HANSVILLE — As a third grader, it’s always fun to go on a field trip to anywhere outside the classroom.

But going on a field trip to an historic lighthouse located on a beach with gusty winds is even cooler.

Point No Point Lighthouse art docents Bob Jungst, Marion Kling and Paulette Cziske hosted Kelly Rosenbach’s third grade class from Gordon Elementary earlier this month as the kids decorated the large structure for the holidays with paper snowflakes.

Students also got a history lesson about the instruments that help keep ships from crashing onto shore. Art docents explained how lighthouses work as well as the history of this particular lighthouse since it was opened in 1879.

Jungst and Cziske came up with the idea last year to decorate the lighthouse during the winter.

“I thought it would be fun to make the lighthouse more visible,” Cziske said.

Jungst and the kids stood under the ladder that leads to the actual light and watched it run the circuit. He took the opportunity to explain that, although it appears someone is turning the beam on and off, the system actually works under it’s own power. The Point No Point light, Jungst added, is powerful enough to be seen from 19 miles away.

Jungst also explained how the lighthouse location got its name. When well-versed sailor Charles Wilkes came ashore, he found the spit was not as large as he thought it would be and decided there was really “no point” to anchor his vessel there. Hence, the name Point No Point.

Kling described how the old lighthouse keepers had fog horns at the ready just in case the light went out.

The lighthouse’s original fog horn sound was created by two machines compressing air together. There were holes cut near the ceiling on each of the four walls in the room, where four trumpets were installed. These trumpets would sound the horn.

The building has seen many changes since its construction some 124 years ago and has been expanded from one room to three rooms. The eastern room was built to contain fog horn machinery and the western room was used as a local Post Office.

After seeing first-hand how the lighthouse works and filling the windows with paper snowflakes, students said they were impressed with the very simple but powerful maritime tool.

“It’s cool,” said student Kayla Lavares, 8. “The light, that it goes around.”

“The history of the lighthouse,” said Daniel Van Denhander, 8, when asked what his favorite part of the tour was.

“I think it’s really cool because it looks so big to me,” said Claire Montgomery, 8.