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The Lighthouse

Shown here from a movie still are actors Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson in the horror film “The Lighthouse” that we wrote extensively about in the May/June 2019 edition of Lighthouse Digest. We’d like hear from readers who have seen the movie with your comments about it. Our only comment is that we wish someone would do a movie that would depict the true life of what it was really like to be a lighthouse keeper.

Torch Passed at Split Rock

Hayes Scriven is the new site manager at Minnesota’s Split Rock Lighthouse. He replaces Lee Radzak who retired after 36 years at the lighthouse. We wish him the very best of success.

Lighthouse Popularity

Proving that lighthouses are still popular, or perhaps it’s just the popularity of Maine’s Portland Head Lighthouse, two images of the lighthouse made it to the finals of AAA’s Northern New England Journal magazine, one of them as 2nd place, and the other received honorable mention. To learn more about Portland Head Light, we would recommend the book, Portland Head Light, A Pictorial Journey Through Time by Timothy Harrison. The book is available from Lighthouse Digest as item #116 for $14.95 at www.LighthouseDigest.com or call (207)259-2121.

Point Reyes Reopens

After being closed for 13 months, the major restoration of California’s famous Point Reyes Lighthouse was completed, and the lighthouse was reopened to the public this past November. The next phase will be to raise $1 million to complete the nearby equipment building for exhibits. The lighthouse gets about 400,000 visitors annually. (Photo by Ryan Johns.)re still popular, or perhaps it’s just the popularity of Maine’s Portland Head Lighthouse, two images of the lighthouse made it to the finals of AAA’s Northern New England Journal magazine, one of them as 2nd place, and the other received honorable mention. To learn more about Portland Head Light, we would recommend the book, Portland Head Light, A Pictorial Journey Through Time by Timothy Harrison. The book is available from Lighthouse Digest as item #116 for $14.95 at www.LighthouseDigest.com or call (207)259-2121.

St. Marks Relighted

This past October, after being dark for 20 years, Florida’s now restored 1842 St. Marks Lighthouse was relighted with a $40,000 Fresnel lens replica that was paid for by Dr. David and Valerie Lahart. The original and restored Fresnel lens that was once in the St. Marks tower is now on display in the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge Visitors Center.

Contract Awarded for Lighthouse Tower

Wisconsin’s Door County Maritime Museum has announced that the contract to build its new 10-story Maritime Lighthouse Tower in Sturgeon Bay has been awarded to the Bolt Company. A ceremonial ground breaking was held this past November on the $5.5 million project.

New Plate for New York State

New York State will now have a new standard issue license plate that among other things features the Montauk Point Lighthouse. But you’ll practically need a microscope to see the lighthouse that appears as a tiny spec on the bottom right hand corner of the plate. The design won out from over twenty designs that were voted upon.

Bells of Peace

This past Veterans Day, the bell at Maryland’s Piney Point Lighthouse Museum tolled at precisely 11am to honor the 116,516 Americans who died in World War I. This was a coordinated joint event sponsored by the World War One Centennial Commission, the Pritzker Military Museum and Library, the Society of the Honor Guard of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the American Legion, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. The idea was conceived to ring bells across the nation to commemorate the Armistice that brought an end to hostilities in what most people believed at the time had been “The War to End All Wars.” Perhaps the day will come when the fog bells that are on display at every lighthouse in the United States will all ring at the same time on every Veterans Day.

Port Isabel Lighthouse Transferred

Ownership of the Port Isabel Lighthouse in Port Isabel, Texas has been transferred from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to the Texas Historical Commission. The action was taken by the state legislature so that each state government agency could concentrate on its core mission.

John S. Appleby Sr. Dies

We are saddened to report on the passing of John S. Appleby, Sr. (November 12, 1943- November 2, 2019) who was a proud member of the United States Coast Guard and retired in 1986 as a Chief Boatswain’s Mate. From 1977 to 1979 he served as a lighthouse keeper at the 1821 Burnt Island Lighthouse in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. His funeral was held, with full military honors at the American Legion’s Stuart-Green Post # 65 in Lubec, Maine. Our condolences go out to his wife Julie and his family and friends.  

Name Correction

This photo from page 62 in the last edition of Lighthouse Digest of the old and new lanterns of the Swallowtail Lighthouse was credited to Laurie Munson and it should have been credited to Laurie Murison. We apologize for the error.

Pharos License Plate

Their license plate says "Pharos". Over the past 30 years, John and Deb Sroka have photographed over 550 lighthouses in the United States and Canada. Every vacation usually finds the couple near a lighthouse, including ten hours on deck (so as not to miss any) photographing all the lights of the Panama Canal. The Sroka’s plan to photograph many more lighthouses in the years to come.

Keeper’s ‘Kake’

The Lubec Maine Historical Society made a special cake that they provided for a ceremony last year honoring seven keepers of the West Quoddy Head Lighthouse who were honored with lighthouse grave makers at their gravesite. The names of the seven keepers are Peter Godfrey, William Godfrey, Henry Godfrey, Daniel Thayer, Ebenezer Wormell, Herbert Robinson, and Loring Leavitt.

Hatteras Lens Stops Rotating

The lens in America’s tallest lighthouse stopped rotating this past November for the third time in 2019. Almost immediately, the Coast Guard was on site to make the necessary repairs. The 1870 Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in Buxton, North Carolina is owned by the National Park Service and is one of the most popular tourist attractions of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

Where’s the Flag?

Last year we had a number of inquiries as to why there never seemed to be a United States flag being flown from the flag pole at Maine’s Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse. Sorry, we don’t know, but we agree it should be. The lighthouse is owned by the City of Rockland and leased to the American Lighthouse Foundation.

Promoting Florida’s Reef Lights

Florida has issued a specialty automobile license plate that features that state’s Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse.

350-Pound Gingerbread Light

The kitchen staff at Rhode Island’s Newport Marriott constructed a 16-foot-tall Gingerbread lighthouse for this past Christmas season. It took approximately 100 hours of baking, building, and decorating the structure, which included 350 pounds of gingerbread used to make the 1600 bricks topped with 2400 pieces of candy and 20 gallons of icing.

Cable Fails at Hudson-Athens

The underwater cable that supplies electricity to the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse in Hudson City, New York failed last year. Volunteers clamored quickly to come up with temporary solutions to provide interior lights and other systems to provide power for tours as well as last year’s holiday lightning. Solar lights and a generator provided a temporary fix. Last year’s holiday lighting may have been less bright than previous years, but volunteers were happy with the outcome. The Hudson-Athens Lighthouse Preservation Society is now raising money for a more permanent solution. To donate to their cause, you can write to them at HAPLS, P.O. Box 145, Athens, NY 12015.

Doomsday Day List Restoration Planned

Matthews County officials have issued a request for bids on the 1806 New Point Comfort Lighthouse that sits in the Chesapeake Bay off-shore from Bavon, Virginia. The lighthouse is currently on the Lighthouse Digest Doomsday List of Endangered Lighthouses. The tower is also on the list of Preservation Alliance of Virginia’s Most-Endangered Historic Properties. The scope of the work will include restoration of the sandstone, interior and exterior iron work, windows, doors, and more. The lighthouse was automated in the 1930s and has been abandoned ever since. The keeper’s house and other out-buildings at the site no longer stand.

Brockway Steps Down

After serving as the president of Michigan’s Crisp Point Light Historical Society for the past ten years, Rick Brockway has stepped down. The new president of the group is Jamie Rolfe. Under Rick Brockway’s leadership, many major improvements took place at Crisp Point Lighthouse, which, because of its remote location, is a testament to Rick Brockway’s dedication and the love of Crisp Point Lighthouse and the history associated with it. He has left a legacy that anyone can be proud of. Thank you, Rick. We wish you the very best in the future.

Gingerbread Contest

This past December the Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport, Maine held a lighthouse gingerbread making contest. Our favorite was one of Maine’s Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse made by Jeana Ganskop.

Outer Banks Group Turns 25

Congratulations to the Outer Banks Lighthouse Society as they celebrated their 25th year Anniversary last year. The organization was founded by Bruce and Cheryl Roberts who saw a need to save and preserve the lighthouses and the history associated with them of North Carolina’s lighthouses. Under their leadership, the organization made major accomplishments that continue being done and carried forward by those running the organization today.

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This story appeared in the Jan/Feb 2020 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.

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