Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, is the third-largest island on the East Coast of the United States, with a land area of about 96 square miles. Five lighthouses were established on the island, beginning with Gay Head Light in 1799. The Martha’s Vineyard Museum was originally incorporated in the 1920s as the Dukes County Historical Society. In… Continue reading Light Hearted ep 148 – Bonnie Stacy, Martha’s Vineyard Museum, MA

Stannard Rock Lighthouse in Michigan was nicknamed by its keepers “the loneliest place in the world.” Coast Guard keepers called it “Stranded Rock.” Located about 24 miles from the nearest shore on Lake Superior, it’s the most isolated light station in the United States. The construction of the lighthouse took 240,000 tons of rock and… Continue reading Light Hearted ep 147 – Carl Lindquist and Frederick Stonehouse, Stannard Rock, Michigan

Port Clyde, one of the villages that comprise the town of St. George in Midcoast Maine, became a busy port in the 1800s with granite quarries, tide mills for sawing timber, shipbuilding facilities, and fish canning businesses. To help mariners entering the harbor or passing to the west into Muscongus Bay, Congress appropriated funds for… Continue reading Light Hearted 146 – Nat Lyon, Marshall Point, Maine

Ron Kolek is the founder and lead investigator of the New England Ghost Project. His exploits have been documented in many newspaper, television, radio, and magazine articles. Ron is the host of the popular Ghost Chronicles Radio series. He’s a well-known lecturer and he’s taught Paranormal CSI at Northern Essex Community College. Ron has conducted paranormal investigations at several… Continue reading Light Hearted ep 145 – Halloween special: Investigating lighthouses with paranormal researcher Ron Kolek

Debbie Mueller is an award-winning oil painter whose light-filled, bold, and contemporary paintings have rapidly gained prominence in the community of New England artists since she began to paint in 2016. Debbie’s work is available through the Mast Cove Gallery in Kennebunkport, Maine; Kennedy Gallery in Portsmouth, New Hampshire; and the Cortile Gallery in Provincetown,… Continue reading Light Hearted ep 144 – Gerald Butler, Irish lighthouse keeper part 3 of 3; artist Debbie Mueller

This is part two of a three-part interview with the Irish lighthouse keeper and author Gerald Butler. Gerald is the co-author of the classic book The Lightkeeper: A Memoir. A third generation lighthouse keeper on both sides, Gerald Butler went to work for the Commissioners of Irish Lights in 1969. He spent most of his… Continue reading Light Hearted ep 143 – Gerald Butler, Irish lighthouse keeper part 2 of 3

Gerald Butler, a third-generation lighthouse keeper on both sides of his family, joined the Commissioners of Irish Lights in 1969. He spent most of his light-keeping career as an assistant keeper on Bull Rock, Fastnet Rock, the Old Head of Kinsale, and Mizen Head lighthouses. During his 21 years of service he also served on… Continue reading Light Hearted ep 142 – Gerald Butler, Irish lighthouse keeper part 1 of 3

The Elizabeth Islands are a chain of small islands that extend about 16 miles to the southwest from the southern coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. There are seven major islands in the chain. Naushon Island is the largest at 7.4 square miles. Tarpaulin Cove, on the east side of the island, was a place where… Continue reading Light Hearted ep 141 – Paul Elias, Tarpaulin Cove, Massachusetts

Cape Otway Lighthouse — in southern Victoria, Australia, about 50 miles southwest of Melbourne — is nicknamed the “Beacon of Hope.”  For thousands of immigrants in the 1800s, Cape Otway was the first sight of land after leaving Europe, Asia, and North America. It’s the oldest surviving lighthouse on the Australian mainland and it’s also considered… Continue reading Light Hearted ep 140 – Alex Parry, Cape Otway, Australia

Funds were appropriated for a lighthouse at the entrance to Sandusky Bay on Lake Erie in 1819, and the limestone tower went into service in 1822. It was originally known as the Sandusky Light; the name Marblehead came into use later. The tower was raised 15 feet to its present height of 65 feet in… Continue reading Light Hearted ep 139 – Dennis Kennedy, Marblehead, Ohio