The lighthouse tower at Pemaquid Point in the town of Bristol, Maine, was built in 1835, which makes it one of the oldest on the New England coast. The historic fog bell building at Pemaquid Point was badly damaged by storms in January – the same storms that damaged more than 20 light stations in Maine and New Hampshire. Repair work on the bell house and other parts of the light station are almost finished. Shelley Gallagher, director of Parks and Recreation for the town of Bristol, is interviewed about the damage and repairs in today’s first segment.
Absecon Lighthouse in Atlantic City, which began service in 1857, is New Jersey’s tallest lighthouse and the nation’s third tallest masonry lighthouse at 171 feet. There are three guests in today’s episode: Milt Glenn, manager of operations and education; Dan Heneghan, a volunteer docent; and Jean Muchanic, executive director. Most of the conversation focuses on Buddy Grover, a very popular volunteer tour guide. Buddy was a docent who passed away this past January at the age of 96.
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U.S. Lighthouse Society Historian Jeremy D’Entremont is the author of 24 books and hundreds of articles on lighthouses and maritime history. He is a past president of the American Lighthouse Foundation and founder of Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses, and he has lectured and narrated cruises throughout the Northeast and in other regions. He is also the producer and host of the U.S. Lighthouse Society’s weekly podcast, “Light Hearted.” He can be emailed at Jeremy@uslhs.org