Live, explore, and volunteer at Pointe Aux Barques Lighthouse, Michigan
Did you know that the Pointe Aux Barques Lighthouse has an Assistant Keeper Program? It’s an opportunity to live in the Assistant Keeper’s house on the lighthouse grounds and have a fantastic experience volunteering at a working lighthouse. In addition, you will be able to explore and experience a bit of Michigan’s living history as a working volunteer as an Assistant Lighthouse Keeper.
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Local volunteers work to restore, preserve and share historic Eldred Rock Lighthouse (AK)
An abandoned lighthouse that’s been standing alone in Lynn Canal for almost 50 years is on track for a make-over and could soon host visitors and lighthouse enthusiasts from around the world. Today, the lighthouse is one of the top ten most endangered historic properties in the state.
“We have lots of encouragement. Lots of people go past it on the ferry on the way to Haines and Skagway, not to mention all the people who pass it on the cruise lines,” said Sue York, executive director of the Eldred Rock Lighthouse Preservation Association. York said that donations and grants have enabled work to move along quickly, reversing decades of damage caused by the weather and neglect. “A lot of repairs have begun,” she said, citing a summer project to remediate all asbestos from the kitchen and bathroom and remove lead paint.
Interview with Sue York on the USLHS podcast Light Hearted:
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Vandals hit Menominee North Pier Lighthouse (MI) with graffiti
For the third time since the Menominee North Pier Lighthouse was restored in 2017, vandals hit the iconic structure with graffiti late Saturday or early Sunday, prompting a donor to pledge a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of those who defaced the property.
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Founders of St. George Reef Lighthouse Preservation Society (CA) honored
Guy and Alice Towers, the founders of the Saint George Reef Lighthouse Preservation Society, received a proclamation from the Del Norte County Board of Supervisors on Nov. 9. St. George Reef Lighthouse is located six miles off the coast of Crescent City and was built as a result of the sinking of the coastal steamer Brother Jonathan in July 1865, resulting in the death of several hundred.
According to the proclamation, both Guy and Alice have worked towards the preservation of the lighthouse for 35 years and helped with the nomination of the lighthouse to the National Registrar of Historic Places.
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Be a lighthouse keeper for a night at this Port Townsend (WA) getaway
Point Wilson Lighthouse at Port Townsend’s Fort Worden has guided ships through the rough waters of Admiralty Inlet since 1879. And Jeff Gales, executive director of the US Lighthouse Society, has a mission to keep the structures surrounding this beacon shining bright so that everyone can enjoy them.
The keeper’s house – with its view of the lighthouse – will be fully restored and ready for guests in summer 2022.
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Burnt Island Lighthouse (ME): 200 years and counting
On Nov. 9, 1821, Joshua B. Cushing lit the oil lamps of Burnt Island Light for the first time. Two hundred years later to the day, a commemorative re-lighting was held Tuesday, Nov. 9, its now electrified light briefly extinguished and relit by former lighthouse keepers Paul Kelley, Randy Griffing and Henry Sieg with Steve McCullough, son of keeper Jim McCullough; Coast Guard Capt. Amy Florentino, Portland Station, and Elaine Jones, retired education director at Department of Marine Resources. A stunning fireworks display capped off the observance of the lighthouse’s anniversary.
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Lantern Fest on November 27 at Crooked River Lighthouse, Florida
This unique, outdoor festival, best known for its breathtaking display of over a hundred colorful, hanging lanterns, lights up the night with magic and history at the 1895 maritime landmark. This delightful evening will feature wonderful live music by gifted Irish musicians, Killavil, amazing performances by the TCC Dance Company, ancient craft demonstrations, museum exhibits, delicious food and desserts and evening tower climbs of the tallest lighthouse on the Forgotten Coast.
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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
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