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Lighthouse News of the Week

News of the week May 19, 2023

Preservationists push for new stewardship of Stepping Stones (NY) Lighthouse

Local preservationists say they are frustrated with the lack of restoration work on the 146-year-old Stepping Stones Lighthouse on the Long Island Sound.

Stepping Stones, NY – George Doener

The Town of North Hempstead agreed to restore the lighthouse when it became the lighthouse’s steward 15 years ago.

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Bolivar (TX) Peninsula lighthouse’s crown comes down as restoration work begins on 150-year-old landmark

A literal landmark on Bolivar Peninsula is standing a little bit shorter today.

Bolivar Point, TX – USLHS archives

Restoration crews on Monday took the top off the Port Bolivar lighthouse, as part of the first phase of a long-planned restoration project for the 150-year-old structure.

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Split Rock (MN) Lighthouse overhauls exhibits for first time since 1990s, adds ‘statement piece’

LAKE COUNTY, Minn. — A full-sized replica of Split Rock Lighthouse’s third-order Fresnel lens — like the one that occasionally casts its beam out over Lake Superior — is among the highlights of the biggest update to the popular state park’s on-site museum’s programming since 1997.

Split Rock 3rd Order Lens – Hayes Scriven

The new exhibition in the visitors’ gallery space, which opens later this month, also includes the wheel of the sunken Madeira, stories from the Indigenous people who have long lived on Lake Superior and tales of the lighthouse keepers of yesteryear — complete with a cap worn by the first, Orren Young.

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Stonington (CT) Lighthouse Museum Open For Season

STONINGTON, CT – The Stonington Historical Society is thrilled to announce that it is now officially open for the season, inviting visitors to embark on a journey through time and experience the rich heritage of the area.

Stonington Harbor, CT – Thomas A Tag

Both the Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer House and the Lighthouse Museum are now open to the public, offering an unforgettable glimpse into Stonington’s fascinating past.

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Eagle Bluff (WI) Lighthouse Opening May 19

The Door County Historical Society will open the Eagle Bluff Lighthouse for the 2023 season on May 19. Located in Peninsula State Park, the lighthouse is an iconic symbol of the county’s maritime heritage.

Eagle Bluff, MI – Ralph Eshelman

During a visit, take a self-guided tour of the lighthouse, with knowledgeable docents available throughout the building. The lighthouse also includes exhibits and artifacts that offer a glimpse into the lives and work of the lightkeepers who served the lighthouse from 1868 until 1926.

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Tar Heel Traveler marks 2500th story with 200th celebration of Ocracoke (NC) lighthouse

Ocracoke – Dave Zapatka

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Rain or shine, the Great Lighthouse Hunt is on

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Egg hunts begone. The borough’s own lighthouse hunt is on, courtesy of the National Lighthouse Museum in St. George.

Romer Shoal, NJ – Mike & Carol McKinney

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Royal Oak museum shines a light on women as Great Lakes lighthouse keepers

Ellen Kehoe of Royal Oak has so far visited about 80 lighthouses and climbed to the top of more than 15 of them during sojourns around Michigan’s Great Lakes.

Eagle Harbor, MI – Thomas A Tag

That’s more than half of the roughly 130 lighthouses on the state’s shores and she has taken scores of photos during her travels, which she takes with a friend.

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Summer 2023 at Presque Isle (PA) brings lighthouse birthday, swimming, sand, food trucks, music

A crowd didn’t gather on Presque Isle on July 12, 1873, when the light was activated atop its newly constructed lighthouse.

Presque Isle, PA – Ralph Eshelman

“According to the keeper, they had one visitor,” said Averie Shaughnessy-Comfort, executive director of the Presque Isle Light Station. Her nonprofit operates the Presque Isle Lighthouse on the peninsula, which didn’t become a state park until 1921.

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Transfer of lighthouses to city of Muskegon (MI) gets commissioners’ approval

MUSKEGON, MI – The city of Muskegon is moving forward with acquiring two iconic Lake Michigan lighthouses following endorsement by the city commission.

Muskegon Pier & Breakwater, MI – USLHS archives

The city was asked by the Michigan Lighthouse Conservancy to assume control of the lighthouses. The conservancy, based on the east side of the state, has owned the lighthouses since 2010.

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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

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