News of the week July 21, 2023
New London Maritime Society touts legendary Little Gull (NY) lighthouse trip
NEW LONDON, Conn. — The Maritime Society’s limited tours of Little Gull Island and the Little Gull Lighthouse are part of Suffolk County, New York. Since its privately owned, it is rare that visitors get to venture onto the one-acre island which is about four and a half miles southwest of Fisher’s Island.
“This is the most amazing trip I think we have ever done.” Susan Tamulevich, the longtime executive director at the New London Maritime Society exclaimed.
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Records of Scottish lighthouse keepers who mysteriously vanished go online
The official record showing the mysterious disappearance of three lighthouse keepers more than 100 years ago is available to see online for the first time.
An extract from the Lightkeepers’ Register from 1900 shows an entry stating “disappeared on or about 15 December 1900” regarding the three men who went missing during a storm at Eilean Mor in the Western Isles, or Outer Hebrides.
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Catch an aerial view of Lake Huron with a tour of the Port Sanilac Lighthouse, MI
PORT SANILAC – People are only a 60-step staircase away from a 360 view of Port Sanilac and its coastline.
The Port Sanilac Lighthouse is open for tours throughout the summer. The tours are given by volunteers from the Sanilac County Historic Village and Museum every Friday from noon to 4 p.m. Sanilac County Historic Village and Museum Administrator Dawn Malek said the lighthouse is privately owned, but the owner and museum have a good relationship.
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St. Mary’s (MD) County Government Museums Celebrate National Lighthouse Weekend
LEONARDTOWN, MD – St. Mary’s County Government’s Museum Division invites the community to join in the festivities of National Lighthouse Weekend on Saturday, August 5, and Sunday, August 6, 2023. The celebration will occur at two historical sites, the Piney Point Lighthouse in Piney Point, MD, and Blackistone Lighthouse on St. Clement’s Island, near Colton’s Point, MD. Both museums will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., offering tours and engaging activities throughout the weekend.
National Lighthouse Weekend is a special occasion for enthusiasts and history buffs to explore these iconic landmarks and learn about their significance. With a rich maritime heritage, St. Mary’s County provides the perfect backdrop for this celebration.
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Help keep the light shining at the North Manitou (MI) lighthouse Rally and Crib Cruise
Lighthouses are a staple of Northern Michigan
While they’re a source of pride, they also need a lot of work. That’s where the North Manitou Light Keepers come in.
Their mission is to restore the North Manitou Shoal Light Station, educate the public and create a community of stewardship for the lighthouse.
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Will Watch Hill Lighthouse (RI) transfer threaten popular fishing area?
Rhode Island U.S. Sen. Jack Reed’s office on Sunday announced the planned transfer of three lighthouses in Rhode Island to local entities and the state Department of Environmental Management, calling the news “a win for the community.”
But in Westerly, a town where most news about the shoreline these days is met with trepidation and even alarm, the announcement was perceived by some as potentially being anything but a win for the public. And by Tuesday night, Reed’s office was reassuring that the proposed transfer of the historic Watch Hill Lighthouse would not threaten ongoing access to a popular fishing area.
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Call for St Mary’s Lighthouse to be refurbished after Whitley Bay landmark ‘falls into disrepair’
Tory councillors in North Tyneside are calling for new funding to be found to refurbish Whitley Bay’s historic landmark St Mary’s Lighthouse.
In 2018, North Tyneside Council applied for funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund to finance a £2.1m refurbishment project. However, the council’s application for funding was declined.
The original plans included a schedule of repair works to the Grade II listed lighthouse and the former keeper’s cottage.
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Historic Rose Blanche lighthouse (Canada) marks 150th anniversary
ROSE BLANCHE – HARBOUR LE COU — The Rose Blanche lighthouse is one of the most unique landmarks in Newfoundland and Labrador, and this year marks its 150th anniversary.
According to the website ‘Lighthouse Friends’, a website created by Kraig Anderson, who used historical documents and articles to delve into the rich history of numerous lighthouses across North America, the Rose Blanche lighthouse was built in the summer of 1873 using granite that was quarried from the very location where it was built.
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A Race To Save The Historic Gay Head (MA) Lighthouse Before Disaster Strikes
On the picturesque bluffs at the very tip of the island of Martha’s Vineyard, disaster looms. The historic Gay Head Lighthouse is soon to become the next victim of the persistent erosion of the island’s cliffs. Built in 1856, the more than 400-ton structure soars 175 feet above the sea. But over the years, storms and the raging ocean have eroded the headland away. Join engineers as they race to rescue this national treasure.
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“A ruddy gem of changeful light” – The Bell Rock Scotland Lighthouse
The Bell Rock is the world’s oldest working sea-washed lighthouse. The tower sits upon the Bell, or Inchcape Rock, a long and treacherous reef lying in the North Sea, situated off the Angus Coast. Isolated in wild and windy weather, the lighthouse has helped vessels to navigate this dangerous spot since its construction.
The Commissioners of Northern Lighthouses (Northern Lighthouse Board ), has existed since 1786 and instigated the construction of the lighthouse. Since its inception, the Board has done much to help create and maintain lighthouses and has a tradition of exceptional engineering. The purpose of lighthouses, and that of the Board, is neatly summed up by their motto: they exist In Salutem Omnium – for the safety of all.
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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