Point Sur Lighthouse (CA) is a beacon in stormy seas and uncertain times, even while closed
Along Highway 1 in Big Sur, California, the Point Sur Lighthouse is among the most iconic features. Here, the coastline abruptly changes from high, winding cliffs to flat, sea-level grasslands with a dramatic sandstone outcropping. The 40-foot-tall lighthouse appears even taller, perched on a 361-foot-tall rock. At mid-morning on a Saturday a tour should be beginning, but these days a sign on the locked gate reads “PARK CLOSED.”
Docents at Point Sur are officially State Park volunteers – Central Coast Lighthouse Keepers (CCLK) exists as the funding source for restoration projects. It’s been a successful source of revenue, too. The money raised through tour fees, combined with donations, grants and gift shop sales, has allowed CCLK to restore most of the buildings on the rock.
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Vanishing men: Flannan Isles (Scotland) lighthouse mystery inspires new musical
The vanishing men of the Flannan Isles lighthouse has inspired a new musical based on the mystery that still baffles scholars to this day.
It was on Boxing Day 1900 that it was discovered that James Ducat, 43, Thomas Marshall, 28, and Donald McArthur, 40, had vanished from their temporary Alcatraz. Despite months of investigation no trace was ever found of the three men who left two widows and six children behind.
London-based composer Ralph Warman has transformed the story into a musical. “Our musical Dark Isle is based in a lot of factual historical research about the men and their lives upon which we have built our own versions of possible events,” said Ralph. “It has been a joy to be able to bring this story to life and to find out about these fascinating people with lives vastly different from ours over 120 years on.”
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Long Island Company Awarded $30.7M Contract To Restore, Protect Montauk Point Lighthouse (NY)
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced this week that a $30.7 million contract has been granted to Bay Shore-based H&L Contracting to “protect the historic Montauk Point Lighthouse and associated cultural resources located on the easternmost point of Long Island.” The project is expected to last approximately two years as crews work to safeguard the lighthouse from shoreline erosion. Work is planned to start in the spring.
“The historic Montauk Point Lighthouse is a New York treasure, but erosion and the weight of years are threatening to wash it away,” Cuomo said. “The State is committed to working with our federal partners to prevent that from happening and preserve this landmark for future generations of New Yorkers to explore and enjoy.”
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Repairs to uMhlanga Lighthouse (South Africa) underway following storm damage
USLHS photo
uMhlanga Lighthouse is undergoing repairs following minor damages during a storm on Friday, January 15. It is believed the Ports Authority is investigating if there were further damages to the iconic structure which was completed in 1954. The lighthouse was commissioned in November 1954 and was completed in four days and 19 hours.
The lighthouse was commissioned in November 1954 and was completed in four days and 19 hours.
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Peggy’s Cove (NS) Viewing Platform Will ‘Control Access’ To Lighthouse, Rocks
One of Nova Scotia’s most iconic tourist destinations is getting a major makeover with the help of millions of dollars of government investments. The federal and provincial governments are together contributing $3.1-million to fund a suite of infrastructure improvements in Peggy’s Cove, most notably a new, accessible viewing platform that will control access to the iconic rocks and lighthouse.
A new viewing platform will be accessible from multiple locations and integrated into the landscape, providing a safe place to view the lighthouse. Along with the new viewing platform, the project will also see new washrooms built at Peggy’s Cove, as well as a host of other improvements. Construction will begin shortly and is expected to finish in the summer of this year.
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Mysterious Glowing Lights Behind Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in North Carolina Sparks UFO Theories
Photographer Wes Snyder shared a video clip on his YouTube channel speculating an UFO behind Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. Watch the video:
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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 D’Entremont 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