This table is a compilation of information culled from the Inspection Reports available from the National Archives. A portion of the table accompanied the article “Weights and Weightways at American Lighthouses” by John T. Graham which appeared in volume 32, number 1 of The Keeper’s Log. The reports included the following categories of information: Lighthouse name; Date of report; Order of the lens; Pounds of weight in use; Lens rotation time; Length of Drop Tube (if any); Time between windings; and whether the lens turned on ball bearings, chariot wheels, or a mercury float system. In one example, the following information was on a 1922 inspection report for the Gay Head, Massachusetts, lighthouse: First Order Lens; 150 pounds of weight in use; Lens rotated once every 4 minutes; Drop Tube was 20-feet long; Weights were wound every 4 hours; a Chariot Wheel system was in use. In many of the reports, data was simply not included for all of the categories, but they nonetheless give a heretofore underappreciated glimpse into this aspect of lighthouse operation.
In 2024, Kraig Anderson expanded the original table from 89 entries to over 200 entries by examining all of the Inspection Reports.
Please note this list is not complete as it is mainly based on available Inspection Reports, which do not cover all lighthouses and time periods.
| LIGHTHOUSE | YEAR | ORDER | POUNDS | ROT. TIME | DROP TUBE FT. | WIND TIME HR. | BB CW MF |
| Alligator Reef FL | 1928 | 1 | 60 s | 2 | CW | ||
| American Shoal FL | 1909 | 1 | 2 M | 4.25 | BB | ||
| Barnegat NJ | 1910 | 1 | 4 M | only part used | 2 | CW | |
| Block Island Southeast RI | No report | 1 | MF | ||||
| Cape Canaveral FL | No report | 1 | CW | ||||
| Cape Charles VA | 1909 | 1 | 60 s | 12 | MF | ||
| Cape Cod MA | 1927 | 1 | 200 | 20 s | 2.25 | MF | |
| Cape Fear NC | 1918 | 1 | 500 | 4 m | 2 | CW | |
| Cape Fear NC | No report | 1 | MF | ||||
| Cape Hatteras NC | 1927 | 1 | 150 | 2' 24" | 130 | 15 | CW |
| Cape May NJ | 1907 | 1 | 8 M | 8 | CW | ||
| Cape Meares OR | 1910 | 1 | 4 M | 10 | 2.5 | CW | |
| Cape Mendocino CA | 1907 | 1 | 8 M | 3 | CW | ||
| Carysfort Reef FL | 1912 | 1 | 5.33 M | 11 | 3.5 | BB | |
| Destruction Island WA | 1910 | 1 | 4 M | no tube 64' drop | 5 | CW | |
| Farallon Island CA | 1907 | 1 | 8 M | 17 | 4.5 | CW | |
| Fire Island NY | No report | 1 | CW | ||||
| Gay Head MA | 1922 | 1 | 150 | 4 M | 20 | 4 | CW |
| Graves MA | 1927 | 1 | 250 | 18 s | 45 | 1.2 | MF |
| Heceta Head OR | No report | 1 | CW | ||||
| Hog Island VA | 1909 | 1 | 6 M | 123 | 2.5 | CW | |
| Jupiter Inlet FL | 1911 | 1 | 130 | 6 M | no tube | 6 | CW |
| Pensacola FL | 1928 | 1 | 80 | 8 M | 2.75 | CW | |
| Piedras Blancas CA | 1907 | 1 | 2 M | 34 | 3 | CW | |
| Pigeon Point CA | 1907 | 1 | 4 M | 13 | 5 | CW | |
| Point Arena CA | 1908 | 1 | 18 s | 54 | 2 | MF | |
| Point Conception CA | 1907 | 1 | 8 M | 8 | 4 | CW | |
| Point Reyes CA | 1907 | 1 | 2 M | 22 | 2.2 | CW | |
| Point Sur CA | 1907 | 1 | 4 M | 26 | 5.5 | CW | |
| Shinnecock NY | No Report | 1 |
|
|
|
| MF |
| St. George Reef CA | 1907 | 1 | 3 M | 28 | 6 | CW | |
| Tillamook Rock OR | 1881 | 1 | 2 M | 32 | 5.25 | ||
| Umpqua River OR | 1895 | 1 | 2 M | 34 | CW | ||
| Boston Harbor MA | No report | 2 | CW | ||||
| Cape Elizabeth ME | No report | 2 | MF | ||||
| Dry Tortugas FL | 1913 | 2 | 40 s | 140 | 16 | MF | |
| Hillsboro Inlet FL | 1911 | 2 | 100 | 20 s | none, cntr of strs | 2 | MF |
| Isle of Shoals NH | 1935 | 2 | 160 | 5 M | 40 | 5 | CW |
| Kilauea Point HI | 1913, 16, 27 | 2 | 503 | 20 s | 34 | 3.75 | MF |
| Minots Ledge MA | 1922 | 2 | 100 | 30 s | no tube | 3 | MF |
| Molokai HI | 1910 | 2 | 272 | 40 s | 33 | 3 | MF |
| Mona Island PR | 1912 | 2 | 180 | 6 M | 40 | 6 | CW |
| Monhegan Island ME | 1908 | 2 | 8 M | 36 | 6 | CW | |
| Moose Peak ME | 1935 | 2 | 100 | 6 M | 40 | 7 | CW |
| Navassa Island | 1928 | 2 | 30 s | 9 | BB | ||
| Navesink | No report | 2 | MF | ||||
| Rock of Ages MI | 1912 | 2 | 235 | 20 s | 94 | 5 | MF |
| Sankaty Head MA | 1927 | 2 | 110 | 8 M | 5.5 | CW | |
| Ship Shoal LA | 1927 | 2 | 4 M | 50 | 3 | BB | |
| Spectacle Reef MI | 1909 | 2 | 8 M | 50 | 6 | CW | |
| Stannard Rock MI | 1909 | 2 | 6 M | 62 | 6 | CW | |
| White Shoal MI | 1911 | 2 | 225 | 16 s | 44 | 2.25 | MF |
| Amelia Island FL | 1921 | 3 | 30 | 27 | 4 | BB | |
| Anclote Key FL | 1888 | 3 | 14 | 5 | |||
| Anclote Key FL | 1913 | 3 | 150 - 225 | 6 M | 5 | CW | |
| Bolivar Point TX | 1927 | 3 | 40 | 2 M | 12 | BB | |
| Buffalo Breakwater NY | 1915 | 3 | 20 s | MF | |||
| Buffalo Main NY | 1909 | 3 | 200 | 20 s | 31 | 7 | BB |
| Cape Hinchinbrook AK | 1913, 1935 | 3 | 185 | 20 s | 27 | 3 | MF |
| Cape Rojo PR | 1912 | 3 | 200 | 8 M | 32 | 6 | CW |
| Cape Spencer AK | 1927 | 3 | 270 | 15 s | 28 | MF | |
| Cape St. Elias AK | 1916 | 3 | 270 | 20 s | 30 | 6 | MF |
| Chicago Harbor IL | 1927 | 3 | 125 | 80 s | 54 | 3.25 | BB |
| Devils Island WI | 1910 | 3 | 80 s | full len. of tower | 2.75 | BB | |
| Galveston Jetty TX | 1927 | 3 | 138 | 2 M | no tube | 8 | MF |
| Grays Harbor WA | No report | 3 | MF | ||||
| Manitou Island MI | 1909 | 3 | 3 M | 42.5 | CW | ||
| Marblehead OH | 1909 | 3 | 20 s | 57 | 4 | BB | |
| Matagorda TX | 1927 | 3 | 121 | open tower | 4 | BB | |
| Matinicus Rock ME | No report | 3 | MF | ||||
| Outer Island WI | 1910 | 3 | 9 M | whole height | 8 | CW | |
| Point Borinquen PR | 1927 | 3 | 200 | 30 s | 4 | MF | |
| Point Cabrillo CA | 1909 | 3 | 40 s | 14 | 4 | BB | |
| Point Loma CA | 1915 | 3 | 130 | 3 M | 47 | 6.5 | CW |
| Point Tuna PR | 1912 | 3 | 200 | 6 M | 38 | 3.5 | CW |
| Point Vicente CA | 1927 | 3 | 40 s | BB | |||
| Port Ferro PR | 1912 | 3 | 200 | 5 s | 27 | 4.5 | MF |
| Ram Island Ledge ME | 1935 | 3 | 18 s | 30 | 2.5 | MF | |
| Sabine Pass LA | 1927 | 3 | 150 | 1.5 M | 50 | 4 | BB |
| Sanibel FL | 1912 | 3 | 115 | 6 M | 65 | 12 | BB |
| Split Rock MN | No Report | 3 |
|
|
|
| MF |
| Thirty Mile Point NY | 1909 | 3 | 4.5 M | 34 | 4 | CW | |
| Wind Point WI | 1910 | 3 | 6 M | 80 | 5.33 | BB | |
| Brazos River TX | 1911 | 3.5 | 165 | 10 s | 9.5 | MF | |
| Cape San Blas FL | 1927 | 3.5 | 75 | 40 s | 80 | 14 | BB |
| Chandeleur LA | 1928 | 3.5 | 60 | 20 s | 60 | 4.5 | MF |
| Detour Reef MI | 1909 | 3.5 | 40 s | 45 | 15 | BB | |
| Marblehead OH | 1909 | 3.5 | 20 s | BB | |||
| Montauk NY | No report | 3.5 | MF | ||||
| Toledo Harbor OH | 1909 | 3.5 | 30 s | 60 | 2.5 | BB | |
| Whitefish Point MI | 1909 | 3.5 | 10 s | 61 | 5.25 | MF | |
| Alcatraz CA | 1910 | 4 | 30 s | 25 | 10 | BB | |
| Alcatraz CA | 1915 | 4 | 80 | 30 s | 20 | 4 | BB |
| Alki Point WA | 1913 | 4 | 110 | 10 s | 26 | 5 | BB |
| Ashtabula OH | 1918 | 4 | 80 | 30 s | 30 | 6 | MF |
| Baker Island ME | 1935 | 4 | 70 | 3 M | 27 | 6 | |
| Baker's Island MA | No report | 4 | MF | ||||
| Baltimore MD | 1908 | 4 | 60 s | 38 | 4 | BB | |
| Barbers Point HI | 1927 | 4 | 110 | 5 s | 23 | 5 | BB |
| Barbers Point HI | 1916 | 4 | 278 | 5 s | 23 | 5.75 | BB |
| Barbers Point HI | 1912 | 4 | 182 | 5 s | 23 | 3.5 | BB |
| Beavertail RI | No report | 4 | MF | ||||
| Bellevue Range Rear DE | 1910 | 4 | 20 s | 45 | 7.5 | BB | |
| Bishop and Clerks MA | 1922 | 4 | 100 | 3 M | 4 | BB | |
| Bluff Shoal NC | 1909 | 4 | 30 s | 16 | 4.5 | BB | |
| Broad Sound Channel Inner Front Range MA | 1909 | 4 | 20 s | 4.5 | BB | ||
| Burnt Island ME | 1935 | 4 | 20 s | 16 | 6 | BB | |
| Cape Arago OR | 1910 | 4 | 20 s | 2.25 | BB | ||
| Cape Disappointment WA | 1909 | 4 | 90 s | 35 | 2.75 | BB | |
| Cape Poge MA | 1929 | 4 | 200 | 30 s | 35 | 5 | BB |
| Cedar Point MD | 1909 | 4 | 50 s | 16 | 4 | BB | |
| Chambers Island WI | 1909 | 4 | 90 s | 29.5 | 5 | MF | |
| Chatham MA | 1927 | 4 | 325 | 30 s | "none" | 8 | BB |
| Cleveland West Breakwater East End OH | 1909 | 4 | 60 s | 10 | 2.33 | ||
| Cleveland West Pier OH | 1909 | 4 | 30 s | 8 | 4 | BB | |
| Cove Point MD | 1927 | 4 | 50 | 1 M | 40 | 6.5 | BB |
| Crooked River FL | 1927 | 4 | 150 | 12.5 s | 80 | 12 | MF |
| Cuckolds ME | 1935 | 4 | 150 | 12 s | 25 | 4 | BB |
| Detroit River MI | 1909 | 4 | 60 s | 15 | 4 | BB | |
| Duluth Range Rear MD | 1910 | 4 | 60 s | full length of tower | 5 | BB | |
| East Brother CA | 1919 | 4 | 118 | 10 s | 19 | BB | |
| East Chop MA | 1927 | 4 | 100 | 60 s | 23 | 8 | BB |
| Eastern Point MA | 1927 | 4 | 150 | 60 s | 24 | 7.5 | hardened steel pintal |
| Egg Rock ME | 1935 | 4 | 20 s | 26 | 7 | BB | |
| Eldred Rock AK | 1913 | 4 | 135 | 20 s | 31 | 5 | BB |
| Green Island OH | 1909 | 4 | 3 M | 22 | 4.75 | BB | |
| Isle Aux Peches Front Range MI | 1909 | 4 | 20 s | 26 | 5 | BB | |
| Falkner Island CT | 1935 | 4 | 45 s | MF | |||
| Fort Point CA | 1907 | 4 | 30 s | 20 | 4 | BB | |
| Forty Mile Point MI | 1910 | 4 | 60 s | length of tower | 2.5 | BB | |
| Fourteen Foot Bank DE | 1918 | 4 | 288 | 10 s | 29 | 4.5 | BB |
| Franklin Island ME | 1908 | 4 | 3M | 26 | 6 | pintal | |
| Gasparilla Island Rear Range FL | 1911 | 4 | 50 | 20 s | 25 | 6 | BB |
| Goose Rocks ME | 1935 | 4 | 20 s | 12 | 2.5 | BB | |
| Grand Island MI | 1909 | 4 | 3 M | 25 | 4 | BB | |
| Great Duck Island ME | 1935 | 4 | 130 | 40 s | 25 | 7 | BB |
| Gurnet MA | 1927 | 4 | 150 | 20 s | "none" | 8 | BB |
| Hams Bluff VI | 1918 | 4 | 150 | 20 s | 17 | 2.5 | BB |
| Harbor of Refuge DE | 1910 | 4 | 48 s | 42 | 4.5 | BB | |
| Hendricks Head ME | 1911 | 4 | 40 | 3 M | no tube | 7 | built-in |
| Honolulu Harbor HI | 1916 | 4 | 270 | 24 s | no tube | 12 | BB |
| Horn Island MS | 1911 | 4 | 35 | 90 s | 40 | BB | |
| Horseshoe Reef NY | 1909 | 4 | 20 s | 11 | 4 | BB | |
| Kauhola Point HI | 1917 | 4 | 246 | 12 s | 23 | 7 | BB |
| Kauhola Point HI | 1927 | 4 | 45 | 12 s | 23 | 7 | BB |
| Laurel Point NC | 1909 | 4 | 3 M | 18 | 4 | CW | |
| Lime Kiln WA | 1919 | 4 | 100 | 24 | 4.75 | MF | |
| Lorain OH | No report | 4 | MF | ||||
| Ludlam Beach NJ | 1907 | 4 | 90 s | 21 | 5 | BB | |
| Maryland Point MD | 1909 | 4 | 50 s | 20 | 3.75 | BB | |
| Miah Maul Shoal NJ | 1915 | 4 | 100 | 15 s | 44 | 8 | BB |
| Mount Desert ME | 1937 | 4 | 30 | 90 s | 30 | 4.5 | BB |
| Los Angeles Harbor (San Pedro Breakwater) CA | 1914 USLHS Bulletin | 4 |
|
|
|
| MF |
| Nauset MA | 1927 | 4 | 200 | 10 s | center of tower | 8 | MF |
| Navassa Island | 1915 USLHS Bulletin | 4 |
|
|
|
| MF |
| New London Ledge CT | 1913 | 4 | 240 | 30 s | 50 | 9 | BB |
| Newport News VA | 1891 | 4 | 8 | ||||
| North Manitou MI | 1910 | 4 | 60 s | 42 | 5 | BB | |
| North Point WI | 1915 | 4 | 113 | 60 s | 60 | 12 | BB |
| Old Mackinac Point MI | 1907 | 4 | 100 s | 33 | 3 | BB | |
| Passage Island MI | 1910 | 4 | 60 s | full length of tower to first floor | 4.5 | BB | |
| Pecks Ledge CT | 1928 | 4 | 100 | 30 s | 45 | 6.5 | MF |
| Penfield Reef CT | 1880 | 4 | 60 s | 28 | 4 | ||
| Plum Beach RI | No report | 4 | MF | ||||
| Point Hueneme CA | 1907 | 4 | 30 s | 30 | 4 | BB | |
| Point Iroquois MI | 1909 | 4 | 5 M | 47 | 4 | BB | |
| Point No Point MD | 1927 | 4 | 2 | BB | |||
| Port Austin Reef MI | 1909 | 4 | 2 M | 38 | 4 | CW | |
| Port San Juan PR | 1919 | 4 | 200 | 30 s | 17 | 4 | CW |
| Punta Gorda CA | 1923 USLHS Bulleting | 4 |
|
|
|
| MF |
| Race Point MA | 1927 | 4 | 100 | 3 M | 12 | 4.25 | CW |
| Race Rock NY | 1880 | 4 | 2 M | 36 | 6 | ||
| Racine Reef WI | 1907 | 20 s | 21 | 2.5 | BB | ||
| Ragged Point MD | 1910 | 4 | 40 s | 20 | 5 | BB | |
| Rebecca Shoal FL | 1913 | 4 | 50 s | 4.5 | BB | ||
| Robbins Reef NY | 1887 | 4 | 35 | 4 | |||
| Round Island MI | 1909 | 4 | 40 s | 45 | 2.5 | BB | |
| Sakonnet Point RI | 1887 | 4 | 60 3 | 39 | 3.5 | ||
| San Luis Obispo CA | 1907 | 4 | 5 M | 7.5 | 4 | CW | |
| Santa Cruz CA | 1917 | 4 | 130 | 10 s | 25 | 6 | BB |
| Sea Girt NJ | 1907 | 4 | 72 s | 17 | 7.5 | BB | |
| Smith Point VA | 1927 | 4 | 50 | 60 s | 6 | BB | |
| Sodus Outer NY | 1909 | 4 | 60 s | 32 | 5.5 | BB | |
| South Buffalo South Side NY | 1909 | 4 | 30 s | 20 | 2.33 | BB | |
| South Fox Island MI | 1907 | 4 | 4 M | 33 | 4.5 | BB | |
| Squaw Island MI | 1911 | 4 | 50 | 15 s | 28 | 3.75 | BB |
| St. Joseph MI | 1909 | 4 | 90 s | 26 | 4 | BB | |
| Stony Point (Henderson) NY | 1909 | 4 | 30 s | 46 | 5.75 | BB | |
| Stratford Point CT | No report | 4 | MF | ||||
| Stratford Shoals CT | 1880 | 4 | 2 M | 24 | |||
| Tarpaulin Cove MA | 1927 | 4 | 100 | 20 s | 10 | BB | |
| Thimble Shoal VA | 1915 | 4 | 200 | 6 s | Stairwell | 10 | BB |
| Thomas Point Shoal MD | 1909 | 4 | 6 M | 20 | 3.75 | CW | |
| Thunder Bay Island MI | 1910 | 4 | 9 M | 2.5 | BB | ||
| Trinidad Head CA | 1907 | 4 | 6 M | 13 | 7 | Center pinion | |
| Tucker Beach NJ | 1907 | 4 | 2 M | 15 | 6 | BB | |
| Two Bush Island ME | 1935 | 4 | 450 | 20 s | 28 | 7 | BB |
| Two Harbors MN | 1910 | 4 | 20 s | wood tube 14" | 4.5 | BB | |
| Tree Point AK | 1919, 1935 | 4 | 27 | 60 s | 50 | 4.5 | BB |
| Vidal Shoals Front Range MI | 1909 | 4 | 20 s | 30 | 3 | BB | |
| Waukegan Harbor IL | 1910 | 4 | 40 s | 28 | BB | ||
| West Point WA | 1910 | 4 | 2 M | 15 | 3 | BB | |
| Whaleback ME | 1935 | 4 | 350 | 20 s | 6 | 2 | MF |
| Windmill Point MI | 1909 | 4 | 45 s | 41 | BB | ||
| Wings Neck MA | 1928 | 4 | 150 | 60 s | 15 | 3.5 | BB |
| Wolf Trap VA | 1927 | 4 | 50 | 45 s | 30 | 7 | BB |
| Wood End MA | 1931 | 4 | 175 | 1 M | "none" | 7.5 | BB |
| Wood Island ME | 1935 | 4 | 60 | 1 M | 6.5 | BB | |
| Annisquam Harbor MA | 1931 | 5 | 100 | 60 s | 6 | BB | |
| Butler Flats MA | 1931 | 5 | 100 | 30 s | 37 | 6 | BB |
| Gould Island MA | 1889 | 5 | 2 M | 14 | |||
| Grassy Island South Channel Range Rear MI | 1909 | 5 | 18 s | 30 | BB | ||
| Hudson City NY | 1930 | 5 | 180 | 12 s | 29 | 5 | BB |
| Latimer Reef NY | 1887 | 5 | 35 | 4 | |||
| Little River ME | 1935 | 5 | 30 s | 21 | 6 | CW | |
| Lubec Channel ME | 1908 | 5 | 2 M | 33 | 5.5 | BB | |
| Saint Croix River ME | 1935 | 5 | 90 s | 6.75 | CW | ||
| Spring Point Ledge ME | 1935 | 5 | 5 s | 21 | 4 | BB | |
| Muhlenfels Point VI | 1919 | 6 | 8 | 45s | 20 | 6 | BB |