City of Bridgeport, Connecticut, wants custody of Tongue Point Lighthouse on harbor
Tongue Point Lighthouse, a 31-foot cast-iron tower built in 1894 at the entrance to Bridgeport Harbor, is a monument to the city’s maritime history. In July, the lighthouse became available to a suitable new steward under the guidelines of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000. The City of Bridgeport has announced they are moving forward with an application for ownership. Another unidentified party is said to be submitting an application as well. The light itself, as an active aid to navigation, will continue to be maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard.
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Climb Florida’s Gasparilla Island Lighthouse on January 26
The newly restored Gasparilla Island Lighthouse on Florida’s Gulf Coast will be open for climbing on January 26, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information and additional climbing dates, visit www.barrierislandparkssociety.org, send an email to infoatbips@gmail.com or call 941-964-0060.
Nearby, you can visit the Port Boca Grande Lighthouse and museum; the lighthouse there is open for climbing on Fridays.
Click here for more information
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Become a keeper of Tawas Point Lighthouse (MI)
Applications are being accepted for the keeper program at Tawas Point Light Station. This program lasts from May 6 to Oct. 7, allows the applicant a two week stay, and costs $75 per person. Lodging is in the second story quarters of the keepers’ house with a view of Lake Huron. Responsibilities include greeting visitors, giving tours, and performing basic facility management.
You can apply here.
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Officials consider artificial reef to protect West Point Lighthouse in PEI
West Point Lighthouse on Prince Edward Island, Canada, is a popular destination with overnight stays for visitors. The site is threatened by shoreline erosion, and officials are considering the installation of offshore reefs as well as improvements to the existing sea wall. The plan would see a stone headland installed at one end of the beach, and the use of stone along an access road to improve the existing sea wall. Ideally, Island sandstone would be used, depending on cost and availability. The cost of the work will be about $1 million or more.
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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.
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