Repairs to Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse (MD) nearly complete
Efforts to raise enough money to stop the 145-year-old Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse from falling into Chesapeake Bay were a big success, and almost all the repair work is done. It is the last surviving screw-pile lighthouse that is still in its original location.
Photo by ULHS member John J. Young, 2016
All metal beams were replaced, along with all but one tie rod. Most of the work was finished in mid-June, and that final tie rod will likely be installed in the fall.
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Orfordness Lighthouse (England): Historic Suffolk landmark reduced to rubble
Orfordness Lighthouse has been taken down because the sea is eroding the beach it stands on in Suffolk. The Orfordness Lighthouse Trust (OLT) hopes to recreate the top third of the 1792 structure as a permanent tribute built at a safe distance from the sea. It will include many of the original features that have been saved during the demolition work including the lantern room, curved cabinets, and a stone that was in place above the door. The building was decommissioned as an active lighthouse in 2013.
Below, drone footage captured the start of the deconstruction work.
Click here for more information
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Point Loma Lighthouse (CA) at Cabrillo National Monument to Light up in Honor of 19th Amendment Anniversary
Starting August 21, the Old Point Loma Lighthouse at Cabrillo National Monument will be illuminated with purple and gold lights to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the 19th amendment. Aug. 26 will mark 100 years since the 19th amendment became law, ensuring that women had the right to vote.
Starting at sunset each night from Aug. 21 through Aug. 23 and Aug. 26, the park will be open from sunset until 8:30 p.m. for visitors to enjoy the lights and learn about women’s history. A slideshow of historic photos will also be projected on one side of the lighthouse.
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Butt of Lewis Lighthouse (Scotland) gets a much-needed makeover
Butt of Lewis Lighthouse in the Outer Hebrides, designed by David Stevenson, went into service in 1862. Unusual for a lighthouse in Scotland, it is constructed of red brick, and is unpainted.
The three-month project includes replacement of the lighthouse’s rotating optic with a static flashing LED to achieve more efficiency and lower maintenance costs. There will also be refurbishment and redecoration of the tower and mess facilities in the adjoining building.
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Highland Light on Cape Cod (MA) undergoing major repairs, expected to reopen next summer
After decades of corrosion caused by strong coastal winds and other forces of nature, Highland Lighthouse in North Truro on Cape Cod is receiving a much-needed makeover. A $1.5 million boost in funding from the state and federal governments allowed the project to come to fruition.
To stabilize the structure when it was moved back from the edge of an eroding bluff in 1996, the ventilation system was filled with a concrete-like substance that was never removed. Along with the other repairs, the ventilation system will be entirely restored for improved air circulation. Once completed next summer, the lighthouse and keeper’s house will reopen for tours and educational programs.
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Emperor Neron’s lighthouse to shine on Turkish shores, centuries later
The restoration of Patara Neron Lighthouse, which was commissioned by the Roman Emperor Neron in AD 54 as a “prestige project” in the ancient city of Patara, began on Aug. 11.
“The removal of tower blocks for Patara Lighthouse has started. These blocks, which will carry the heaviest load, will go to the stone hospital established on the site for conservation,” said Professor Havva İşkan Işık, the head of the project, announcing the first step for the excavation.
The lighthouse, located in the resort province of Antalya’s Kaş district, will return to its original state after 1,968 years on completion of its restoration process. When the restoration is completed, the lighthouse will begin to shine after 1,968 years.
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Lighthouse News of the Week 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
My husband & I went on a boat tour at Thomas Point , October 2018, at the time there was some renovations going on, but I had no idea how bad the Metal Beams were.
I’m , along with others are so glad the monies were raised to redo the support / renovations to this Beautiful Lighthouse
Now , to have East Point Lighthouse, Mauriceville, New Jersey , fixed up.
We are part of New Jersey Lighthouse Society & keep in touch with East Point
I really enjoy, everything that is on this sight for U.S. Lighthouse Society News. Keep the good work
Have a blessed day
Linda E Swearingen
Lancaster, Pa