Lighthouses of Kentucky and Tennessee

The U.S. states of Kentucky and Tennessee are located east of the Mississippi River and south of the Ohio River. The Coast Guard maintains hundreds of aids to navigation on those rivers and on the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers as well, but with one known exception none of those aids qualify as lighthouses.

To be listed here, a lighthouse must actually serve as an aid to navigation. This means it must be located on a navigable lake or river and must be lit as a navigational aid at least during the local boating season.

USCG numbers are from Volume 5 of the U.S. Coast Guard List of Lights.

Kentucky Lighthouse * Lighthouse Landing (Grand Rivers): 2002. Active; focal plane approx. 30 ft (9 m); white light. Approx. 20 ft. (6 m) square pyramidal frame tower with lantern. Lighthouse painted white, lantern red. A photo appears above, and another good photo is available. The lighthouse marks the entrance to a marina on Kentucky Lake (Tennessee River) about one mile south of Kentucky Dam and Lock. Camping and rental cottages available on site. Located on KY 453 about three miles (5 km) south of I-24 exit 31 in Grand Rivers. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Lighthouse Landing.

Lighthouse Landing Light, Grand Rivers, Kentucky
photo copyright Lighthouse Landing; used by permission

Tennessee Lighthouse Omohundro Waterworks Intake Crib: 1889. Active; focal plane about 33 ft (10 m); two red flashes every 6 s. Approx. 12 m (39 ft) round brick tower with a wood pump room and a conical roof. The tower was originally painted white, but most of the paint has worn off; pump room painted red. The light is shown from a horizontal pole extended from one of the narrow windows of the pump room. Don Vansant has a closeup photo, the Nashville Daily has a photo (second large photo on the page), another photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. This historic tower stands in the Cumberland River just upstream from the Omohundro Waterworks of Nashville. The water intake remained in service until 1986, and in 1987 the tower was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Sadly, it is in poor condition, with large holes in its roof. Located near the south bank of the river about 0.3 mi (500 m) east of the waterworks plant. Accessible only by boat; the best view is from Shelby Park on the north bank. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Nashville Metro Water Services. USCG 5-3785.

Notable faux lighthouses:

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