News of the week January 13, 2023
Restoration of New York City’s Titanic Memorial Lighthouse moves forward
Plans to restore New York City’s Titanic Memorial Lighthouse are moving forward. Built in 1913 to honor those who died aboard the Titanic, the 60-foot-tall lighthouse featured a working “time ball” that dropped down the pole each day, along with a green light. After a four-year campaign, a request for proposals has been issued to restore the monument to its original working condition.
Designed by Warren and Wetmore, the architects behind Grand Central Terminal, the memorial was installed on top of the Seamen’s Church Institute at 25 South Street one year after the April 15, 1912 shipwreck. The lighthouse was fully functioning, with a time ball that would drop each day to signal noon to ships in the harbor.
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Gold for Noss Head (Scotland) lighthouse cottage in Green Tourism Awards
The operators of a lighthouse cottage in Caithness have struck gold in a national certification programme for sustainable tourism businesses.
The prestigious gold Green Tourism award was described as a great way to start 2023 for the team at the Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage at Noss Head, north of Wick.
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Thought Fay Waldon’s She-Devil was weird? Wait until you hear the tale of her Belle Tout (UK) lighthouse!
Belle Tout Lighthouse, at Beachy Head near Eastbourne in East Sussex, stood in for Mary’s High Tower – and its imposing structure and the crumbling, chalky cliffs surrounding it proved a key part of the atmospheric series.
The BBC acquired a year-long lease to film at what is widely seen as Britain’s most famous inhabited lighthouse.
And it boasts a colourful past that rivals any of the dramas in which it has featured.
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Absecon (NJ) Lighthouse to celebrate 166th anniversary with free climbs for kids Jan. 14 -15
Absecon Lighthouse will celebrate the 166th anniversary of the lighting of its historic Fresnel lens Saturday and Sunday in Atlantic City.
The lens has been referred to as “the invention that saved a million ships.”
To celebrate the lens that was first lit locally on Jan. 15, 1857, kids 12 and under are invited to climb free with adults, who will be treated to a “two for the price of one” fee for the weekend.
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Holiday homes plan for Little Ross (Scotland) lighthouse murder island near Kirkcudbright
Plans have been lodged to allow visitors to stay on a tiny Scottish island that was the scene of a lighthouse keeper’s murder in 1960.
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The proposals would bring derelict cottages back into use on Little Ross Island which sits off Kirkcudbright.
It hit the headlines 63 years ago when Hugh Clark was shot by fellow keeper Robert Dickson.
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The 5 Most Beautiful Outer Banks (NC) Lighthouses
The Outer Banks is a 100-mile stretch of island coastline spotted with small, seaside towns and ideal opportunities for camping, sightseeing, and spending time outdoors. These islands are the site of some foundational American history as well. The first colony in America was founded in Roanoke, and the Wright Brothers staged their first flight in Kitty Hawk, on December 17th, 1903.
The Outer Banks is also home to a host of beautiful lighthouses, so if you’re planning a visit then read on to discover the five most beautiful lighthouses of the Outer Banks!
Click here to read more & see the photos
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Destination Louisiane: Lighthouses, buried treasures and historic submarines await in Madisonville museum
MADISONVILLE, La. (WGNO) — Lots of museums have signs that say “DON’T TOUCH!” but there’s one on the Northshore where touching is not only allowed but also encouraged.
The Lake Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum is a nautical mecca where you’ll find a giant anchor, a massive collection of outboard motors, and detailed dioramas portraying life during simpler times.
Other highlights include displays on the life of lighthouse keepers, along with a collection of miniature lighthouses, each a replica of one that served as a navigational beacon along the Gulf Coast.
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114-year-old Point Cabrillo (CA) Lighthouse recovering from wave damage: ‘heartbreaking and awe-inspiring’
CASPAR, CA, 1/6/23 — When Jen Lewis got a call from the Point Cabrillo Light Station’s alarm company around 8:30 a.m. Thursday, saying motion sensors had been set off on the west side of the building, she had a feeling they weren’t dealing with a break-in. A short time later, Lewis — the lighthouse’s fundraising and outreach manager — arrived to find a California State Parks maintenance crew on site, the lighthouse’s back doors blown open, and the downstairs museum soaked.
“We knew that the swell was going to be pretty big, but we had no idea it was going to be at that level,” she told The Mendocino Voice in a phone conversation.
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Race Supports Preservation Of Morris Island (SC) Lighthouse
The Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission is partnering with Save the Light to host its annual half marathon and 5K on Feb. 4, 2023, at Folly Beach. The race supports the preservation of the Morris Island Lighthouse by Save the Light, a grassroots nonprofit organization formed in 2000 to save the lighthouse from being lost to the sea. Both the half marathon and 5K races are USATF-certified and begin and end near the Folly Beach Pier. The half marathon is a run-only event; the 5K is open to runners and walkers, and both races begin at 8 a.m. Advance registration, which is required, ends Jan. 30. Fees are $60 for the half marathon and $42 for the 5K.
Following the races, awards will be presented and food will be provided for participants.
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Exmouth’s king of Ningaloo (AU) lighthouse Shaun the sheep dies after wild, woolly life
Exmouth residents are mourning the death of a lone sheep that became synonymous with the Ningaloo lighthouse that overlooks one of the country’s most spectacular coastlines.
Shaun the sheep, also known as Rocky or Shrek, died from natural causes on New Year’s Eve at the nearby caravan park he would frequent for a drink of water.
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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