News of the week August 4, 2023
Cleveland Harbor West (OH) Pierhead Lighthouse now up for auction
If you’ve ever dreamed of owning a lighthouse or a piece of history, now is your chance. The Cleveland West Pierhead Lighthouse is up for auction. Bids started Wednesday morning at $25,000.
The lighthouse has stood for generations, having ushered safe passage for mariners and vessels into and out of Cleveland for more than 100 years.
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Marshall Point lighthouse (ME) in Port Clyde silent and dark after lightning strike
PORT CLYDE — The Marshall Point lighthouse, which figured in the film “Forrest Gump,” was struck by lightning and will be dark and silent indefinitely.
The strike occurred at about 6 p.m. on Thursday, said Diane Heath, who lives at the lightkeeper’s house and does publicity for the Marshall Point Lighthouse and Museum.
“I was in the kitchen and heard a loud crack and flash at the same time,” Heath said.
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Split Rock (MN) Lighthouse celebrates 113 years
Split Rock Lighthouse celebrated its 113th birthday on Friday.
There was a “Keeper’s View” anniversary event hosted on the ground to celebrate the lighthouse’s history and to highlight some recent construction projects.
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The lighthouse from London still standing at Cape Egmont, (NZ)
Cape Egmont lighthouse was officially lit on August 1,1881.
Built in London, in 1865 the cast-iron segments were shipped to New Zealand and originally assembled on Mana Island, north of Wellington.
This spot proved unsatisfactory and it was thought the Mana light was being confused with the lighthouse at Wellington Heads.
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Lighthouse workers in Scotland begin second strike
Lighthouse workers in Scotland will strike on Thursday as they seek an improvement on a 2% pay offer from the UK Department for Transport and the Lights Advisory Committee.
Around 40 Unite members working for the Northern Lighthouse Board including able seamen, base assistants, cooks and technicians will take 24-hour strike action beginning at noon and lasting for 24 hours.
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Aug. 3 – Help save lives at a Blood Drive hosted by the Friends of Cockspur Island Lighthouse, GA
August 3, 2023 – The public is invited to a blood drive hosted by the Friends of Cockspur Island Lighthouse on Monday, Aug. 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 101 Fort Pulaski Road, Savannah, GA, 31410. According to The Blood Connection, they will provide $45 in rewards and a $25 charitable donation per blood donor. For information about blood donations, visit thebloodconnection.org.
If you would like to help the Friends of Cockspur Island Lighthouse’s efforts to preserve this unique lighthouse, visit cockspurislandlighthouse.com.
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Citing concerns about public access, Westerly seeks to acquire Watch Hill (RI) Lighthouse
WESTERLY – The Town Council is making a last-minute attempt to intervene before the federal government hands over the Watch Hill Lighthouse to a private group, citing concerns that the current plan doesn’t guarantee permanent shoreline access to the prized fishing destination.
The council voted 5-to-1 on Monday to approve a resolution that asks for the roughly 4 acres surrounding the lighthouse to be transferred to the Town of Westerly rather than the nonprofit Watch Hill Lighthouse Keepers Association, which has maintained the property since 1986 under an agreement with the U.S. Coast Guard.The town isn’t seeking to take over the historical lighthouse itself, but rather is concerned only about the stunning peninsula where it sits, at the southernmost tip of one of the most expensive communities in Rhode Island.
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Who Needs a Lake House When You Can Book a Lighthouse Instead?
I would be lying if I told you that every time I watch the first Harry Potter movie, one of my first thoughts isn’t “damn, I’d love to spend the night inside of a lighthouse”—minus the storm, of course. While the movie doesn’t technically feature a lighthouse, the small shack on a rock, always gave me vibes similar to those of a lighthouse thanks to the secludedness, the nearby ocean, and its all-around odd-looking structure.
Luckily, in the real world you can stay overnight in lighthouses without worrying that Hagrid will break in in the middle of the night to wish you a happy birthday. Not only that, Airbnb has an entire category dedicated to lighthouses located all around the world, which will make your search much simpler when you eventually decide to go reside in one for a bit.
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Helicopter swoops in to help save Grand Manan’s Swallowtail Lighthouse, Canada
Standing on the peninsula near the northeastern tip of Grand Manan Island, a 163-year-old lighthouse has been crumbling for decades.
For years, the white and crimson Swallowtail Lighthouse has been battered by water and nasty storms — leading to a collapsing plaster ceiling and some of its 90-year-old shingles blowing away in the wind.
In February, head lighthouse keeper Ken Ingersoll said the building was a only a year away from irreversible damage.
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History with ‘Hud’: Story behind Cape Fear’s (NC) two remaining lighthouses
CAPE FEAR, NC (WWAY) — National Lighthouse Day is Monday, marking the day Congress approved an act for the establishment and support of lighthouses in 1789.
The Cape Fear holds the distinction of being home to both the oldest lighthouse and youngest lighthouse in North Carolina. The Bald Head Island Lighthouse has stood in its current spot since 1817, with the Oak Island Lighthouse being finished in 1958.
But neither beacon of light was the first established in the region.
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In honor of National Lighthouse Day on August 7
In honor of National Lighthouse Day on Monday, August 7, Friends of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse (FOCHL) is proud to announce two new efforts that will honor the historical importance of the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse.
Thanks to 42nd Ward Alderman Brendan Reilly and his staff, August 7, 2023, is on its way to being officially recognized as National Lighthouse Day in Chicago. Alderman Reilly introduced a Resolution to the Chicago City Council at the July 19, 2023, City Council Meeting.
Also, FOCHL has started the process of seeking National Historic Landmark status for the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse. Loyola University history professor and FOCHL volunteer, Ted Karamanski, Ph.D., is currently writing the application for National Historic Landmark (NHL) status. A rare designation beyond National Register and Chicago Landmark, which the Lighthouse has already attained, National Historic Landmark status would enable FOCHL to apply for a National Park Service’s “Save America’s Treasures” grant, a program that celebrates America’s premier cultural resources.
Steeped in and enamored of Chicago history, Ted has authored a number of books about the city, including Mastering the Inland Seas: How Lighthouses, Navigational Aids, and Harbors Transformed the Great Lakes and America.
The roots of National Lighthouse Day can be traced back to August 7, 1789, when the U.S. Congress approved an act to establish and support lighthouses, beacons, buoys, and public piers. This landmark legislation, signed into law by President George Washington, marked the birth of the United States Lighthouse Service (USLHS). Over the following years, the USLHS diligently erected lighthouses along the nation’s expansive coastline, safeguarding the lives and livelihoods of countless mariners.
And don’t forget to get your video in!
Check out our National Lighthouse Day dance contest – https://news.uslhs.org/…/national-lighthouse-day-dance…/
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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