A question that comes up now and then is, “Why were most lighthouses built round (conical or cylindrical) rather than square?” Here are some thoughts on that subject. The U.S. Lighthouse Society held a virtual tour event the other day, and the “why are most lighthouse round” question was asked by one of the participants.… Continue reading Why are most lighthouse round?
From the mid-eighteenth through the early twentieth centuries, the waterways of coastal Georgia from the St. Marys River in the south to the Savannah River in the north were an integral part of the state’s economy, vital to the trade in cotton, rice, timber, naval stores, and other products shipped to ports in America and… Continue reading New book: “Lighthouses of the Georgia Coast” by William Rawlings
Patos Island is the northernmost of the San Juan Islands in the state of Washington. The 207-acre island is in the Strait of Georgia, just two miles from the Canadian border. A light and fog signal station was established in 1893 on Alden Point, the northwestern tip of the island, and a more substantial lighthouse… Continue reading Light Hearted ep 111 – Patos Island Light, WA; Cape Canaveral Light, FL
Historic Michigan lighthouses awarded $126K in lighthouse preservation grants Three historic Michigan lighthouses will receive repairs and restoration with the help of $126,667 in Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program (MLAP) grants from the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation announced today. The Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program was established to assist in the… Continue reading Lighthouse News of the Week – March 26, 2021
Use this player to hear the podcast: The Titanic Memorial Lighthouse stands today near the buildings of the South Street Seaport Museum, at the corner of Fulton and Pearl streets at the southern end of Manhattan. From 1913 to 1968, it was a familiar sight in its location atop the Seaman’s Church Institute, overlooking the… Continue reading Light Hearted special edition: Titanic Memorial Lighthouse, NYC
Although the majority of screwpile cottages were square, a significant number were not. A hexagonal design was common from the beginning and was used for at least 34 lighthouses. It seems the hexagonal lights usually had a fog bell, so presumably the shape was intended to provide additional space for that reason. The last two… Continue reading Bright Ideas #12: Screwpile Cottage Lighthouses, Part 2
Episode 106 – Halfway Rock is a windswept, rocky ledge far out in Maine’s Casco Bay, about nine miles east of Portland Head. A 76-foot granite lighthouse tower was built on the ledge in the summer of 1871. It’s now privately owned and has been restored in recent years. Tim Bailey joined the Coast Guard… Continue reading Light Hearted podcast – Index page 22
Sandy Neck is a half-mile wide, six-mile long peninsula on the north side of Cape Cod, marking the entrance to Barnstable Harbor as well as the approach to the small harbor at Yarmouthport. A light station at the eastern tip of Sandy Neck went into service on October 1, 1826. The original lighthouse was replaced… Continue reading Light Hearted ep 110 – Ken Morton, Sandy Neck Lighthouse, Cape Cod, MA
Fond du Lac Lighthouse (WI) to undergo maintenance starting Monday Fond du Lac Lighthouse is located at the entrance to the harbor and Yacht Club in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, at the southern end of Lake Winnebago. The city of Fond du Lac’s parks department will make minor repairs to the lighthouse, beginning on Monday.… Continue reading Lighthouse News of the Week – March 19, 2021
Swans Island in Maine, four miles south of Acadia National Park and about 7,000 acres in size, was first charted by explorer Samuel de Champlain in 1604. Champlain called the island Brule-Cote, or “Burnt Coast.” It had long been used by local Indians as a summer fishing and hunting spot. To mark the entrance to… Continue reading Keeper’s house apartment at Maine’s Burnt Coat Harbor Light Station available as a weekly rental
