St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge in Florida celebrated its 88th birthday on Thursday. The celebration included the relighting of the St. Marks Lighthouse for the first time in nearly 20 years.
After years of renovations, more than $1.3 million was raised by the Friends of St. Marks Wildlife Refuge to restore the lighthouse. A $40,000 replica of the original Fresnel lens was installed, and it was switched on around 7 p.m. on Thursday.
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Click here for the Friends of St. Marks Wildlife Refuge website
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Officials move to protect East Point Lighthouse (New Jersey)
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection says work will begin next week to protect the East Point Lighthouse with giant sand-filled fabric tubes meant to temporarily keep the waves and tides at bay until a long-term solution can be found. The project will cost more than $460,000 at the lighthouse in Maurice River Township in Cumberland County, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.
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Cape Lookout Lighthouse (NC) celebrating 160th anniversary today
On Nov. 1, 1859, Keeper John Royal climbed the 216 steps of Cape Lookout Lighthouse and “lighted up” for the first time. Free lighthouse climbs are being offered today to celebrate. From the top of the lighthouse, officials say views of wild horses roaming free can be found just across the waters at Shackleford Banks.
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Waugoshance Lighthouse (MI) needs funding to save it
A historic Michigan lighthouse is in need of restoration and help and fundraising efforts have been accelerated to make that happen. While attempts are made to get funding from groups like the Michigan Waterways Commission and State Historic Preservation Office, preservationists say matching funds will be needed.
Click here for the Waugoshance Lighthouse Preservation Society website
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Port Boca Grande Lighthouse (FL) Lantern Room open for tours
The Barrier Island Parks Society is making history again at The Port Boca Grande Lighthouse & Museum. Beginning November 1 thru April 30, BIPS will host climb tours to the top every Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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How Robert Eggers Built a 19th-Century ‘Lighthouse’ That Could Shine for 16 Miles
Whether or not you’ve seen the current movie The Lighthouse, you may have seen photos of the lighthouse in the movie and/or the large Fresnel lens in its lantern. You may have wondered just where in the world that lighthouse is located. While the film was shot at Cape Forchu in Nova Scotia, the lighthouse and lens were actually built for the movie.
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U.S. Lighthouse Society News is produced by the U.S. Lighthouse Society to support lighthouse preservation, history, education and research. Please support this news feature by joining the U.S. Lighthouse Society if you are not already a member.
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