LORAN Station

The old LORAN (LOng RAnge Navigation) station is about a 25-minute drive and a 15-minute walk from town (there are boulders blocking the road, thus the walk). The fabled hot-springs are also nearby. The LORAN station was in service from 1944-1979, and served an important purpose as part of a terrestrial radio navigation system for vessels at sea and aircraft. Th use of LORAN declined with the advent of GPS, and in 2010 the Coast Guard stopped transmitting at all. For much more historical background, visit the LORAN History Site.

 This building seems to have been the barracks / mess / machine shop.

 

 Machine shop bay (open to the elements, but surviving pretty well regardless). 

Moss growing inside the machine shop. 

View from a barracks room. 

Foul weather gear locker. Must have gotten a lot of use. 

Looking down the hallway.

The actual LORAN shack, built in 1943.

The siding was installed at an angle for weather resistance. This is a feature present in many WWII-era wood buildings on the island. Apparently, it works, though the roof has not fared well. Old photos reveal that the building was once painted white (you can sort of see remnants of white paint). 

All of the windows were long ago blown out or broken. 

Abandoned equipment. There are birds living in the building, and nesting inside the old transmitters.

More moss on the floor. These buildings are quickly sliding back to nature. 

 Looking up at what used to be the roof.

Click through to see some of the graffiti that's been left over the years. Some of it is not kid-friendly...