |
| Listed | Apr 27, 1992 |
| Listed for | Transportation, Maritime history, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Also known as | U.S. Coast Guard Cutter FIR (WLM 212) |
| Reference number | 92001880 |
| Built | 1939 · more from the 1930s |
| Type of place | lighthouse tender, buoy tender |
| Designations | National Historic Landmark |
| Contributing resources | 1 structure |
| Standing | Yes |
Visiting
| Address | 1519 Alaskan Way, S., Seattle, WA |
| Also in Seattle | 229 listed places in Seattle → · walking tours → |
| Nearest national park unit | Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial · 29 miles · on Park Atlas |
| Federal campgrounds nearby | Coyote Point 36 miles · Observation Point Picnic Shelter (Ca) 38 miles · Deer Flat Boat In Campground 38 miles |
Explore
Local history books for Seattle
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Guidebooks to historic places and travel in Washington
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
When was USCGC Fir listed on the National Register?
Apr 27, 1992. It is also a National Historic Landmark, the higher of the two designations.
Source: National Park Service
When was USCGC Fir built?
1939.
Source: Wikidata
Can I visit USCGC Fir?
Yes. USCGC Fir is recorded as open to the public.
Source: Wikidata
Where is USCGC Fir?
1519 Alaskan Way, S., Seattle, King County, Washington. The nearest national park unit is Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial, 29 miles away.
Are there campgrounds near USCGC Fir?
Three federal campgrounds are within reach. The closest is Coyote Point, 36 miles away. Observation Point Picnic Shelter (Ca) is 38 miles away, and Deer Flat Boat In Campground is 38 miles away.
Source: Campsite Atlas
Sources
Location, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Listing dates come from the National Register office's spreadsheet where it carries the listing. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 92001880. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The nomination form and photographs ↗ at NPGallery are the original nomination as filed with the National Park Service, and the form is often the best description of the place. The description under "What it is" is the opening of the Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA.