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Final Makapu’u Lighthouse keeper returns

Ron Cianfarani, retired U.S. Coast Guard Senior Chief Petty Officer and the final manual caretaker of the Makapu’u Lighthouse, received a guided tour from the Coast Guard’s Aids to Navigation Team (ANT) Honolulu, January 24, 2024. Built in 1909, the Makapu’u lighthouse was a fully manned and operational station until becoming automated in 1974. The Lighthouse has been under the maintenance and care of ANT Honolulu for the past 50 years.

Oops!

Well for my first complete issue without our fearless leader, there were bound to be a few mistakes. The story in the January-February 2024 issue titled “Ordeal on the Killer Ice” we forgot a bit of information. The story was originally published in the May 1960 edition of TRUE, The Man’s Magazine. The magazine was published from 1937 until 1975. And as you can imagine, with a title like that, along with some of the ads and cartoons that could never be printed today, it is no wonder, they aren’t still around. My apologies for the error.

MLM is Open for the Season

The Maine Lighthouse Museum and Lighthouse Gift Shop is open for the season. The museum, founded by the late Ken Black, USCG CWO4, is home to the largest collection of lighthouse, lifesaving and U.S. Coast Guard artifacts in the nation. The origins of the Maine Lighthouse Museum’s Coast Guard-assembled collection are traced to the passion and vision of Mr. Ken Black, a man who spent his entire life dedicated to the preservation of America’s lighthouse history. For more information about the museum, to become a member, volunteer or make a donation, call (207)594-3301 or visit MaineLighthouseMuseum.org

Sand Point Lighthouse Work

The Sand Point Lighthouse in Escanaba’s Ludington Park recently received some TLC in the form of needed renovation work. Volunteers repaired the basement walls of the structure and cleaned. Members of the Bay de Noc Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and the Delta County Historical Society (DCHS) were under the guidance of DCHS board member and retired mason, Monty Morrison. “The exterior basement walls have been in need of repair for some time. This type of maintenance is always ongoing in historic buildings, but we are glad to keep up with the repairs and consider it an important step in preservation,” said Karen Linquist from DCHS. Members from the Unitarian Universalist Social Action Committee were able to purchase necessary materials for the restoration and cleaning project through a local grant.

Overnight at the Green’s Ledge Light

The fully restored Green’s Ledge Lighthouse, a mile off the coast of Rowayton in southwestern Connecticut is now available for overnight stays. Enjoy the seclusion of the historic landmark, with a 360-degree view from the historic lighthouse. Tim Pettee, an investment advisor, won the auction and became the owner of the lighthouse in 2016. In 2023, after five years of meticulous restoration, they opened to the public, offering tours, private parties, and overnight stays. For information visit www.SaveGreensLedge.org (Photo by Ned Gerard)

Beneath the Light

The new movie, described by director John Baumgartner as a “fun, thrilling horror film with a heart,” tells the story of Jacob, a young man who returns to Lorain, Ohio following his mother’s death. Jacob cannot remember his childhood before the age of 10, but he is haunted by memories of a young girl. Longing to know what happened to her, he takes a temporary job fixing up the old lighthouse while he’s back in his hometown. But the lighthouse may have mysteries of its own, it seems. “Beneath The Light isn’t just a mysterious horror movie, it’s also a suspense thriller that includes the hope of romance and redemption,” Baumgartner said.

The film crew transformed the recently renovated and meticulously kept lighthouse to make it look like an abandoned structure by adding broken shutters, rust, shattered windows and more. Don’t worry, the crew put the lighthouse back to its “beautiful and photogenic self” when filming wrapped up. The movie is scheduled to be out in 2024.

Money for Biloxi Light

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves announced that he has approved more than $44 million for 15 city projects for the RESTORE Act. Restoration work needed at the Biloxi Lighthouse is to be included among those projects. The lighthouse pier was destroyed after back-to-back blows from Tropical Storm Cristobal and Hurricane Zeta in 2020, and is still not repaired. Since the City of Biloxi is upgrading the pier and thereby changing the design, FEMA will not pay for the entire reconstruction. Raising the necessary funds have delayed the reconstruction considerably. The city hopes that the pier will be reconstructed by the end of 2024.

Maine Preservation Honors Tim Harrison

On March 21, 2024, Maine Preservation honored Tim Harrison as a preservation advocate among their 2024 Maine Preservation Honor Awards. It was in 1998, that Tim first learned of Maine Preservation, when they declared Little River Lighthouse in Cutler as one of Maine’s 10 Most Endangered Properties. Lighthouse Digest is grateful to Maine Preservation’s recognition of Tim’s extraordinary legacy. We are proud to have worked with him for 31 years as editor of Lighthouse Digest and 15 years with the American Lighthouse Foundation, as its first president and later as the chapter chair for the Friends of Little River Lighthouse. Because of Tim’s leadership, the Little River Light was brought back from the brink and is now available for overnight stays. Together, we honor Tim’s memory by preserving the legacy he worked so tirelessly to protect.

Duluth Lighthouse Restored

The Northern Pier Lighthouse in Duluth, Minnesota had been vandalized with spray paint during the summer of 2023. The lighthouse, which is sandwiched between the Aerial Lift Bridge and Lake Superior is one of Duluth’s most iconic landmarks. A local painters union agreed to make the lighthouse look new again and painted over all the graffiti. The historic preservation nonprofit, Rethos, became the new owners of the lighthouse in 2023. They hope to have the inside of the lighthouse restored by 2026, in order to host small tours.

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This story appeared in the Mar/Apr 2024 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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