Fire Island Lighthouse (NY) reopens after three-week study
Fire Island Lighthouse, a 168-foot brick tower, stands on the western end of Fire Island, a barrier island off the southern coast of Long Island, New York. Tomorrow, June 29, the lighthouse will again be open to the public after a three-week hiatus. It was closed as researchers conducted tests to determine its long-term structural integrity. The lighthouse is operated by the Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society under a cooperative agreement with the National Park Service.
“The initial phase of the project closed the tower for three weeks to allow for the removal of bricks, mortar and shotcrete,” the National Park Service said Thursday in a news release. “These materials will be sent to a laboratory to test for compressive strength, moisture migration, absorption, permeability, and salt content.”
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Lightning knocks out light at Cape Lookout (NC)
The historic 1859 lighthouse at Cape Lookout, North Carolina, was hit by lightning recently, leaving the light dark. The Coast Guard is carrying out repairs.
“The United States Coast Guard reported to us that after inspecting the light, it was discovered that it was hit by lightning which fried a very unique capacitor,” Karen Duggan of Cape Lookout National Seashore told the Charlotte Observer Wednesday.
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Cape Hatteras (NC) Lighthouse move 20th anniversary celebration will be live streamed
The Cape Hatteras National Seashore has announced details for the upcoming 20th anniversary Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Move Celebration on July 1, which will also be live-streamed at Outer Banks Forever’s Facebook page.
The list of events and speakers is available here.
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Manitowoc Breakwater Lighthouse (Wisconsin) tours on July 13
Manitowoc Sunrise Rotary is sponsoring self-guided tours of the Manitowoc Breakwater Lighthouse from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 13, during Subfest. Sunrise Rotary is partnering with the Wisconsin Maritime Museum to present this opportunity. Half of the proceeds will go to the Maritime Museum’s All Hands on Deck program, which supports education for children and disabled adults.
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Hunting Island Lighthouse (SC) needs $3 million in repairs
Hunting Island Lighthouse near Beaufort, South Carolina, is in a state park and is open to visitors. Engineers assessed the integrity of the cast-iron tower last year. In response to recommendations in the report, the state plans to repair the historic facility and estimates the project could cost $3 million. Until the work is done, only six visitors are allowed in the lighthouse at a time.
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If you have items of interest to the lighthouse community and its supporters, please email them to Jeremy at Jeremy@uslhs.org
U.S. Lighthouse Society Historian Jeremy D’Entremont is the author of 24 books and hundreds of articles on lighthouses and maritime history. He is a past president of the American Lighthouse Foundation and founder of Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses, and he has lectured and narrated cruises throughout the Northeast and in other regions. He is also the producer and host of the U.S. Lighthouse Society’s weekly podcast, “Light Hearted.” He can be emailed at Jeremy@uslhs.org