News of the week August 25, 2023
Don’t wat to climb 217 steps? At beloved N.J. lighthouse, a new way to see the view.
For years, both the elements – the wind, the salty air, the thunderous downpours – and the stead stream of thousands of visitors gradually took a toll on the historic Barnegat Lighthouse.
Its windows were pitted from sand and debris. The red paint on the lighthouse’s upper half had faded to a “coffee-colored” brown, said Rick O’Connor, the presidnet of the Friends of the Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, a nonprofit that raised funding for the renovation.
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The Cape Henry Lighthouse (VA) connection to George Washington
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — I recently visited the Cape Henry Lighthouse to learn about the history of this iconic landmark.
Built in 1792, the Cape Henry Lighthouse is not the oldest lighthouse in the country, but it is the first.
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Yaquina Head Lighthouse celebrates 150th birthday with Victorian-costumed rangers, games, barbershop quartets, cake, and more
On August 19 and 20, the Yaquina Head Lighthouse celebrated its 150th birthday bash with games, Victorian-costumed guides, barbershop quartets, cake, an honor guard and more!
The Yaquina Head Lighthouse is the tallest in Oregon and has been guiding ships and sailors along the West Coast since August 20, 1873, says the Bureau of Land Management.
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Historic Brunswick, Bald Head (NC) lighthouse to get long-awaited restoration work
It has been a long time coming, but restoration work will soon begin on the Bald Head Island Lighthouse.
The project will address storm damage from Hurricane Florence. Here’s what you need to know.
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Free lighthouse tours in Oswego at the West Pierhead lighthouse (NY), open Sept. 15-17
For the third year in a row, Oswego Mayor Billy Barlow has announced that the Oswego West Pierhead Lighthouse, in partnership with the H. Lee White Maritime Museum, will be giving free tours for Oswego residents.
The lighthouse tours will be for one weekend only…
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Sheboygan’s lighthouse history dates to 1839 with the current one in place on the north breakwater since 1915
SHEBOYGAN – Every year since 1839, before the bulk of immigrants arrived, a lighthouse of some kind has illuminated the way for maritime shipping off the western shore of Lake Michigan, according to the Sheboygan County Historical Research Center.
The first lighthouse was built on North Point bluff. The bluff rose some 50 feet above the shoreline, warning those early sailors about the Niagara Escarpment, a limestone ridge that projects out into the lake a few hundred feet or just at the water line. It was a hazard for navigation.
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Royal Sovereign Lighthouse (UK): Date confirmed for when the East Sussex landmark will be dismantled
“The physical dismantling of the lighthouse may commence around the third week in September. What will follow is the separation of the topsides (cabin) from the pillar and the lifting of the topsides on to a barge for transportation back to shore.
“Any works offshore are subject to weather disruption, so schedules may change.”
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A talk on female lighthouse keepers
The Sandbar lecture series presents a talk on “Female United States Lighthouse Keepers.” Old Baldy Foundation educator and collections coordinator Jake Grossman will discuss the key roles women historically played in managing continuous lighthouse operations when crises made it impossible for male lighthouse keepers.
The lecture will be held 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 22 at the Museum of Coastal Carolina, 21 East Second St., Ocean Isle Beach.
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Athletes to swim from Islamorada to Alligator Lighthouse (FL) Sept. 9
Nearly 500 solo and relay team open-ocean swimmers will attempt to complete the 10th annual Swim for Alligator Lighthouse on Saturday, Sept. 9, a unique endurance challenge in Atlantic Ocean waters off Islamorada.
Individuals and two-, three- and four-person teams must conquer the 8-mile roundtrip course to the historic lighthouse and back in less than eight hours. To compete as an individual, a participant must show proof of completing a prior 1,650-meter or 1-mile swim in 45 minutes or less. All swimmers must have a support kayaker.
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How the oldest sea-washed Bell Rock Lighthouse lighthouse still protects sailors
Against daunting odds, the elegant Bell Rock Lighthouse was built miles offshore on a treacherous reef that is uncovered only at low tide. It is the oldest sea-washed lighthouse operating in the world.
Since 1811, the lamps of the Bell Rock Lighthouse in the North Sea (about 12 miles southeast of Arbroath, Scotland), have warned sailors to beware the infamous sunken reef known as the Bell Rock off the east coast of Scotland.
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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