News of the week April 14, 2023
Old Lighthouse Museum to reopen in Michigan City, IN
For much of the late 19th century, the Old Michigan City Lighthouse warned sailors when their ships veered too dangerously close to the shore.
Manned by lighthouse keepers who kept the light burning at all hours of the night, the lighthouse was eventually replaced in 1904 when the lantern was moved to the end of the pier in what’s since become an iconic landmark that often graces Michigan City’s tourism brochures and magazines.
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After outcry, switcheroo of Mukilteo (WA) lighthouse digs won’t happen
Mukilteo – The mayor said the swap seemed light a good idea at the time.
Move the city’s Chamber of Commerce and visitor center from a nondescript building on an inconvenient side street to the lighthouse at the waterfront.
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A Day of Fun at Erie’s Land Lighthouse (PA)
There are a lot of lighthouse buffs all over the world. They love to tour lighthouses. People in Erie can really make them jealous. Folks in our area get to tour a magnificent piece of history once a month for free.
It’s the Land Lighthouse in the City of Erie. The Land Lighthouse is one of three lighthouses extending from the city shoreline to the Erie Channel to the North Shores of Presque Isle.
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Lake Michigan’s North Manitou Shoal (MI) lighthouse, 8 miles from shore to offer 4-hour tours, including boat ride
LELAND, MI – Tours of the North Manitou Shoal light, known as “the Crib,” this spring and summer will include a boat ride to the remote light that sits eight miles offshore.
The four-hour tours will start in Leland and include the boat ride to and from the lighthouse along with a guided tour of the building. Public tours will be available for up to 10 people on Saturday mornings from May 20 to July 29. Private tours are available for groups of eight to 11.
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Port Isabel TX hosts 4th annual Lighthouse Easter egg hunt
Apr. 8—Despite temperatures in the 50s and the looming threat of rain, the Easter Bunny still made its presence known in Port Isabel Saturday for the 4th annual Port Isabel Lighthouse State Historic Site Easter Egg Hunt on the grounds of the lighthouse.
With over 25,000 Easter eggs filled with candy and toys, the event was popular with local and visiting families, with people lining up over an hour before the 10 a.m. start time.
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Local writers support charity with book inspired by Sullivan’s Island Lighthouse, SC
Authors of the American Christian Fiction Writers South Carolina Lowcountry Chapter announce the publication of “Charleston Light: Stories Inspired by Sullivan’s Island Lighthouse.”
The eight faith-based stories in “Charleston Light” range from romance to fantasy, each one inspired by the iconic island landmark.
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Good News? Brant Point Lighthouse (MA) Is Getting A Makeover. Bad News? No Daffodil Wreath This Year
The Brant Point Lighthouse will be getting a long-awaited paint job by the U.S. Coast Guard this month, but the maintenance work and other concerns will preclude one of the island’s annual spring traditions: the hanging of the daffodil wreath from the lighthouse.
The wreath usually goes up around this time each year – a tradition started 30 years ago by former Station Brant Point senior chief Jack Downey – but with the lighthouse’s exterior in a state of disrepair, it will not be put up this year.
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Cape Henlopen (DE) Lighthouse fell 97 years ago
On April 13, 1926, the Cape Henlopen Lighthouse fell into the Atlantic Ocean. Built in 1765, it was the second-oldest lighthouse in the country at the time of its collapse.
When constructed, the tower stood on a shallow foundation atop a sand dune at a considerable distance from the sea.
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This Old Place: Step into the North Fork’s (NY) nautical past at Horton Point Light
Sweeping, dramatic views of the Long Island Sound and a tie to a Founding Father can both be found at Horton Point Lighthouse in Southold.
Perched atop a high bluff, the beacon was first commissioned in 1790 by George Washington in response to frequent shipwrecks in the waters below, once declared “Dead Man’s Cove.” (An anchor recovered from one such wreck that sank in 1866 remains on display on the grounds today.)
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Is The Mark Twain Memorial (MO)the Only Lighthouse Along the Mississippi River?
For a long time, lighthouses served as a symbol of security and hope. Traditionally, lighthouses were used to guide and serve as a safe passage for sailors. They would protect them and the land nearby, thus helping maintain a balance between the waters and land.
These lighthouses served as warnings to mariners and would warn them against the dangerous shallow yet perilous rocky coats. They also guided vessels into safety, especially in and out of harbors.
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SOUTH STREET SEAPORT MUSEUM ANNOUNCES ARCHITECT SELECTION FOR RESTORATION OF TITANIC MEMORIAL LIGHTHOUSE, NY
On the eve of the 111th Anniversary of the RMS Titanic disaster, the South Street Seaport Museum announces a critical step in the restoration of the Titanic Memorial Lighthouse, a monument erected in lower Manhattan one year after the tragedy. Renowned preservation architects Jan Hird Pokorny Associates, Inc. were selected from a highly competitive field to complete the restoration of the lighthouse. The full restoration of the lighthouse to its original state is expected to be realized by Summer 2024.
“We’re thrilled to be working with Jan Hird Pokorny and Michael Devonshire,” said Capt. Jonathan Boulware, President and CEO of the South Street Seaport Museum, which originally saved and now owns the artifact. “The Titanic Memorial Lighthouse will again shine in lower Manhattan as a beacon of history and hope in honor of those lost in the Titanic disaster.”
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‘A few good gardeners’ needed to volunteer at East Brother Lighthouse, CA
Do you have a green thumb? If so, former Richmond Mayor Tom Butt is appealing for your help to assist in caring for East Brother Lighthouse’s landscaping and gardens.
Butt said that a group of volunteers is needed to make a monthly commitment to take care of one vegetable garden and drought-tolerant landscaping throughout East Brother Lighthouse’s property.
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Grande Reopening at Gasparilla Island (FL) Lighthouse!
Join us for the Grande Reopening at Gasparilla Island Lighthouse!
Enjoy BIPS History Climb Tour at a special discounted price of $10 per person! Be the first person of the day to climb its 134 steps! Take a walk in our 7.4 acres of trails! Don’t miss our “Pop-UP” Shops full of one of a kind merchandise! All climb fees and merchandise purchases go directly to support our historic lighthouses.
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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