Episode 36 –Bahamian Lighthouses have been operated by the Port Department of The Bahamas since independence from Great Britain in 1973. The traditional hand-powered technology in the Elbow Reef Lighthouse is maintained by the Elbow Reef Lighthouse Society. The buildings at the Elbow Reef Light Station, as well as the surrounding Hope Town community, were devastated by Hurricane Dorian at the beginning of September 2019. Annie Potts, interviewed in this episode, is the U.S.-based member of the Elbow Reef Lighthouse Society team. She is also the author of the book Last Lights: The Hand-Wound Lighthouses of The Bahama Islands.
Episode 37 – Two interviews related to the history of lighthouses in the vicinity of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Captain’s Cove Seaport is a major attraction in Bridgeport, with a marina, restaurant, bar, fishing charters, and more. Bruce Williams is the son of the founder of Captain’s Cove Seaport, and he is also a historian of the local area and the co-author of the book Bridgeport on the Sound. Phil Blagys is a past president of the Black Rock Community Council and chair of the Black Rock Community Council History Program. The Council is involved with the preservation of Black Rock Harbor Lighthouse on Fayerweather Island.
Episode 38 –Featured in this episode is an interview with Scott Brown, president of Friends of Sakonnet Lighthouse in Rhode Island. Sakonnet Point Lighthouse is a typical offshore “sparkplug” lighthouse of its period. The hurricanes of 1938 and 1954 damaged the structure. A preservation effort began when the Friends of Sakonnet Lighthouse was formed in 1984. Also in this episode, hosts Jeremy D’Entremont and Cindy Johnson detail the dramatic story of what happened at Sakonnet in the hurricane of September 21, 1938– the worst hurricane in recorded New England history.
Episode 39 –Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse is probably the best-known lighthouse in Maryland, and it has many distinctions. It’s the last surviving screwpile lighthouse in Chesapeake Bay, and it’s one of the few lighthouses in the United States to be designated a National Historic Landmark. John Potvin, interviewed in this episode, is a member of the Chesapeake Chapter of the United States Lighthouse Society. He has been a volunteer at Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse for several years and is the preservation foreman. Also, Jeremy D’Entremont and co-host Michelle Jewell Shaw look at the origins and history of screwpile lighthouses.
Episode 40 – Grosse Point Lighthouse, located at the southern end of Lake Michigan in Evanston, Illinois, was established in 1873 as the primary lighthouse marking the approach to Chicago. Donald J. Terras, interviewed in this episode, manages the Grosse Point Light Station Museum. He is also the author of the books Grosse Point Lighthouse: Landmark to Maritime History and Culture and Lighthouses of Chicago Harbor: Their History, Architecture and Lore. Mr. Terras is a past president of the American Lighthouse Council and a recipient of the American Lighthouse Council’s F. Ross Holland Distinguished Service Award.
Back to Light Hearted Index front page
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