Guiding the way The need to safeguard the entrance to the important harbor of Kristiansand was given the highest priority by the first Norwegian lighthouse commission in 1830. As a direct consequence, the coastal light at Oksøy and the harbour light at Odderøya were established in 1832. After several accidents in the dangerous waters on the eastern side of the Kristiansand Fjord, it was decided to build a third lighthouse at the small islet of Grønningen. Later the entrance was further secured with a secondary light at Oksøy and a light beacon at Kinn. Together, the three lighthouses in Kristiansand are representative of the national lighthouse history both in an architectural and functional sense. The coastal light at Oksøy, with its 36 meters high cast iron tower, the concrete fortress at Grønningen marking the fairway into the fjord, and harbour light at Odderøya, with its small, wooden house, built for just one keeper and his family.

Life at Odderøya At first, the lighthouse at Odderøya only consisted of a small, wooden house (35 sqm) with a primitive beacon attached, fit for “a solitary pair”. The keeper at Odderøya was subjected to the manager at Oksøy, and he had strict instructions regarding his duties. In addition to all the practical work, detailed journals should be kept of all his spending. Both routines and irregularities should be reported. It was more than one man could handle, implying that the keeper had to rely on his wife (and possible children) to full-fill his duties. Although Odderøya is close to town, it was not always easy for the residents to get to and fro. Boat was the easiest, but the landing was exposed, both to bad weather and passing ships. The only alternative was to climb the steep hill and walk through the military quarters of the island.