The Spanish explorer Sebastián Vizcaíno named Point Pinos (“Point of Pines”) in 1602 because of the pine trees that blanketed the area. Today, the oldest standing lighthouse in California is surrounded by the Pacific Grove Golf Course, but it remains a spectacular location. Point Pinos is renowned for two women keepers: Charlotte Layton, who replaced… Continue reading Meet Nancy McDowell, modern day “keeper” of Point Pinos Lighthouse (CA)

Lighthouse buffs far and wide are familiar with the inspiring story of Abbie Burgess, daughter of a light keeper at Maine’s remote Matinicus Rock. At the age of 16 in 1856, Abbie kept the island’s two lights burning through a ferocious storm while simultaneously caring for her invalid mother and younger siblings, during a period… Continue reading Lighthouse heroine Abbie Burgess honored in “crankie” at the Farnsworth Museum in Rockland, Maine

Lighthouse buffs far and wide are familiar with the inspiring story of Abbie Burgess, daughter of a light keeper at Maine’s remote Matinicus Rock. At the age of 16 in 1856, Abbie kept the island’s two lights burning through a ferocious storm while simultaneously caring for her invalid mother and younger siblings, during a period… Continue reading Lighthouse heroine Abbie Burgess honored in “crankie” at the Farnsworth Museum in Rockland, Maine

They don’t have the allure of lighthouses, but the many unlighted markers known as daybeacons along our coasts have played a vital role in navigation. One of the best known in New England is the granite daybeacon at Bowditch Ledge on the approach to the harbor of Salem, Massachusetts. Its origins are shrouded in mystery,… Continue reading Famed Bowditch Ledge daybeacon in Salem, Mass., is no more

For many years, Russ Rowlett, a mathematics professor at the University of North Carolina, has been building one of the most useful lighthouse related sites on the Internet. The Lighthouse Directory provides information and links for more than 20,700 of the world’s lighthouses, divided into sections by countries and regions. There’s also a list of… Continue reading “The Lighthouse Directory” moves to new digs

Climate change–with the rising sea levels and frequency of extreme weather events that accompany it–is the elephant in the room when it comes to lighthouse preservation. Many of our coastal lighthouses, particular those on sandy beaches and bluffs, are threatened by erosion. Several have been moved in recent years to rescue them from extinction, and… Continue reading Rising sea levels a threat to lighthouses everywhere

The original First-order Fresnel lens and clockwork mechanism from Piedras Blancas Lighthouse are on display next to the Veteran’s Memorial Building in Cambria, California.  The lens is on loan from the Coast Guard to the Cambria Lions Club. A glass enclosure was built to house the lens and clockwork in 1996. Jim Woodward, one of… Continue reading Refurbishing of Piedras Blancas (CA) lens to begin soon

Lighthouses of America by Tom Beard was awarded a Gold Medal for best Pictorial/Coffee Table Book by the Military Writers Society of America on November 10. The MWSA review by Sandi Cowper included the following: “Lighthouses of America is fascinating and would be a welcome addition to any library or coffee table.  The book teases… Continue reading “Lighthouses of America” book wins gold medal from the Military Writers Society of America

Sable Points Lighthouse Keepers Association (SPLKA), a non-profit organization, manages three historic lighthouses within a thirty-mile stretch of Lake Michigan’s shoreline.  Since 1987, members of SPLKA have worked tirelessly to restore, preserve, and make these lighthouses accessible.  SPLKA also operates a Volunteer Keepers program, which allows its members the opportunity to live and work at the… Continue reading Sable Points Lighthouse Keepers Association (Michigan) looking for volunteer “keepers”