Superior Entry Light, a.k.a Wisconsin Point Light, bought at auction by executive from San Francisco for $159,000
A historic lighthouse perched on the shore of Lake Superior has a new owner: a 34-year old tech industry executive from San Francisco, who served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and has a soft spot for Thoreau.
“What’s really important to me is being able to create a place where I can go and visit, or others can come and visit, that really just feels like a unique snapshot in history,” said Steven Broudy.
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El Faro Inclinado (the Leaning Lighthouse) of Mexico
The small seaside town of Puerto Morelos, between Cancún and Playa del Carmen, has had a troubled history when it comes to lighthouses. A simple light on a post was erected in 1905. Then, in 1946, a square concrete tower was built. Hurricane Beulah undermined its foundation in 1967, leaving it with a precarious tilt. Its replacement was later damaged by a hurricane and had to be renovated in 2016. But the leaning lighthouse remains, still leaning, as a symbol of resilience.
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Restoration is near for Pigeon Point Lighthouse (CA)
California State Parks officials this week announced that $9.1 million in state funding will go to the lighthouse for a major renovation of iconic Pigeon Point Lighthouse in Pescadero, California. Contracts will be put out to bid later this year, with construction set to begin next summer. The work should be completed by the summer of 2021. But more work will be needed after that to shore up the bottom of the lighthouse, replace windows, modernize its staircase and make other improvements.
“Pigeon Point Lighthouse is a part of our heritage,” said Terry Kiser, operations superintendent for the state parks’ Santa Cruz District. “It’s a historic landmark that’s very unique. It’s priceless and should be there for generations to come.”
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Keeper’s house at Isle au Haut, Maine, is for sale
The former light keeper’s house at Isle au Haut in Maine, which has been a B&B in the past, is for sale for nearly $2 million. The lighthouse itself is owned by the Town of Isle of Haut. Most of the island is part of Acadia National Park.
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Hope Town (Elbow Reef) Lighthouse in the Bahamas appears unscathed
Our hearts go out to out to the people of the Bahamas, where the damage from Hurricane Dorian has been unimaginable. The village of Hope Town and the rest of Elbow Cay in the Abaco Cays has been devastated, but the Hope Town Lighthouse, also known as Elbow Reef Lighthouse, said to be one of only two remaining manually-operated kerosene fueled lighthouses left in the world, remains standing. It has been called a beacon of hope by residents who plan to rebuild.
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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
Jeremy D’Entremont is the author of more than 20 books and hundreds of articles on lighthouses and maritime history. He is the president and historian for 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 podcast, “Light Hearted.” He can be emailed at Jeremy@uslhs.org