Light Hearted: Recent Episodes
Jeremy D'Entremont, U.S. Lighthouse Society
Boston Light Station in Boston Harbor, Massachusetts, holds an honored place among America’s lighthouses. It was established in 1716 as the first light station on the continent. It’s also one of a small number of lighthouses to achieve designation as a National Historic Landmark. This past week, it was announced that the light station will be available to a suitable new steward under the guidelines of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act.
Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont“Light Hearted” host Jeremy D’Entremont at Boston Light circa 1990This episode contains sound clips from the following: a 1939 newsreel; a 1988 interview with the son of Maurice Babcock; a 1980s clip of Keeper Ralph Norwood; a 1991 clip of Josephine Norwood, wife of Keeper Norwood; a 1989 clip of Coast Guard keeper Dennis Dever; a 1989 clip of Senator Edward M. Kennedy announcing legislation concerning Boston Light; and three clips of Sally Snowman, the last (2003-2023) keeper of the station.
Jazmina Barrera, a native of Mexico City, is an award-winning author. Her book On Lighthouses is equal parts personal memoir, literary history, and observations on lighthouses. The book was published in Spanish in 2017 and translated into English in 2020.
“Barrera’s obsession is contagious. Her graceful sentences ensnare tidbits of history and tantalizing glimpses of her own life, accompanied by delicate sketches of lighthouses she’s visited, making this book a refuge from everyday life, a place of enchantment and safety.” —Shelf Awareness.
This is the audio from the live stream of July 29, 2026. You can see the video on YouTube.
Walter Sedovic has dedicated his career to sustainable preservation. With more than two dozen lighthouse projects in his portfolio, Walter is one of the foremost authorities on the analysis, preservation, and stewardship of our nation’s heritage lighthouses, their technology, and the significant environmental concerns related to their locations.
This is the audio from a livestream on July 23, 2026. To view the complete video of the livestream, click here.
Millard Urquhart. a native of Jonesport, Maine, was born in 1899. After a couple of years working as a Coast Guard surfman at a local lifeboat station, Urquhart became the second assistant keeper at Ram Island Ledge Light in Cape Elizabeth in 1926. In the following year he moved to Seguin Island as a second assistant. He moved quickly up the ranks, becoming a first assistant in 1930 and then principal keeper in 1931. In 1939 he became the principal keeper at Libby Island Light Station, where he finished his career as a keeper in 1943.
Urquhart’s granddaughter Bertha Caler has taken an interest in preserving the story of his career as a lighthouse keeper. Her mother and one of her uncles were born on Seguin Island. Bertha is an aficionado of lighthouses in general, especially in Maine.
This is an edited interview first heard in May 2021, and the subject is Montauk Lighthouse on Long Island, New York. Located at the eastern tip of Long Island, Montauk is the oldest (1797) lighthouse in New York and the fourth oldest active lighthouse in the country. When the light station was automated and de-staffed in 1987, a museum opened in the keeper’s house, operated by the Montauk Historical Society.
Mia Certic became the executive director of the Montauk Historical Society in April 2020. She is a writer and screenwriter who’s lived in California for many years, but she’s spent every summer in her life at Montauk. Henry Osmers is now retired as historian for the lighthouse, and he’s written four books about Montauk history. One of them, On Eagle’s Beak, published in 2008, was the first major history of the lighthouse.
Campobello Island is in southwestern New Brunswick, Canada, near the border with Maine. With trade, fishing, and shipbuilding flourishing on Campobello in the 1820s, it was decided that a lighthouse was needed. The lighthouse and the other station buildings were constructed in 1829 on a tiny island just offshore, accessible by land only at low tide. The 51-foot tower is one of the oldest surviving wooden lighthouses in North America.
The station remained staffed with resident keepers until its automation in 1986. A group called the Friends of the Head Harbour Lightstation was formed in 2000 to preserve the site and its history. Ilana Grallert is on the board of the Friends of the Head Harbour Lightstation and performs all kinds of functions for the group, as you’ll hear. Ilana was formerly a processing specialist at the special collections library of Dartmouth College.
Head Harbour Light Station, New Brunswick, Canada. Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.
Knotbrook Taylor is an award-winning poet who is originally from England and is now living in Scotland. The Museum of Scottish Lighthouses commissioned him to write a book of Scottish lighthouse poems in 2010, and he was the poet in residence for a time at the museum. His experimental photography has also received wide acclaim. In this live stream episode Knotbrook reads a number of his poems about Scottish lighthouses and discusses his own experiences traveling the coasts of the UK.
The video can be seen here.
Two of the ten books Jim Claflin has written.Jim Claflin, who is based in Massachusetts, is a recognized authority on antiques of the U.S. Lighthouse Service, Life-Saving Service, Revenue Cutter Service and early Coast Guard. Jim has specialized in antiques of this kind since the early 1990s. He is the owner of Kenrick A Claflin & Son Nautical Antiques, which has been in business since 1956.
You never know what you’ll find in the nautical antiques business. This is a rare U.S. Lighthouse Establishment brass toilet paper holder.Jim specializes in out-of-print books, documents, postcards, photographs, maps and charts, engravings, lithographs, uniforms and insignia, tools, lamps, lens apparatus, equipment and apparatus and much more. You can see his latest offerings at lighthouseantiques.net. He’s also the author of ten books on lighthouse and life saving history, and he has served as a volunteer “keeper” at Race Point Light Station on Cape Cod.
Richard CumminsThis is part two of a two part interview with Richard Cummins, a native of Ireland who worked as a lighthouse keeper in that country for a decade. This is an edited version of a conversation first heard on the podcast in 2020. Richard spent time as a keeper at the very famous Fastnet Rock Lighthouse; at Hook Head, one of the oldest operating lighthouses in the world; and some other well known light stations – more than 20 in all.
One of Richard’s ships in a bottleIn this part of the interview we talk about what it was like to live at isolated lighthouses, and also about Richard’s more recent career as a photographer and an acclaimed builder of ships in bottles.
This is the audio from a live streaming episode on June 3, 2026.
Seguin Light Station, photo by Jeremy D’EntremontSeguin Island Light Station is about two and a half miles off of the mouth of the Kennebec River in Maine. The establishment of a light station on Seguin was approved by president George Washington in 1793, and the buildings were completed in 1796. The 53-foot stone tower that still stands was constructed in 1857 along with a duplex keepers’ house. A new first-order Fresnel lens was installed, and that lens remains in operation today.
The light was automated in 1985 and the keepers were removed. Concerned local citizens founded the Friends of Seguin Island Light Station in 1986. In February 1998, under the Maine Lights Program, ownership of the property was transferred to the group. There are two guests in the episode. Chris Hall was the registrar and curator of exhibits at the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath and he’s now the historian for FOSILS. Tip Koehler is a retired Naval architect with 41 years in naval combatant design, manufacturing, and testing on Bath built ships. and is the vice president of the Friends of Seguin Island Light Station.
Here is the live stream:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVyhelc12uo
Join host Jeremy D’Entremont and guest co-host Joy Tubby as they chat with Gerald Butler, a longtime Irish lighthouse keeper and author. This is the audio from a live stream on May 28.
Click here to see the video of the live stream.
This is an edited version of a conversation that was first heard in December 2020. The guest is Richard Cummins, who was a keeper at Irish lighthouses for about a decade, ending in 1989. He spent time at the famous Fastnet Lighthouse; at Hook Head, one of the oldest operating lighthouses in the world, and others – more than 20 in all.
This is part one of two parts. Part 2 will be in a future episode of Light Hearted Lite.
St. Johns River Lighthouse (Mayport Lighthouse Association)The St. Johns River Lighthouse is a decommissioned lighthouse located on the grounds of Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville, Florida. First lighted in 1859, it was decommissioned in 1929 and replaced with a lightship. The lightship in turn was replaced by the 1954 Art Deco style St. Johns Lighthouse, which is also on Naval Station Mayport.
The Mayport Lighthouse Association or MLA is a volunteer-driven nonprofit organization dedicated to saving and restoring St. Johns River Lighthouse, as well as safeguarding the cultural, historical, and maritime heritage of Mayport Village. Our guest, Elizabeth Boggs, is the vice president of the Mayport Lighthouse Association. Elizabeth was recently awarded a “Guiding Light” award for her volunteer work at the St. Augustine Lighthouse.
Elizabeth Boggs (right) was recently awarded the “Guiding Light” Award for her volunteer service with the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum. Presenting the award is Caitlin Black, manager of volunteers at the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum. (Mayport Lighthouse Association)
Jonathon Gaare (Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society)Jonathon Gaare, executive director of the Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society in New York, last joined us in December 2024. In this episode, Jonathon updates us on preservation projects at the lighthouse, the exciting events lined up for Fire Island Light Station’s 200th anniversary this year, and some exciting historical finds.
The current lighthouse at Fire Island, built in 1858, is a 168-foot brick tower. Visitors get to climb the tower for an amazing view, and there’s a museum in the keeper’s house. Another big draw is the separate building that was constructed to exhibit the lighthouse’s old first-order Fresnel lens. The Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society was formed in 1982 to preserve the site.
An evening tower tour at Fire Island (Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society)
Bill Merlin had a 34-year career in the Coast Guard. After graduating from the Coast Guard Academy in 1956, he served on Coast Guard cutters in the Atlantic, the Pacific, and the Caribbean. He eventually served as the Twelfth District Chief of Operations and Chief of Staff in San Francisco. That’s where he met Wayne Wheeler, founder of the U.S. Lighthouse Society. Bill was instumental in the early days of the Society.
He retired in 1990 as a rear admiral. He was awarded the Legion of Merit for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States. Bill is currently the treasurer on the U.S. Lighthouse Society board of directors. We talked about his distinguished career and also about his view of the place of lighthouses in the world today.
Early in his Coast Guard career, Bill Merlin served aboard the USCG Cutter Androscoggin, based in Miami, Florida.
This is the audio from a live stream on April 23, 2026. The video version can be seen on YouTube.
Therese Woelfel’s grandfather, Charles A. Linsmeier, was a Lighthouse Service keeper at several stations on the Great Lakes from 1920 to 1953. Therese’s book “Our Guiding Light” tells the story of Linsmeier’s daughter Vivian, who was Therese’s mother. It also tells the story of how Vivian became a “steady beacon of light and hope for those who encountered life storms.” Therese also discusses her personal spiritual journey that led to the writing of her book.
Joy and Patrick Tubby, who live in England, have both been passionate about lighthouses for a long time. In fact, they were engaged and married at lighthouses. Joy wrote the first edition of her book Lighthouse Accommodation Britain and Worldwide back in 1999, and the book has been updated several times.
Joy is an active volunteer and Trust secretary for the Happisburgh Lighthouse, the UK’s only privately operated working lighthouse. She is also an active volunteer for the Association of Lighthouse Keepers, or ALK. And she also manages an extensive website at lighthouseaccommodation.co.uk.
Joy and Patrick Tubby at Skerryvore Lighthouse (lighthouseaccommodation.co.uk)
Joy’s husband Patrick has been chairman of the Happisburgh Lighthouse Trust for nearly 20 years, and is an active volunteer for the Friends of Happisburgh Lighthouse. He’s the East Anglia regional representative for the ALK.
Happisburgh Lighthouse, USLHS archives
In 1988, Burnt Island Light in Boothbay Harbor became one of the last Maine light stations to be automated and destaffed. In February 1998, the station was transferred to the Maine Department of Marine Resources. Keepers of Burnt Island Light (KBIL) is a non-profit organization that was formed in 2009. Its mission is to support the restoration, preservation and maintenance of Burnt Island and its historic buildings and nature trails.
Burnt Island Light, photo by Jeremy D’EntremontOur guest, Mary Jo Marquis, works in administration for the marine sciences bureau of the DMR and is also the vice president of Keepers of Burnt Island Light. The primary topic is the current opening for a caretaker couple to live on the island this summer. The caretakers will live on the island and help welcome visitors, share the history of the lighthouse, and maintain the property.
Burnt Island Light Station, photo by Jeremy D’Entremont
Rick St. PierreRick St. Pierre, originally from New Bedford, Massachusetts, had a 20 year career in the Coast Guard that included some time as the officer in charge at Boon Island Light Station in Maine. He was the officer in charge 1973 to 1975. In this interview, he remembers the daily duties on the island as well as the station’s resident ghost.
Boon Island Light Station, U.S. Coast Guard photo. All the light station buildings except for the lighthouse tower have been destroyed.Rick’s years in the Coast Guard also included 3 ½ years on the cutter Eagle, on a weather cutter off the east coast of Canada, and on the cutter Storis, enforcing maritime law around Alaska. He lived at West Chop Light Station on Martha’s Vineyard for a while when he was the executive petty officer at Coast Guard Station Menemsha. He also spent time at search and rescue stations including South Portland, Maine, and he ended his Coast Guard career at Governors Island in New York.
The Coast Guard cutter Eagle. U.S.Coast Guard photo.
This is the audio from the live streaming podcast episode of March 26. The complete video can be seen on the USLHS YouTube channel. Joining host Jeremy D’Entremont is co-host Sarah MacHugh, along with producer Ralph Krugler.
Graves Light and the Boston skyline, photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.Dave WallerBoston businessman Dave Waller, founder of a special effects company, bought Graves Lighthouse at auction in 2013. Graves is a 113-foot granite tower built in 1905, on a barren ledge in outer Boston Harbor. Since purchasing the property, Dave has carried out an incredible restoration. He’s also built and installed a first-order Fresnel lens made of spare parts from other lenses.
Point Vicente Lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.The Palos Verdes Peninsula is located within southwestern Los Angeles County, California. With increasing maritime traffic into the harbor of Los Angeles, a lighthouse was built on a high bluff in Rancho Palos Verdes in 1926. The light station buildings were built in the Spanish revival style that’s prevalent in the area. The 67-foot concrete tower originally held a third-order Fresnel lens, which is now on display at an interpretive center a short distance away. The light was automated and destaffed in the early 1970s. The lighthouse tower and other light station buildings are on an active Coast Guard station.
Amy Forte, Tisha Edge, and Catherine Sinich, are the founders of Friends of Point Vicente LighthouseCapt. Kip LoutitA new nonprofit organization, the Friends of Point Vicente Lighthouse, is working to restore and preserve the historic site. We have three guests in this episode. Catherine Sinich and Amy Forte are co-founders and board members for the Friends of Point Vicente Lighthouse. Captain Kip Louttit is retired from Coast Guard active duty but remains active in the Coast Guard Auxilary, and he has the title of Staff Officer for Navigation Systems, Point Vicente Lighthouse.
Currituck Beach Lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D’EntremontThis is an edited version of an interview that was first heard in August 2021. Our guest is Meghan Agresto, manager of the Currituck Beach Light Station in Corolla, North Carolina.
Currituck Beach Lighthouse—the northernmost of six light stations on the Outer Banks—began service on December 1, 1875. It was the last of the tall brick lighthouses built on the Outer Banks. The 162-foot-tall tower has an unpainted red brick exterior. After automation in 1937, the site fell into disrepair until the nonprofit Outer Banks Conservationists renovated the station’s buildings and opened the site to the public in 1990.
Meghan Agresto with Light Hearted host Jeremy D’EntremontMeghan Agresto has been the resident site manager of the Currituck Beach Light Station for more than 20 years. Meghan is the modern day lighthouse keeper, along with her partner, Luis Garcia. They raised two sons in a house on the property. When the boys were young, Corolla had no school of its own, so Meghan started a school for local children.
Old Baldy Lighthouse, USLHS photo by J. Candace CliffordThere’s been a lighthouse standing on Bald Head Island at the entrance to the Cape Fear River in the southeast corner of North Carolina for more than two centuries. The original lighthouse began service in 1795 and was the first lighthouse in the state. The Old Baldy Lighthouse that stands today—officially known as Bald Head Island Lighthouse—was built in 1817. The 110-foot tower is constructed of soft red bricks and covered with stucco.
Today, after taking the ferry from the mainland, visitors can climb the lighthouse for a view of Bald Head Island. Next to the lighthouse, the Smith Island Museum offers more information about the lighthouse, pirates, surfmen of the United States Lifesaving Service, and other island history. We have two guests in this episode. Travis Gilbert is a public historian and preservationist and the director of philanthropy for the Old Baldy Foundation. Logan Merchant is on the board of directors of the Old Baldy Foundation and is also an educator in the Wake County Public School System.
Nineteenth century view of Bald Head Island Light Station from the National Archives.
This episode consists of audio from the first live streaming edition of our podcast, broadcast live on YouTube on February 26, 2026. The complete video of the live stream can be seen on our YouTube channel. The guests are Colby Thomas and Billy Simmons, who are historic interpreters at Old Cape Henry Lighthouse in Virginia – the first lighthouse commissioned by the federal government.
Old Cape Henry Lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D’EntremoThere are two lighthouses at Cape Henry, marking the south side of the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay. The older of the two lighthouses was built in 1792, and the sandstone tower stands 92 feet tall. The 1792 lighthouse eventually developed some cracks and a new, taller lighthouse was built in 1881. Since 1930, the Old Cape Henry Lighthouse has been owned and operated by Preservation Virginia. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1964, and in 2002 the American Society of Civil Engineers designated it lighthouse a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.
Host Jeremy D’Entremont, co-host Sarah MacHugh, and guests Colby Thomas and Billy Simmons.
Knotbrook TaylorKnotbrook Taylor is originally from England and now lives in Scotland. He has been writing poetry for more than 25 years. His first published collection of poetry, Beatitudes, was launched in 2007 by Blue Salt Publishing. In 2014 he won the Erbacce prize for his collection Ping-Pong in the Rain. Erbacce is a publisher that holds an annual worldwide poetry contest.
The Museum of Scottish Lighthouses commissioned Taylor to write a book of Scottish lighthouse poems. It was published in 2010 and he was also the poet in residence for a time at the museum.
Here is a quote from the Erbacce website about Knotbrook: “Knotbrook delights in language, it is almost as though he is in love with words and needs to both cherish and almost worship each one.”
Rua Reidh Lighthouse, Scotland. Photo by Knotbrook Taylor.
Bar Harbor Whale Watch’s lighthouse cruise on September 5 will be aboard the Friendship V.This episode focuses on two very special experiences available to lighthouse lovers and lovers of the rocky coast of Maine. The first segment highlights an all-day “Mid-Coast & Monhegan Island 19 Lighthouse Cruise” with Bar Harbor Whale Watch this coming September 5. Interviewed in the segment are Julie Taylor, lead naturalist for Bar Harbor Whale Watch; Zack Klyver, marine mammal scientist, educator, and conservationist; and Bob Trapani Jr., executive director of the American Lighthouse Foundation. Together with U.S. Lighthouse Society Historian Jeremy D’Entremont and photographer Mike Leonard, this team will narrate the September 5th cruise.
SaddlebackBass Harbor HeadEgg RockNext is an interview with Captain Barry King of the schooner Mary Day, which is homeported in Camden, Maine. Jeremy D’Entremont will be on board to help narrate a 6-day lighthouse cruise, July 26 to August 1. A Maine sailing legend, the Mary Day, a two-masted gaff topsail schooner, was built in 1962 by the famous Harvey Gamage Shipyard in South Bristol, Maine. Unlike earlier schooners that were built to fish or to carry cargo, Mary Day was designed and built to carry passengers.
The schooner Mary DayCurtis Island Lighthouse in Camden, Maine, and the Camden Hills
Helena, founder of Thoughts with HIn this episode, we explore the power of positivity, reframing life’s inconveniences, building community, and how small reminders of encouragement can create a butterfly effect of gratitude. Sarah is joined by Helena, Licensed Mental Health Clinician and Founder of Thoughts with H, which is a daily inspiration platform rooted in mindfulness, connection, and showing up with purpose.
Tune in for an uplifting conversation about how small actions can create meaningful impact.
Notes: For information on Andy Smeaton, who is discussed in this episode:
- Boston 25News Article
- GoFundMe page
Bob Napolitano is from Everett, Massachusetts, and now lives in Londonderry, New Hampshire. “The Lighthouse Keeper,” which was published last year, is his seventh book. The main character, John Russell, takes a job as the keeper of the Willamette River Lighthouse in Oregon at the age of 27 in 1923. He sees the lighthouse as a place to heal from unfortunate decisions he’s made in his life, but he eventually wonders if it’s more of a prison than a sanctuary. Shanghaied sailors, brothel barges, opium and bootleg liquor, and floating bodies all play a part in the story.
Bob NapolitanoThe primary setting of the story is the Willamette River Light Station, which stood at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, about ten miles north of downtown Portland, Oregon. It was established in 1895. After it was decommissioned, it eventually burned down, leaving just a few pilings.
Willamette River Lighthouse, Oregon. USLHS archives.
In this episode we revisit an interview that was first heard in 2021. Our guest is Jen Lewis, Fundraising and Outreach Manager for the Point Cabrillo Light Station in northern California.
Point Cabrillo Lighthouse, California. Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.
Jen LewisPoint Cabrillo is about midway between San Francisco and the border with Oregon. In 1908 a combined lighthouse and fog signal building was built of local redwood and Douglas fir. Today Point Cabrillo Light Station is a California State Historic Park, and the nonprofit Point Cabrillo Lightkeepers Association manages and interprets the site.
Jen Lewis grew up in Oregon, and she began volunteering at Point Cabrillo in 2016. She eventually became the Outreach Manager, taking care of social media and fundraising for the Point Cabrillo Lightkeepers Association. Jen has been on this podcast several times as a guest and as a co-host.
There are two guests in this episode. The first, Bjorn Karlstrom, splits his time between Florida in the and the beautiful island of Gotland in Sweden. After developing a substantial lighthouse-related library, he decided to start a website that might be useful to others looking for information. His site Lighthouse Reading, at lhreading.com, now has listings for more than 3,800 lighthouse publications.
Massachusetts native Kevin Arsenault was a police officer for about 30 years and now serves as constable in the town of Gardner. He joined the Coast Guard at 19 years old in 1976 and was assigned to Matinicus Rock, an isolated outpost about 20 miles from the mainland in midcoast Maine. After a year there, he spent 18 months at Whitehead Light station, much closer to the mainland at the southwestern entrance to Penobscot Bay.
Matinicus Rock Light Station, Maine. Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.Whitehead Light Station, Maine. Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.
Pater Noster LighthousePater Noster is a small archipelago off the west coast of Sweden. The island group’s name, which means “The Lord’s Prayer,” is said to come from the tradition that mariners would recite the Lord’s Prayer as they negotiated their way around the dangerous reefs in the vicinity. The 105-foot-tall, red, cast-iron lighthouse was constructed in 1868.
Erik Nissen JohansenA complete restoration of the lighthouse began in 2002. Since 2020, the location has been operated as a small hotel. The facilities include rooms with a sea view, a restaurant, and three boathouses for dinner and conferences. Our guest, Erik Nissen Johansen is the founder and creative director of Stylt Trampoli, a multi-award winning hospitality design company. He is now a partner in the Pater Noster hotel. This is an edited version of a conversation first heard in episode 115 in April 2021.
Fairport Harbor Light Station, photo by. Jeremy D’Entremont.Fairport Harbor, on the south side of Lake Erie at the mouth of the Grand River, is considered part of the Cleveland, Ohio, metropolitan area. The first lighthouse in the harbor was a 56-foot brick tower built in 1825. The lighthouse that stands today is a 60-foot stone tower that began service in 1871. After a new lighthouse was built on a breakwater in the harbor in 1925, the government planned to destroy the old lighthouse. A number of organizations in the area objected, and the lighthouse was spared. In 1945, the Fairport Harbor Historical Society established a marine museum inside the old keeper’s house. Museum highlights include a Fresnel lens and the infamous “ghost cat” story.
Marty O’Gara and John Ollila by the third-order Fresnel lens from Fairport Harbor Lighthouse, now on display in the museum in the keeper’s house. Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.Our guests today are Marty O’Gara and John Ollila. John is the historian for the lighthouse and a trustee of the Fairport Harbor Historical Society. Marty is the president of the Fairport Harbor Historical Society.
In the first episode of Be the Light, host Sarah MacHugh sits down with Averie Shaughnessy-Comfort, Executive Director of Presque Isle Light Station in Pennsylvania, for a powerful conversation about what it truly means to serve a community with heart. Averie shares how she and her dedicated team of volunteers work to remove barriers and create access for their surrounding community, transforming their light station into a beacon of connection, inclusion, and hope.
Nantucket Lightship LV-112. By Arnold Reinhold, Creative Commons license.Today we look back at an interview that was first heard in October 2020. Our guest is Bob Mannino, founder and president of the United States Lightship Museum. The USLM is the steward of the Nantucket Lightship LV-112, the largest lightship ever built in the United States.
Bob ManninoThe Nantucket South Shoals were a great hazard to shipping, and a lightship was first stationed at the Shoals in 1854. The last vessel to serve there was the LV-112, built in 1936. Its position was 50 miles southeast of Nantucket Island and 100 miles from the U.S. mainland. The LV-112 was decommissioned in 1975 and today it serves as a floating museum in East Boston, Massachusetts. Bob Mannino has been involved for many years in historic preservation and related educational programs, maritime and non-maritime.
The 1846 and 1902 lighthouses on Ile Vierge. Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.Ile Vierge is a 15-acre island off the northwest coast of Brittany in northwest France. The first lighthouse on the island was a 108-foot-tall square tower that began service in 1845. It was considered too short, and a new tower was built between 1896 and 1902. The new lighthouse tower is built of granite blocks and stands 271 feet tall, with nearly 400 steps inside. It’s considered the tallest traditional-style lighthouse in the world.
Valeria Araúz MolinaThe island and the 1902 lighthouse are open to the public on special tour days in the summer. A local company takes visitors out by boat and landing is only possible at high tide. Overnight accommodations are available in the old keepers’ quarters in the base of the 1845 lighthouse. Our guest, Valeria Araúz Molina, is the Ile Vierge project manager. She has guided tours in French, English, and Spanish.
The stairs inside Ile Vierge Lighthouse. Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.
In this episode we revisit a conversation from June 2022 with Mike Vogel, who at that time was the president of the U.S. Lighthouse Society. Mike Vogel retired as editorial page editor of The Buffalo News in 2011, after a 43-year journalism career. He was the organizer and founding president of the Buffalo Lighthouse Association, which carried out the restoration of Buffalo, New York’s historic 1833 lighthouse. He has served as president of the organization for well over two decades.
Buffalo Main Lighthouse, New York. Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.
Mike has also played an important role in the national lighthouse preservation movement. As First Vice President and then president of the American Lighthouse Coordinating Committee, Mike was instrumental in helping the government develop guidelines for the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000. Mike is also the author or co-author of five books , including “Harboring History: The Heritage Behind Buffalo’s 200-Year-Old Overnight Success.”
Jim Lammers, who lives in Minnesota, was educated as an architect back when freehand sketching was an integral part of the curriculum. His writing and sketching has been published in a number of professional journals and on websites. His most recent book is “Lighthouses of the Great Lakes: An Architect’s Sketchbook.”
The illustrations in Jim’s book are not precise architectural renderings. The depictions are roughly accurate in their dimensions and details, but they also have a very personal, slightly whimsical quality. The sketches are Jim’s way of interpreting these scenes and communicating the experience to us.
Lee RadzakSplit Rock Lighthouse, on a 127-foot-high cliff on the northwest shore of Lake Superior, began service in 1910. The light station is now the centerpiece of 2200-acre Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. Lee Radzak became the lighthouse site manager in November 1982. Over the next 36 years, he and his wife Jane raised a son and a daughter, marveled at the lake’s beauty, endured gigantic storms, and answered the questions posed by more than four million visitors.
Split Rock Lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.After retiring in 2019, Lee began work on a new book — The View from Split Rock: A Lighthouse Keeper’s Life. The book, which was co-written by journalist and author Curt Brown, takes readers into the life of a modern-day lighthouse keeper at Split Rock. This is an edited version of an interview that was first heard in episode 127 in July 2021.
Ashtabula, Ohio, is a community of about 18,000 people at the mouth of the Ashtabula River on Lake Erie. In the late 1800s the city was a major port for the shipping of coal and iron ore. The first lighthouse in Ashtabula Harbor was a small wooden tower built in 1836. When the channel into the harbor was widened and a breakwater was constructed in 1905, a new lighthouse was built at the end of the breakwater: the square two-story dwelling with a short tower on its roof that still stands today.
Photo by Jeremy D’EntremontJoe SantianaThe lighthouse was automated in 1973. A house that was built on the mainland in 1871 for the keepers and families is now the Ashtabula Maritime & Surface Transportation Museum, with more than 25,000 historic items on display. Ownership of the lighthouse was transferred to the Ashtabula Lighthouse Restoration and Preservation Society in 2007. Our guest, Joe Santiana, is the president of the Ashtabula Lighthouse Restoration and Preservation Society.
Light Hearted host Jeremy D’Entremont with Annamaria Mariotti in 2010 at Cape Elizabeth Lighthouse in Maine
This is an edited version of an interview from September 2020. The guest is Annamaria Mariotti, an author and lighthouse historian in Italy. Lilla, as she’s known to friends, is the author of many books, articles, and stories related to the sea. Many of her articles have appeared in The Keeper’s Log, Lighthouse Digest, Coast Guard News, the New York Times, and many more.
Annamaria Mariotti inside the Lanterna di Genoa
Her lighthouse-related books include Tales of lighthouses and other sea stories, The evolution of lighthouses from the origins to the Kingdom of Italy, and The Lighthouses of Tuscany. In 2011 she published The World’s Greatest Lighthouses, which features photographs of the most picturesque lighthouses in the world and text that describes each structure’s location, architecture, construction, history, technology, and stories of lighthouse keepers. She’s also written award-winning short stories.
In 2006, the General Command of the Harbor Offices, Coast Guard, and the Mediaset Group awarded her the NAVIGARE INFORMATI Award “For her constant commitment to the dissemination of maritime culture in our country.”
Dunkirk, New York, is on the south shore of Lake Erie, about 35 miles southwest of Buffalo. Dunkirk, with its natural harbor, got one of the earliest lighthouses on the lake. The first lighthouse at Point Gratiot in Dunkirk began service in 1827. The lighthouse that stands today was completed in 1876. The 61-foot square limestone tower stands next to a brick gothic revival keeper’s house. The light was automated and the last Coast Guard keepers were removed in 1962.
Dunkirk Light Station, New York. Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.A group of local citizens leased the property from the Coast Guard and turned it into a memorial park and lighthouse museum. The first floor of the keeper’s house is a museum with lighthouse artifacts, and the second floor is a military museum with rooms devoted to each branch of the armed forces. There’s also a separate building with additional exhibits on the Navy and Coast Guard.
Dave Briska has many titles, including manager and events coordinator. He’s essentially the modern day lighthouse keeper. Averie Shaughnessy-Comfort cohosts.
Left: Dave Briska with tour guide Lincoln and his brother William. Courtesy of Dunkirk Lighthouse.
Josh Liller inside the lens at Jupiter Inlet LighthouseThis is an edited version of an interview first heard in episode 16 back in 2019. The guest is Josh Liller, Historian and Collections Manager for the Loxahatchee River Historical Society and Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse & Museum. Josh is also historian for the Florida Lighthouse Association.
Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.Josh specializes in lighthouse and military history. He’s also a tour guide, lecturer, and author. He’s the co-author of Five Thousand Years on the Loxahatchee, and editor of the second edition of The Florida Lighthouse Trail.
Lorain, Ohio, on the south shore of Lake Erie, is known for its history as an industrial hub, and it’s also been an important point for the shipping of materials like coal, iron ore, and limestone. Lorain West Breakwater Lighthouse, also known simply as Lorain Lighthouse, began service in 1919,. The building consists of a square tower rising from the corner of a two-and-one-half story keeper’s house.
Loran West Breakwater Lighthouse. Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.After it was decommissioned in 1966, the Coast Guard was planning to demolish the lighthouse. Local preservationists were able to lease the structure and the demolition was canceled. The all-volunteer Lorain Lighthouse Foundation now spearheads the preservation of the lighthouse. Frank Sipkovsky is the chairman, and Dave Kramer is a board member and historian.
Frank Sipkovsky and Dave Kramer. Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.
This is an edited version of an interview first heard in May 2021. Dianna Stampfler has written countless articles for many Michigan travel and culture periodicals. In August 2004, she launched Promote Michigan to help market the people, places, and products of her home state. Dianna has also been researching Michigan’s lighthouses for many years. In 2019, she published her book Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses through the History Press.
Dianna StampflerMichigan has more lighthouses than any other state, with more than 120 dotting its expansive Great Lakes shoreline. Many of these lighthouses lay claim to haunted happenings. In 2022, Dianna published a new book, Death & Lighthouses on the Great Lakes: A History of Murder and Misfortune.
Don LadolcettaDon Ladolcetta’s new book, Hannah: The Lighthouse Girl of Newfoundland, tells the story of a young girl who doesn’t know what to expect when her family moves to an isolated lighthouse on the rugged Newfoundland coast. What she discovers is a life filled with adventure, wonder—and danger. SARAH Facing everything from the fury of Mother Nature to illness, the Great Depression, and World War II, Hannah must find the strength to follow her dreams. When a stunning loss upends her world, Hannah decides to take a bold step along a new path.
In the tradition of Little House on the Prairie and Anne of Green Gables, this novel of a spirited girl growing into a strong woman is based on a true story. In fact, Hannah was Don’s mother, and the book is inspired by true family lore and is sprinkled with cultural insights.
Russ RowlettToday’s interview was first heard in episode 19 back in 2019. The conversation is with Russ Rowlett, webmaster of The Lighthouse Directory, one of the most useful lighthouse-related sites on the internet. When Russ was growing up in Richmond, Virginia, his only exposure to lighthouses was climbing the Old Cape Henry Lighthouse when his family vacationed at Virginia Beach.
Russ earned a doctorate degree in math at the University of Virginia in the 1960s, and he taught math at Princeton and then the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. In 1987 he became Director of the Center for Mathematics and Science Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He’s also known for his research on the metric system and units of measurement.
Russ started his website, The Lighthouse Directory, in 1999, and it kept growing until, by 2009, it covered the whole world. The address of the site is ibiblio.org/lighthouse/ At this moment there are listings for more than 24,600 of the world’s lighthouses. If there are more lighthouses out there, Russ will find them.
Therese WoelfelTherese Woelfel, who lives in Green Bay, Wisconsin, has held leadership roles in Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurial endeavors, and non-profit organizations. Her new book, Our Guiding Light, is her first non-fiction work. Therese’s grandfather, Charles A. Linsmeier, was a Lighthouse Service keeper at several stations on the Great Lakes from 1920 to 1953. The book tells the story of Linsmeier’s daughter Vivian, who was Therese’s mother.
Here’s an excerpt from the book description: “A lighthouse doesn’t calm the storm. It simply reminds you where the shore is and says, ‘You are being cared for and watched over.’ From her parents and the other lighthouse keepers they knew, Vivian learned some of the most valuable lessons of her life: honesty and service to others. As she navigated her life, living through the Great Depression and World War II, standing up to social injustice, and raising eight children, she surrendered to the divine and allowed herself to be watched over. In turn, she was able to be a steady beacon of light and hope for those who encountered life storms.”
Vivian Linsmeier LangerCharles Linsmeier
Dan Spinella created this replica third-order lens for Buffalo Lighthouse in New York.This is an edited version of an interview that first appeared in episode 107 in February 2021. The guest is Dan Spinella, a man who is known for creating amazing replica Fresnel lenses. Dan, who is employed as an engineer at Disney World, began his Fresnel lens research and restoration work in 1992 using both acrylic and glass prisms used to restore historic lenses. Dan’s company, Artworks Florida, began creating full-scale reproduction Fresnel lenses in 2004. Some of his lenses are installed in lighthouses as aids to navigation and some are on exhibit in lighthouse museums across the country.
This is an an edited version of a conversation that was first heard in episode 62 in May 2020. The guest is Elaine Jones and the subject is Burnt Island Light in Maine. A lighthouse was built in 1821 on five-acre Burnt Island at the west side of the entrance to Boothbay Harbor in Maine, which was a center for shipbuilding, gristmills, and fishing going back to the 1700s. In 1988, Burnt Island became one of the last Maine light stations to be automated and destaffed.
Elaine Jones painting the Burnt Island Lighthouse tower in 1998. Courtesy of Elaine JonesIn 1998, as part of the Maine Lights Program, Burnt Island Light Station was transferred to the Maine Department of Marine Resources. Elaine Jones was named the director of the new facility, and it was her vision to transform the island into an outstanding educational and recreational facility for Maine’s residents and its visitors. She retired in 2021 after 30 years with the Department of Marine Resources. In fact, her last day of work was the exact 200th anniversary of the first lighting of Burn Island Light on November 9, 1821.
Burnt Island Light Station, photo by Jeremy D’Entremont
Portsmouth Harbor Light, near the mouth of the Piscataqua River in the town of New Castle, New Hampshire, is one of the most picturesque and historic lighthouses in New England. The original wooden lighthouse on the site (1771) was the first lighthouse north of Boston. The present (1878) cast-iron lighthouse stands on the grounds of Coast Guard Station Portsmouth Harbor, neighboring historic Fort Constitution.
Portsmouth Harbor Light, NH. Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.The American Lighthouse Foundation (ALF) and its local chapter, Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses (FPHL), have been managing the lighthouse since 2001. FPHL has given tours for tens of thousands of people over the years, but the tours have been curtailed in recent years due to storm damage. Joining host Jeremy D’Entremont, who is also a former chair of FPHL, are Michelle Jewell Shaw, current chair of FPHL; Bob Zimman, vice chair of FPHL; and Bob Trapani Jr., executive director of ALF.
Michelle Jewell ShawBob ZimmanBob Trapani Jr.
The first lighthouse on Curtis island at the entrance to Camden, Maine, was established in 1836. For many years, the island served as a signal station for the large steamships that passed by. The 25-foot brick lighthouse tower that still stands was built in 1896, and the light was automated in 1972.
Curtis Island Light Station, Camden, Maine. Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.The Town of Camden now owns the island and the lighthouse. In 2023, the Curtis Island Lighthouse Foundation was established with a mission to historically restore the light station and to develop a perpetual preservation fund in partnership with the Town of Camden. Michael Skaling is the president of the Curtis Island Lighthouse Foundation and has taken a lead role in the preservation of the historic site.
Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.
This is a look back at an interview that was first heard in episode 122 back in May 2021. The interview is with Elena Hansteensen, who is the owner of Littleisland Lighthouse in Norway, which is operated as a small hotel.
Litløy fyr, Norway. (Courtesy of Littleisland Lighthouse)
Litløy fyr, or Littleisland Lighthouse in English, is on a small island off the northwest coast of Norway, inside the Arctic Circle. It was first lit in October 1912. For a time, it was the second most powerful lighthouse in Norway. In 2006, the light station was bought by Elena Hantseensen, with the intention of making it accessible to the public. The property has been renovated and overnight accommodations are available, as well as guided tours. As Elena has said, “How can I be lonely here, when I’m living my dream?”
Elena Hansteensen
Tom and Darlene Chisholm on a Texas trip in 2022. Photo by Carol Nettleton.Darlene Chisholm of Albion, Michigan, is a veteran of many U.S. Lighthouse Society tours, both in the U.S. and abroad. In the course of her travels, she’s photographed well over 4,000 lighthouses. Darelene was a longtime librarian in the public school system in Albion. Her husband, Tom, was president of the education association in Albion. They met at a teachers’ meeting, and they were soon attending basketball games together. They were married in 1969.
Darlene and Tom traveled extensively around the world until Tom passed away in 2023, visiting all seven continents. Darlene continues to travel on her own, carrying with her the memory of so many wonderful trips with Tom. U.S. Lighthouse Society Executive Director Jeff Gales co-hosts this episode.
Darlene and Tom Chisholm with their friends Phil and Mary Borkowski. USHLS photo.
Tim Pettee at Greens Ledge Light, photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.Greens Ledge Light, which was built in Norwalk, Connecticut, in 1902, is a cast-iron lighthouse tower on a cylindrical cast-iron concrete-filled foundation. It’s typical of offshore lighthouses built in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Male keepers lived inside the lighthouse tower. Under the provisions of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act, the lighthouse was auctioned in 2016. The high bid was placed by a group of local residents that included the Pettee family. They formed a 501 (c)3 organization, the Greens Ledge Light Preservation Society.
Tim Pettee, who is president of the Greens Ledge Light Preservation Society, grew up in Westport, Connecticut, and has been a resident of Rowayton, Connecticut, since 2014. Tim’s son Alex Pettee is the treasurer of the Greens Ledge Light Preservation Society. This is an edited version of an interview that was first heard in episode 83 in October 2020.
AIS (Automatic Identification System) has been used for years to monitor the movements of ships and aircraft in real-time, helping to ensure safe and efficient operations. The company MotionInfo provides second-by-second data accuracy using an extensive network of stations.
A North Atlantic right whale and calf. (NOAA Photo Library)Bob Trapani, Jr., American Lighthouse Foundation Executive Director, working on installing MotionInfo’s AIS StationKeeper inside the lantern of Little River Light in Maine. (Photo by Ann-Marie Trapani)The North Atlantic right whale, with fewer than 350 individuals remaining, is critically endangered, and 139 right whales have been injured or killed by vessel strikes since 2017. MotionInfo has been implementing high-tech solutions aimed at preventing vessel-whale collisions, and a number of MotionInfo’s StationKeeper units have been installed in lighthouses. Joining in this discussion with Moses Calouro and Portia Calouro of MotionInfo are U.S. Lighthouse Society Executive Director Jeff Gales and American Lighthouse Foundation Executive Director Bob Trapani Jr., who also co-hosts.
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Jim and Evelyn Bruton, courtesy of Elanie Bruton.This is an edited version of a conversation with a lighthouse keeper’s daughter in British Columbia, Canada, first heard in episode 104 of Light Hearted. Jim Bruton was born in Wales in 1926, but his family relocated to British Columbia in Canada when he was just one year old. He started working in the logging industry as a boy. In a light keeping career spanning several decades, he served at light stations around Vancouver Island: Lennard Island, Discovery Island, and Chrome Island. Sheringham Point Lighthouse, BC. Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.iThe Brutons eventually had four children, three girls and a boy. The family moved to Sheringham Point, a mainland lightstation in Shirley on the southwest coast of Vancouver Island, in 1968. They lived there for nearly two decades, until 1986, when Jim Bruton retired. Our guest today, Elanie Bruton, lived at the light stations with her family until she was 18. She remains an active volunteer of the Sheringham Point Lighthouse Preservation Society, which now owns the lighthouse and surrounding land.
Frank Schubert - a native of Staten Island - spent 43 years as a keeper and caretaker at Coney Island Light Station in New York. When he passed away in 2003, he was the last person who had served as a keeper under the old U. S. Lighthouse Service. He originally joined the Lighthouse Service as a seaman on the tender Tulip in 1937. Coney Island Light Station, New York. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.Frank SchubertHe moved in as keeper at Coney Island in 1960. Frank, along with his wife and three children, enjoyed giving tours to schoolchildren and scout troops, and having a wonderful time every day. Our conversation today is with Greg Goldstein, grandson of Frank Schubert. Greg’s wife Lisa also took part in the conversation. To learn more about Frank Schubert, click here.
This is an edited version of an interview that first appeared in episode 79 in September 2020. Ian Duff worked as a keeper at 13 Scottish lighthouses between 1976 and 1992. He spent about five years at Skerryvore, a remote station off the west coast of Scotland. He also spent about five years at Duncansby Head Light Station at the most northeasterly point of the British mainland.Ian Duff at St. Abbs Head Lighthouse in Scotland. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.Ian remained involved with lighthouses after his retirement as a keeper. He became the president of the Association of Lighthouse Keepers, or the ALK, an organization that provides a forum for everyone interested in lighthouses, lightships, and maritime aids to navigation. When Ian passed away last year, a large collection of his photographic slides were donated to the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses, along with lighthouse artifacts.Skerryvore Lighthouse (U.S. Lighthouse Society)
With foreign trade blossoming from Newport, Rhode Island, local merchants petitioned for a lighthouse at Beavertail Point at the southern tip of Conanicut Island in the town of Jamestown, and a 69-foot-tall wooden tower was first lighted in 1749. It was the third light station in the American colonies. The 45-foot square granite lighthouse that stands today was built in 1856. The lighthouse is located within Beavertail State Park, and the Beavertail Lighthouse Museum Association (BLMA) preserves and manages the light station. The museum occupies two former keepers’ houses and two other buildings.Beavertail Light Station, photo by Jeremy D'EntremontNancy Beye is the president of the Beavertail Lighthouse Museum Association. She’s also a councilwoman on the Jamestown Town Council and owner of the Jamestown Early Learning Center. David Smith is a board member of the BLMA, and he has been involved with the development of many of the exhibits in the museum at Beavertail. Varoujan Karentz is on the board of the Beavertail Lighthouse Museum Association and is the author of three books and numerous articles. His book Beavertail Light Station is the most comprehensive history available on this historic location.
Grosse Point Light Station. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.Grosse Point Lighthouse, located at the southern end of Lake Michigan in Evanston, Illinois, was established in 1873 as the primary lighthouse marking the approach to Chicago. Since 1983, for an amazing 42 years, Don Terras has been chief administrator of the Lighthouse Park District, a unit of local government in Evanston. He is also the live-in manager of the Grosse Point Light Station museum, essentially serving as the modern-day keeper.Don TerrasThis is an edited version of a conversation with Don Terras that was recorded in the museum in the former keeper’s house at Grosse Point Light Station in November 2019. Also taking part in the conversation is Jeff Gales, executive director of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.
This is part two of a two part interview with Lorna Pierce and Gloria Coder, the daughters of Seamond Ponsart Roberts (1940-2023). Seamond was the daughter of the longtime Massachusetts lighthouse keeper Octave Ponsart, and she was the author of the book Everyday Heroes, The True Story of a Lighthouse Family. Seamond's childhood was spent at Cuttyhunk Light and West Chop Light in Massachusetts.Seamond Ponsart Roberts in 2001, tossing a wreath into the waves at Cuttyhunk Island in memory of her parents. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.Here is an excerpt from Seamond's obituary:"The bad days were sure bad enough, but since there were so many good days (like 99.9 percent of the time) what the heck. She had a good life for sure — and I should know as I, Seamond Roberts, wrote all this myself. Goodbye to all my family and friends. Thank you for listening to me and for being so dear to me. I hope to see each of you in our next life’s further adventures."Right: Seamond, Gloria, and Lorna, circa 1960s.
Young Seamond in front of the keeper's house at Cuttyhunk Island, Massachusetts.The guests in this episode are Gloria Coder and Lorna Pierce. Gloria and Lorna are the daughters of the late Seamond Ponsart Roberts (1940-2023). Seamond was the daughter of a longtime lighthouse keeper in Massachusetts, and she was the author of the book Everyday Heroes: The True Story of a Lighthouse Family.Seamond's father, Octave Ponsart, began his lighthouse keeping career at Great Point on Nantucket. He spent five years as the keeper at Dumpling Rock in southeastern Massachusetts, and he and his family barely survived the hurricane of 1938. He became the keeper of Cuttyhunk Light off Cape Cod in 1940. He then spent 11 years as keeper at West Chop Light on Martha’s Vineyard. Seamond spent just a few years as a child at Cuttyhunk, but she always considered it home because of her mother's family's roots there. This is part one of a two part interview.Gloria, Seamond, and Lorna
A light station was established on Maine's 220-acre Great Duck Island in 1890, with a 42-foot-tall brick tower and three keepers’ dwellings. Only one of the three houses remain standing today. The light was automated in 1986 and it remains an active aid to navigation. In 1998 Great Duck Island Light Station, along with Mount Desert Rock Light Station, became the property of Bar Harbor's College of the Atlantic. Students and staff from the college now live in the former keeper's dwelling much of the year. The ongoing research projects largely focus on the island's bird populations.Great Duck Island Light Station, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.John Anderson (Courtesy of COA)John Anderson has been a professor at College of the Atlantic for more than 30 years. His field research centers around Great Duck Island. John says that he is interested in the intersection between natural history and human history in relation to long-term ecological processes.
Maine’s wave-swept Whaleback Lighthouse. (Photo by Dominic Trapani)In January 2024, two powerful storms -- just three days apart -- struck northern New England, coinciding with the highest tide ever recorded in Portland, Maine, at 14.75 feet. The damage was severe up and down the coasts of Maine and New Hampshire, and about a third of Maine’s 66 historic lighthouse sites suffered significant damage.Pemaquid Point Light Station’s bell tower suffered heavy damage during the January 10, 2024 storm.(Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.)The nonprofit American Lighthouse Foundation has formed a Storm and Mitigation Response Team that is dedicated to the development of a series of best practices that can help lighthouses become more resilient in the face of future storms. Today’s conversation is with three members of the team. Bob Trapani Jr. is the executive director of the American Lighthouse Foundation. Ford Reiche is the president of the Presumscot Foundation, which owns Halfway Rock Lighthouse in Maine’s Casco Bay. David Pomerantz has a background that includes climate resilience and emergency management. https://youtu.be/ycD2SO5W41M?feature=shared
Richard KleinA lighthouse was proposed in 1896 to mark Peck (or Pecks) Ledge, at the east end of the Norwalk Islands in Connecticut. It began operation in 1906 and was the last staffed lighthouse to be built at a waveswept site on Long Island Sound. Its life as a staffed light was relatively short, only 27 years. It's a typical offshore light of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century period, with a cylindrical cast-iron foundation topped by a "sparkplug" type cast-iron lighthouse.Peck Ledge Lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.Richard Klein cooking at Peck Ledge LighthouseThe lighthouse was sold via online auction in September 2015, and the owner is now Norwalk Art Space. Today’s conversation is with artist, writer, and curator Richard Klein. Richard has utilized found objects in his sculptural work since the late 1990s. In early September of 2024 Richard spent a week at Peck Ledge Lighthouse, a residency that was sponsored by the Norwalk Art Space. Richard is also the curator of a new show at Norwalk Art Space. The show is called “Sight and Sound: Artists Consider Long Island Sound.” It opens on June 12th and continues through August 28th.
Sean ToddThis is an edited version of an interview with Sean Todd that was first heard in episode 72 in July 2020. Sean serves on the marine science faculty at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine, and he's also the director of Allied Whale, the college’s marine mammal research program. Mount Desert Rock, more than 20 miles from the nearest port and home to a historic light station, serves as Allied Whale's research station. The former keeper’s house has accommodations for 20 students.Sean also acts as a professional guide, including many seasons in the Antarctic. He created, wrote and starred in the award-winning “Life in the World’s Oceans,” a 30-part DVD series available from TheGreatCourses.com.Mount Desert Rock, Maine. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Matthew Cohen is a nautical photographer with more than 20 years of experience. Matthew acquired his love of boating as a child and raced with the successful Roger Williams University Varsity Team. Following that, he became an accomplished sailing instructor for 15 years at the Sail Newport Sailing Center, and he’s logged over 30,000 ocean miles as a sailor.Sakonnet Lighthouse, RI. Photo by Matthew Cohen.Matthew CohenMatthew's work has been printed in more than 30 maritime publications and has been showcased in over a dozen galleries, shows, and retail spaces. He’s now in the early stages of a new photography project related to lighthouses, which is described in this interview.This episode is also available in a special video edition - see https://youtu.be/iklkA8JvSsk?feature=shared
This edition of Light Hearted Lite features several edited interviews that were originally heard in two episodes back in the spring of 2020. The subject is the U.S. Lighthouse Society's popular lighthouse passport program. The program provides enthusiasts the opportunity to help preserve lighthouses, and a great way for them to keep a pictorial history of their lighthouse adventures. Small donations are made by passport holders for the stamps. The interviews are with Skip Sherwood, director of the passport program, and several hall of fame stamp collectors: John MacFarland, James Hill, Sharon Mills, Al King, and Scott Walbert.Click here for more information on the passport program.James HillAl KingSharon MillsScott and Diane WalbertJohn MacFarlandMary Lee and Skip Sherwood
Stratford Point Light Station in 2015, photo by Jeremy D'EntremontDavid WrightStratford, Connecticut, was an active port in coastal trade, shipbuilding and oystering in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. To mark the entrance to the harbor, the first Stratford Point Lighthouse was built on the west side of the dangerous mouth of the Housatonic River in 1822. The present tower, 35 feet tall, was built along with a new keeper's house in 1881. Theodore of "Theed" Judson was keeper from 1880 to 1921. In his more than 40 years at Stratford Point, Judson frequently made the local newspapers with sightings of sea monsters and mermaids.The light station is still owned by the Coast Guard, but the town of Stratford holds occasional open houses for the public. Our guest in this episode, David Wright, is the Stratford town historian. He gives walking tours and writes articles about local history. When the lighthouse is open, David takes on the identity of Keeper Theodore Judson while his wife portrays the keeper’s wife, Kate.
Conimicut Lighthouse in 2007. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.This episode has two segments. First is a new interview with Mayor Frank Picozzi of Warwick, Rhode Island, about the recent exterior restoration of Conimicut Lighthouse, which is owned by the city. The major project at the 1883 cast-iron caisson "sparkplug style" tower was carried out in 2024 by Abcore Restoration.Sakonnet Lighthouse in 2010. Photo by Jeremy D'EntremontNext is an abridged version of an interview first heard in late 2019 with Scott Brown, president of Friends of Sakonnet Lighthouse. The 1882 "sparkplug" off Little Compton, Rhode Island, was restored in 2012 with funding from the federal Transportation Enhancement Program combined with privately raised funds.
Prudence Island Lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D'EntremontPrudence Island, about seven miles long, is the third largest island in Rhode Island's Narragansett Bay. It was determined around 1850 that a lighthouse was needed to guide vessels passing between Sandy Point, at the island's easternmost extremity, and Aquidneck Island, about a mile to the east. Instead of building a new lighthouse, a disused one at Goat Island in Newport was moved to Prudence Island. Originally built at Goat Island in 1842, the lighthouse still stands at Sandy Point and is the oldest free-standing lighthouse in the state.The granite stairs inside Prudence Island LighthouseThe Prudence Conservancy, a nonprofit organization, was involved with the upkeep of the lighthouse and its grounds since the late 1980s. The Coast Guard granted a license to the group in 2001, and in 2024, the property was conveyed to the Prudence Conservancy under the guidelines of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act.Interviewed in this episode are Prudence Island Historian Joe Bains, and Ray Jenness, who is the chairman of the Prudence Conservancy. The interview was recorded at the Prudence Island Historical Museum.The wife and son of Keeper George Gustavus, along with three other people, lost their lives when the keeper's house at Prudence Island was destroyed in the Hurricane of 1938. Courtesy of Joan Kenworthy.
There are three segments in this episode. The first recaps a recent virtual conference that the USLHS held in late March. The conference celebrated the 25th anniversary of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000, with presenters and attendees sharing their stories of lighthouse stewardship and preservation.Next is an abridged version of a conversation with John Potvin first heard in November 2019. John is the manager for the Chesapeake Chapter of USLHS of Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse in Chesapeake Bay, the only surviving cottage-style screwpile lighthouse in the country still in its original location. Following that is a chat with Natasha Nash Dixon. Natasha’s new children’s book, “Drew’s Grand Advenure,” is based on a true tale about the beloved mascot of Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse. The book also includes the photography of Davd Sites, who is an acclaimed Maryland photographer.Photo by David Stites
The strait between Bristol and Portsmouth, Rhode Island, was busy in the early 1800s, with all manner of vessels passing between Narragansett Bay to the west and Mount Hope Bay to the east. A lighthouse was built on the Bristol side in 1855, with a small brick dwelling and a lighthouse tower attached to its southern end. The lighthouse's days as an aid to navigation ended with the construction of the Mount Hope Bridge in 1929, almost directly over the lighthouse. The lantern was removed and the property passed into private ownership.Bristol Ferry Lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D'EntremontSimon and Laura ThomasOwners Carol and Bob Lundin restored the building and had a new lantern room fabricated and installed in the 1990s. Today, the lighthouse is owned by Simon and Laura Thomas and managed as an inn, with bookings available through AirbnB and Vrbo. Simon and Laura are interviewed in this episode along with Rhode Island marine photographer Matthew Cohen. Judianne Point co-hosts.Below: inside Bristol Ferry Lighthouse, photos by Jeremy D'Entremont
This is an edited version of the second part of an interview with Dave and Lynn Waller, owners of Graves Lighthouse in outer Boston Harbor, a classic wave-swept granite tower on a barren, rocky ledge. The interview was first heard in May 2020 in episode 61.L to R: Bob Trapani Jr., Dave Waller, and Light Hearted host Jeremy D'Entremont in 2020Dave Waller built this first-order Fresnel lens in his Malden, MA, home. One of the subjects discussed is the “Franklens” created by Dave Waller and friends — a first-order Fresnel lens made of spare panels from various Chance Brothers lenses. Also discussed are the observation of wildlife near Graves Ledge, the experience of changing weather and storms at such a dramatic location, the conversion of the oil house into living space, the many challenges of restoration in a place that’s often inaccessible, and the Wallers’ partnership with well-known Boston philanthropist Bobby Sager. Taking part in the interview along with Light Hearted host Jeremy D’Entremont is Bob Trapani, Jr., executive director of the American Lighthouse Foundation.Graves Light, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont
Neil HurleyNeil Hurley's interest in Florida lighthouses goes back to the mid-1980s. He was serving as a staff officer for the Seventh Coast Guard s District Aids to Navigation Branch, and he often had to answer questions about lighthouses in Florida. Neil decided to make Florida lighthouse history his off-duty hobby. That led to countless hours of research, and he’s been the historian for the Florida Lighthouse Association since it was founded. His books include Florida’s Lighthouses in the Civil War, An Illustrated History of Cape Florida Lighthouse, and Lighthouses of the Dry Tortugas: An Illustrated History, and he was co-author of the first edition of The Florida Lighthouse Trail. The articles he’s written include several for the U.S. Lighthouse Society’s quarterly journal, the Keeper’s Log. Neil retired as a commander from the Coast Guard, and today he continues to work in the defense industry. This is episode is co-hosted by Ralph Krugler, historian for Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse and historical archivist for the U.S. Lighthouse Society.
This is an edited version of an interview that was first heard in episode 60 in May 2020. The guest is Dave Waller, the owner of Graves Light in Boston Harbor. This is part one of two parts.Graves Light in June 2001, photo by Jeremy D'EntremontDave WallerThe ledges in outer Boston Harbor called the Graves – about 10 acres in all – have been home to a lighthouse since 1905. The 113-foot tower is made of granite, and a first-order Fresnel lens was installed in the lantern. After the light's automation in 1976, weather and vandalism took its toll. Under the guidelines of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act, the lighthouse was sold in a government auction in September 2013 to businessman David Waller. Another partner for the preservation of Graves Light is the well-known Boston philanthropist Bobby Sager.Dave Waller owns a video special effects company headquartered on Newbury Street in Boston, and he also collects and restores old neon signs. He and his wife, Lynn, a graphic designer, live in a restored fire station in the Boston suburb of Malden.
Barcelona Light Station, photo by Mike and Carol McKinneyIn 1828, Congress appropriated five thousand dollars to construct a lighthouse in Barcelona Harbor on Lake Erie in New York. The harbor had just been designated an official port of entry when the lighthouse was built. In the early 1800s, lumber, salt, flour, and fish were shipped to and from the port. The lighthouse is a conical stone tower, 40 feet tall. It's believed to be the very first natural gas-powered lighthouse in the world.Barcelona Lighthouse is undergoing a major restoration (New York State Parks)Marla Bingham-MelcherThe light was discontinued as an aid to navigation in 1859, and the property was transferred to New York State Parks in 2007. There’s a museum in the keeper’s house, and currently there’s a major project in progress that includes the rehabilitation of the lighthouse tower. Our guest is Marla Bingham-Melcher, the manager of the five state parks in Chautauqua County, including Barcelona Lighthouse. This episode is co-hosted by Averie Shaughnessy-Comfort, executive director of Lake Erie Lights of Pennsylvania.
Fred MikkelsenThis is an edited version of an interview first heard in episode 43 in January 2020. Conimicut Lighthouse is a cast-iron caisson structure built in 1883 to mark a dangerous shoal at the mouth of the Providence River. 18-year-old Coast Guardsman Frederick Mikkelsen was assigned to the station in 1958. One of his most memorable experiences in his three years at the lighthouse was a 1960 hurricane.Shortly after Fred Mikkelsen left, Conimicut became one of the last lighthouses in the nation to be converted to electricity. The light was automated and the resident keepers were reassigned in 1963. The lighthouse is owned today by the City of Warwick, RI, and it has recently been restored.Conimicut Lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont
Desiree Heveroh at East Brother Light Station in Richmond, CaliforniaDesiree Heveroh describes herself a steward and keeper of the history of the city of Richmond, California, located in the San Francisco Bay Area's East Bay region. She was a longtime board member of the East Brother Light Station, which is situated on an island in the strait that separates San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay. East Brother is open to the public as a B&B inn, and Desiree actually lived in the lighthouse for 14 months during the COVID pandemic. She’s also the shipkeeper for the historic SS Red Oak Victory Ship in Richmond.Desiree has a new book out, co-written with Victoria Stuhr. The book is simply titled Richmond. It’s one of Arcadia Publishing’s “Past and Present” series, which offers a special view of American life by placing historical images side-by-side with contemporary photographs. Jen Lewis, fundraising and outreach manager at the Point Cabrillo Lighthouse in northern California, co-hosts this episode.
Pencarrow Lighthouse (1859) was the first permanent lighthouse in New Zealand. Mary Jane Bennett - the first official lighthouse keeper in New Zealand, and the only woman to ever hold the role - is profiled in "Guiding Lights."This is another episode of Light Hearted Lite, the series where we revisit interviews from the past six years of Light Hearted. First is a chat about an upcoming virtual conference the U.S. Lighthouse Society will be hosting in March. The conference will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000 and will feature a broad spectrum of presenters. Joining us for this discussion are Henry Gonzalez, president of the U.S. Lighthouse Society, and Kathy Fleming, vice president. Shona RiddellAuthor Shona Riddell was interviewed in episode 82 back in September 2020. Shona lives in Wellington, New Zealand, and her 2020 book, Guiding Lights: The Extraordinary Lives of Lighthouse Women, shares the stories of lighthouse women from around the world and through the centuries, including heroic female keepers, isolated families, and dedicated caretakers. This is an edited version of the 2020 conversation.
Pomham Rocks Lighthouse, photo by Gary PointPomham Rocks Lighthouse is at the northern end of Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island, offshore from the community of Riverside. Alex Dias joined the Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse (a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation) in 2012, but his fascination with lighthouses dates back to 2005 when he was in the 5th grade. He’s been involved with virtually every aspect of the group, including the development of the museum inside the keeper’s quarters, the ongoing restoration of the building inside and out, and helping to facilitate public tours. Alex has a captain’s license and brings many guests out to the lighthouse, in addition to serving as a tour guide himself.Alex DiasAlex became the chairman of the Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse earlier this year, and he’s on the board of directors of the American Lighthouse Foundation. He received a Len Hadley Volunteerism Award from the foundation in 2017. His brother, Adam, is also a volunteer and currently serves as the treasurer of Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse. Adam received the Len Hadley Volunteerism Award in 2023. Judianne Point co-hosts this episode.Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse volunteers during the installation of Pomham's fourth-order Fresnel lens in the lighthouse museum in September 2021. Alex and Adam Dias are behind the lens. Co-host Judianne Point is second from right. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
This is a re-edited version of an interview that was first heard on "Light Hearted" in 2019. Jim Pope was a keeper at rugged Whaleback Lighthouse in Maine from 1960 to ’62, and the light was automated and de-staffed a short time later. Whaleback is a ledge on the northeast side of the entrance to the Piscataqua River, on the approach to the harbor of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The 70-foot granite lighthouse tower was built in 1872. The keepers lived inside the tower itself.Whaleback Lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D'EntremontJim Pope was born in Scarborough, Maine, in 1938. After graduation from Traip Academy in Kittery he began a lifelong career on the water. After his time in the Coast Guard, he worked as a tugboat captain for Moran Towing for more than 25 years. He lived for many years in Eliot, Maine, near Kittery, and was fondly known as the Pope of Elliot.
Peter Halil and his wife, IslaThis is part two of a two-part interview. Peter Halil was a lighthouse keeper in the UK from 1974 to 1997, and he was among the last traditional lighthouse keepers there before all the lights were automated.Peter Halil was keeper at South Stack Light Station in Wales 1980-83. USLHS archives.He also shot video at as many lighthouses as possible before they were automated. His videos sometimes include footage of the keepers at work, and, when possible, interviews with keepers. He’s posted the videos on his YouTube channel, which you can access at youtube.com/@PeterHalil.The U.S. Lighthouse Society thanks Peter for being a lighthouse for all of us who strive to preserve maritime history.St. Catherines in Wales is one of the places where Peter Halil served as keeper (1976-80).USLHS photo by Joyce Dixon.
Rob Benchley at Sankaty Head Lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D’EntremontThis is re-edited version of an interview with Rob Benchley first heard in episode 81 in September 2020. Rob is the volunteer modern day keeper of Sankaty Head Lighthouse in the Sconset village on Nantucket in Massachusetts. He’s also an accomplished photojournalist who has been the staff photographer for three island newspapers, and his photography has been featured in the New York Times and the Boston Globe. Rob was one of the first people on the scene when Great Point Lighthouse on Nantucket was toppled by a storm in March 1984. He has written or co-written several books including Keeping the Light, about the historic move of Sankaty Head Lighthouse back from the edge of an eroding bluff in 2007. Rob and his wife Carol, a retired Nantucket school teacher, live in a house they built together in ‘Sconset.
Peter HalilThere are two segments in this episode. The first guest, Peter Halil, was a lighthouse keeper in the UK from 1974 to 1997. He was among the country's final traditional lighthouse keepers before all the lights were automated. He was stationed at some well known light stations in England and Wales, including South Bishop, Dungeness, St. Catherines, Bishop Rock, the Lizard, and others. Peter interviewed Prince Phillip (master of Trinity House, the UK lighthouse service) in 1995During his final years as a keeper, he visited as many lighthouses as possible before they were automated. He shot video at the lighthouses including walk-throughs, footage of the keepers at work, and, when possible, interviews with keepers. In recent years he’s gone back and edited the videos and posted them on his YouTube channel, which you can access at youtube.com/@PeterHalil. This is part one of a two part interview.Candice SimeoniThe guest for our special "Be a Lighthouse" segment is Candice Simeoni, who is a police officer in the southern Maine community of Kennebunk. Candice runs the Golden Ornament Project, which benefits local senior citizens in the holiday season. She is also known as the Sugar Angel, for reasons that are explained in the interview.
With the world's longest coastline and more lakes than the rest of the world combined, Canada is also home to more than 750 lighthouses. In spite of automation, there continue to be 49 staffed lighthouses operated by the Government of Canada. Aerial view of Cape Beale, BC (Courtesy of Karen Zacharuk)The light station at Cape Beale is one of the 25 stations that remain staffed on the coast of British Columbia. A resident keeper still maintains the navigation equipment and buildings, monitors the weather and sea conditions, and watches for emergency situations. For more than 15 years, the keeper has been Karen Zacharuk. This is an edited version of an interview first heard on this podcast in July 2020.Karen Zacharuk and companion at Cape Beale (Courtesy of Karen Zacharuk)
In 1836, rumors of gold in a muddy river on the west shore of Lake Michigan near modern day Green Bay, Wisconsin, spurred the creation of what would become the City of Kewaunee. The arrival of a railroad in the late 1800s led to increased shipping in the area, and in 1880-81 two long piers were built at the entrance to the harbor. In the years that followed there were a number of reconfigurations of the piers and lighthouses in the harbor. Kewaunee Pierhead Lighthouse, Wisonsin. (Friends of the Kewaunee Pierhead Lighthouse)Jake Heffernan (Friends of the Kewaunee Pierhead Lighthouse)In late 1930, a car ferry collided with the south pier and badly damaged a small lighthouse tower that stood adjacent to a fog signal building. The damaged pier was repaired and a square brick lighthouse tower was added on the roof of the fog signal building, giving the lighthouse the appearance it has now. The City of Kewaunee was granted ownership of the lighthouse in 2011. Thanks to the assistance of the nonprofit Friends of the Kewaunee Pierhead Lighthouse, much restoration has been carried out in the past decade. The guest in this episode, Jake Heffernan, is the acting president and historian for the Friends of the Kewaunee Pierhead Lighthouse.
Edward Rowe Snow, his daughter Dolly, and his wife Anna-Myrle prepare for a Flying Santa flight in 1964. (Friends of Flying Santa)The Flying Santa tradition traces its origins to a pioneering pilot in Maine named Bill Wincapaw. To show his appreciation to lighthouse keepers and their families, on Christmas Day in 1929 he loaded his plane with a dozen packages and dropped gifts for the lighthouse families in the midcoast area. He soon expanded the flights to more of the Maine coast and to the other New England states. Edward Rowe Snow, a teacher and budding historian in Massachusetts, became interested and took part in the 1936 flights. Edward Rowe Snow kept the Flying Santa tradition alive through 1980, flying over the lighthouses of New England and sometimes traveling as far as the West Coast.The Snow family in 1963. (Friends of Flying Santa)Edward Rowe Snow’s daughter Dolly flew on her first Flying Santa flight when she was less than one year old, and flew yearly for decades after that. This interview is an edited version of the one that was first heard on the podcast in December 2020. Today, the Flying Santa flights are carried out by helicopter by the nonprofit Friends of Flying Santa as a show of gratitude to Coast Guard personnel and their supportive families.
Fire Island Light Station, New York. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.Fire Island is one of a chain of barrier islands running along the south shore of Long Island, New York. The first lighthouse on Fire Island was a 74-foot-high stone tower built in 1826. It was considered too short, so the much taller brick lighthouse that still stands was built in 1858. The new tower was fitted with a powerful first-order Fresnel lens. For many years, the flash of the Fire Island Lighthouse was the first sight of land for countless European immigrants coming to America. Fire Island Lighthouse was decommissioned as an aid to navigation on December 31, 1973.The first-order Fresnel lens that was once in service in Fire Island Lighthouse is now displayed in a separate building on the grounds.Jonathon Gaare in 2020, when he interned as a seasonal Park Ranger Interpreter at the Fire Island National Seashore.The Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society was formed in 1982. Four years later, on Memorial Day in 1986, the lighthouse returned to duty as an aid to navigation. Today, visitors can tour the museum in the keeper’s house, with two floors of exhibits. Visitors can also view the old first-order Fresnel lens, which is on display in a separate building. The guest in this episode, Jonathon Gaare, became the executive director of the Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society earlier this year.
Ernie DeRaps, a native Mainer, spent several years in the 1950s and ‘60s as a Coast Guard lighthouse keeper at four Maine lighthouses – Monhegan, Fort Point, Heron Neck, and Browns Head. A book written by Ernie and his wife Pauline was published by Foghorn publishing in 2006. Ernie’s half of the book was called Lighthouse Keeping. If you turn the book over and upside down, the other half of the book, by Pauline, or Polly, Fitzgerald DeRaps, was called Light Housekeeping."Light Hearted" host Jeremy D'Entremont, Ernie DeRaps, and American Lighthouse Foundation Executive Director Bob Trapani Jr. in February 2019.Ernie took up painting at the age of 80 and completed portraits of all of Maine’s lighthouses. He and Pauline were married for 64 years and had six children. Pauline passed away in 2015 and Ernie followed her last year, at the age of 95. Ernie DeRaps at Monhegan Lighthouse in 2007. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.This is an edited version of an interview that was recorded in February 2019. Also taking part in the discussion is Bob Trapani, Jr., executive director of the American Lighthouse Foundation.
Eagle Bluff Lighthouse, Wisconsin (courtesy photo)Eagle Bluff Lighthouse, established in 1868, is on a 76-foot bluff in Peninsula State Park in Door County, Wisconsin. The square tower, constructed of Cream City brick from Milwaukee, is connected to the keeper's house. The light served to guide shipping through the Strawberry Channel. In its active history (1868-1926), there were only three keepers. William Duclon served an impressive 35 years (1883-1918). He and his wife raised seven sons at the light station. When the lamp was automated with acetylene gas in 1926, the era of resident keepers and their families at Eagle Bluff came to a close.1905 view from the water (courtesy photo)Keeper William Duclon and his wife Julia lived at Eagle Bluff for 35 years (courtesy photo)The Door County Historical Society in Wisconsin operates two historic sites: Eagle Bluff Lighthouse in Peninsula State Park and Heritage Village at Big Creek in Sturgeon Bay. Restoring and furnishing Eagle Bluff Lighthouse began in 1960 and took three years to complete. Since that time, the society has maintained the site and offered tours during the summer and fall months. Interviewed in this episode is Amy Frank, executive director of the Door County Historical Society.
Joseph Hindley and his daughter Betty. Courtesy of Betty Hindley Hatzikon.Joseph Hindley had a long career as a lighthouse keeper that spanned from the late 1920s to 1972, when he retired as the last civilian keeper in the New England region. He served at offshore stations early in his career: Whale Rock (RI), Butler Flats (MA), and Sakonnet Point (RI). He and his family spent six years at Gay Head Light Station on Martha's Vineyard, and then 16 years at Nobska Point Light Station on Cape Cod.Betty Hindley Hatzikon in front of the first-order Fresnel lens from Gay Head Lighthouse, now at the Martha's Vineyard Museum. Courtesy of Betty Hindley Hatzikon.This is an edited version of an interview that first appeared in Light Hearted episode 99 in January 2021, featuring reminiscences of life at the lights with Betty Hindley Hatzikon, Joseph Hindley’s daughter.
Manitowoc North Breakwater Lighthouse, USLHS photo by Tom TagThe city of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, is on the west shore of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Manitowoc River. The Manitowoc North Breakwater Lighthouse, built in 1918, is one of the area’s most familiar icons. The lighthouse property was auctioned by the federal government in 2010 under the guidelines of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act. The buyer was Philip Carlucci of Melville, New York.Courtesy of the Manitowoc Sunrise Rotary ClubSince he’s owned the lighthouse, Phil Carlucci has been responsible for much restoration. He has now partnered with the Manitowoc Sunrise Rotary Club to offer public tours of the lighthouse. Members of the club keep the building clean and offer tours on a regular basis. Interviewed in this podcast episode are three board members of the Manitowoc Sunrise Rotary Club: Paul Roekle, Dennis Huckins, and Mike Woznick.Manitowoc North Breakwater Lighthouse soon after it was constructed (National Archives)
Cape Canaveral Lighthouse on Florida’s east coast is owned by the United States Space Force and maintained as an active aid to navigation by the Coast Guard. Visits to the lighthouse are made available by the nonprofit Cape Canaveral Lighthouse Foundation. The Foundation completed the construction of a new replica keeper’s house in 2019. Funding has now been secured for the building of two additional replica keepers’ houses to improve the visitor experience. In this episode, Becky Zingarelli, museum director for the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse, discusses the new project.The winner of our recent 2024 Lighthouse Dance Off, as selected by the audience who attended our recent 40th anniversary virtual telethon, was the Encore Dance Academy, and their winning video was shot at the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse. Kristy Hefner, owner and artistic director of Encore Dance Academy, discusses the production of the winning entry. Also taking part in the discussion are John Winkopp and Mike Piana, who shot and edited the dance video.Photos courtesy of the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse Foundation.https://youtu.be/vIT3Hl_kWzQ?feature=shared
This is an edited version of an interview first heard in episode 21 in August 2019. Halfway Rock Lighthouse is a 76-foot granite tower built in 1871 on a windswept ledge far out in Maine's Casco Bay. The property was bought at auction in 2014 by entrepreneur Ford Reiche. Ford Reiche in 2017; photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.His amazing restoration has earned him several awards. The Maine Preservation Association recognized the project with its 2016 Preservation Award, and the American Lighthouse Foundation presented Ford Reiche a 2017 “Keeper of the Light” award honoring his “contribution to the preservation of America’s lighthouses and their rich tradition.” Most recently, he received this year’s National Maritime Historical Society Distinguished Service Award.
To celebrate the 300th episode of this podcast, host Jeremy D'Entremont spoke with almost every person who’s served as a co-host in the past five-plus years. He asked each person a simple question – What has been your most memorable lighthouse experience? The answers are all over the map, which points out that there are an infinite number of ways that people connect with lighthouses.Interviewed are Averie Shaughnessy-Comfort, Ben Ridings, Bob Trapani Jr., Cindy Johnson, Emily Straight, Heather and Guin Porter, Jen Lewis, Judianne Point, Michelle Jewell Shaw, Ralph Krugler, Rob Apse, Sarah MacHugh, Shalana Millard, and U.S. Lighthouse Society Executive Director Jeff Gales.
Nick KorstadNick Korstad, who is originally from Portland, Oregon, fell in love with lighthouses when he was in middle school. When Borden Flats Light in Fall River, Massachusetts, came up for sale via government auction in 2010, Nick saw a great opportunity. He achieved his dream of public access when he opened the lighthouse for overnight stays in 2013. Big Bay Point Lighthouse on Michigan's Upper Peninsula has been privately owned since the early 1960s and it was has been converted into a bed and breakfast inn. Since 2018, Nick has been the resident owner.Big Bay Point Lighthouse, Michigan. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.In recent years, Nick has spearheaded the restoration of Browns Head Lighthouse on Vinalhaven Island in Maine. In 2022, a nonprofit group called the Friends of Browns Head Lighthouse was formed, with the goal of opening it to the public for overnight stays next year. Much work has already been completed. At the end of 2023, Nick was elected president of the American Lighthouse Foundation.Browns Head Lighthouse, Maine. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Lightship Overfalls, photo by Jeremy D'EntremontThe Lightship Overfalls, more properly known as the LV-118 or the WAL 539, was the last lightship built under the U.S. Lighthouse Service. Built in East Boothbay, Maine, in 1938, the 116-foot-long vessel incorporated the latest features of lightship design at the time. The LV-118 saw duty in several locations in its active career. From 1938 to 1957 it was at Cornfield Point, at the east end of Long Island Sound off Old Saybrook, Connecticut. From 1958 to 1962 it served at the Cross Rip station near Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. And from 1962 to 1972 it marked the approach to Boston Harbor, six miles east of Boston Light.John Bolster and his grandson ringing the ship's bell aboard the Lightship OverfallsFrom 1938 to 1957, the LV-118 was at Cornfield Point, at the east end of Long Island Sound. (USLHS archives)Today, the Lightship Overfalls is a National Historic Landmark. Thanks to thousands of hours put in by countless volunteers, the vessel is fully restored and is open to the public on the Lewes waterfront. The guest in this episode, John Bolster, is the curator and a board member for the Overfalls Foundation.
Henry and Chris with two of their grandkidsThis part two of a two-part interview with Henry Gonzalez, who became the president of the U.S. Lighthouse Society this past spring after 25 years in a vice presidential role.
Chris and Henry at Fastnet Lighthouse in Ireland.Henry has lighthouses in his blood. He’s the great-great-grandson of a lighthouse keeper who served on the north coast of Spain from 1863 to 1904, and he has a third cousin who is currently a lighthouse keeper in Spain. Henry and his wife, Chris, have seen hundreds of lighthouses throughout the United States and Spain, Portugal, France, and Norway. They have three children and six grandchildren, several of whom are being trained to be future lighthouse keepers.
Henry Gonzalez and his wife, Chris, at Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse, Maryland.This week’s guest, Henry Gonzalez, was the U.S. Lighthouse Society’s Vice President for East Coast Operations from 1999 until 2006. He assumed a broader role as the Society’s sole Vice President until March 2024, when he began a four-year term as president. Henry also served two terms as President of the Chesapeake Chapter of the Society from 1997 to 2007. He was the project manager of the Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse.
L TO R: Henry Gonzalez, president of USLHS; Mike Vogel, past president; Wayne Wheeler, founder and president emeritus.Henry performs all of his lighthouse-related duties as a volunteer. In 2015 he retired from the federal government after a 31-year career in civil service as an engineer, project manager and senior executive. In 2021, Henry was the recipient of the F. Ross Holland Award, which is considered one of the lighthouse community’s highest honors.
Part 2 of this interview will be included in episode 297 next week.
Jeremy D’Entremont and Malcom Rouse at Owls Head Light Station in 1988. Photo by Charlotte Raczkowsi.The three interviews heard in this episode date back to the summer of 1988, when Light Hearted host Jeremy D’Entremont traveled up the Maine coast to visit lighthouses. The first interview is with Maurice Babcock Jr., at his home in Lubec, Maine. His father, Maurice Babcock Sr., was the last civilian keeper at Boston Light. He was the prinicipal keeper there from 1926 to 1941 after about a decade as a keeper at other Massachusetts light stations.
Maurice Babcock Sr. inside the lens at Boston Light, circa 1941The second interview is with Larry Baum, the last Coast Guard keeper at Fort Point Light Station in Stockton Springs, Maine. The last interview is with Malcolm Rouse, the final Coast Guard keeper at Owls Head Light Station in midcoast Maine. The light stations at Fort Point and Owls Head were in the process of being automated when these interviews were conducted. Malcolm Rouse was also the final Coast Guard keeper at West Quoddy Head Light Station before it was automated earlier that year.
Fort Point Lighthouse in Stockton Springs, Maine, near the entrance to the Penobscot River. Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.
Christian Taber is a 17-year-old high school student and athlete living in Upstate New York. Christian is a speaker, author, and entrepeneur. A passion for lighthouses has figured heavily in his work. Christian has written for the U.S. Lighthouse Society’s journal “The Keeper’s Log” and for our news blog.
As the founder and CEO of NavigatorTeen, Christian has always embraced a simple yet powerful philosophy: anything is possible. One of his many passions is to empower teenagers to create their own path to success here and now… and ultimately to wherever their road takes them.
His new book is called “Be Your Own Navigator: A Success Guide for Teens by a Teen.” Christian says that the book “ is not a lecture from your parents or a cryptic survival manual. It is a compass guiding you through proven skills that can be used to juggle the chaos of daily life, excel in school or sports, and everything in between. Welcome aboard – let’s write your success story.”
The badly rusted lantern was lifted off the building for restoration in 2013. (Courtesy of Friends of the Cedar Island Lighthouse)Three-acre Cedar Island is on the South Fork of Long Island, New York, on the approach to Sag Harbor, which was a busy whaling port in the first half of the nineteenth century. A wooden lighthouse was established on Cedar Island in 1839, and it was replaced in 1868 by the granite lighthouse and keeper’s dwelling that still stands today. The lighthouse was discontinued in 1934 and was in private ownership until 1967, when it was purchased by Suffolk County and incorporated into a park.
In 1974 the interior of the building was gutted by a fire. In 2002, Friends of the Cedar Island Lighthouse began working with Suffolk County Parks to restore the lighthouse. There are two guests in today’s episode. Joe Livolsi is a board member of the Friends of Cedar Island Lighthouse, and Michael Leahy is the chairman of the organization.
The great hurricane of September 1938 created a sandbar that connected Cedar Island to the mainland, and it remains attached today. (Courtesy of Friends of the Cedar Island Lighthouse)
The town of Scituate, Massachusetts, on Boston’s South Shore, developed a significant fishing industry by the late 1800s. A stone lighthouse tower was built at Cedar Point, and it began service in April 1812. A major restoration of the lighthouse has taken place over the past two years.
Bob Gallagher spoke at the event on August 7Much work on the lighthouse has been completed, including the fabrication of a new lantern. The restoration was celebrated at the lighthouse on August 7, National Lighthouse Day. Interviewed in this episode are Bob Chessia, chairman of the board of trustees of the Scituate Historical Society, and Bob Gallagher, who has lived in the keeper’s house for 16 years and has played an active role in the management of the lighthouse.
Bob Chessia at the August 7 event with his wife and daughterJudianne Point, award winning volunteer for Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse in Rhode Island, co-hosts. Also discussed is the restoration of Neds Point Lighthouse in Mattapoisett, Massachusetts.
Rose Island Lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D’EntremontLocated a mile offshore from Newport, Rhode Island, is Rose Island Lighthouse, which began service in 1870. It consists of an octagonal lighthouse tower rising from the west side of a mansard roof on top of a one-and-one-half-story wooden keeper’s dwelling. The light lost its importance as a navigational aid with the construction of the Newport Bridge in 1969. In the 1980s, a group of dedicated local preservationists founded the Rose Island Lighthouse Foundation, and the building was fully restored. You can stay overnight at Rose Island for a taste of Lighthouse Service life.
Sean O’ConnorThe organization is now known as the Rose Island Lighthouse and Fort Hamilton Trust to reflect the fact that the organization is also the steward of the island’s fort buildings. The guest in this episode, Sean O’Connor, is the executive director of the Trust. There is also a video version of this podcast episode, which you can see on the USLHS YouTube channel. Judianne Point, a volunteer for Pomham Rocks Lighthouse in Rhode Island, also takes part in the discussion.
The guest room inside the old fog signal houseThe replica sixth order Fresnel lens in the lantern room
Suellen Wedmore and a first-order Fresnel lens on display at the Cape Ann Museum in Gloucester, Massachuetts.Melanie CorreiaSuellan Wedmore‘s poetry has appeared in many publications and she has won numerous awards, including first place in both the Writer’s Digest Rhyming and the Non-Rhyming Poem contests. The poems in Suellen’s book A Fixed White Light enter the lives of six of courageous and mostly forgotten female lighthouse keepers, giving readers the opportunity to experience their heroism as well as their trials in a time when they were often met with skepticism and discrimination.
Inside the New Bedford Whaling MuseumThe second guest in this podcast episode is Melanie Correia, associate curator of exhibitions and collections at the New Bedford Whaling Museum in southeastern Massachusetts. The city of New Bedford was a whaling capital and the richest city in the world in the mid-1800s. Today the museum plays a critical role as champions for whale preservation and guardians of the area’s heritage and culture.
The fog bell house at Pemaquid Point after the storms of January 2024The lighthouse tower at Pemaquid Point in the town of Bristol, Maine, was built in 1835, which makes it one of the oldest on the New England coast. The historic fog bell building at Pemaquid Point was badly damaged by storms in January – the same storms that damaged more than 20 light stations in Maine and New Hampshire. Repair work on the bell house and other parts of the light station are almost finished. Shelley Gallagher, director of Parks and Recreation for the town of Bristol, is interviewed about the damage and repairs in today’s first segment.
Buddy GroverAbsecon Lighthouse in Atlantic City, which began service in 1857, is New Jersey’s tallest lighthouse and the nation’s third tallest masonry lighthouse at 171 feet. There are three guests in today’s episode: Milt Glenn, manager of operations and education; Dan Heneghan, a volunteer docent; and Jean Muchanic, executive director. Most of the conversation focuses on Buddy Grover, a very popular volunteer tour guide. Buddy was a docent who passed away this past January at the age of 96.
https://youtu.be/k4e1L9ZunPE?feature=shared
Key West Lighthouse, courtesy of KWAHSKey West Lighthouse has stood as a well-loved landmark in one of America’s most colorful cities since 1848, when it replaced an earlier lighthouse that began service in early 1826. The original tower was destroyed by a hurricane in 1846. The tower that stands today is constructed of brick and stands 73 feet tall.
Dr. Cori Convertito, courtesy of KWAHSAfter the navigational light was discontinued in 1969, the property was turned over to Monroe County. It was then leased to the Key West Arts and Historical Society. The Society opens the lighthouse to the public and also manages a museum in the former keeper’s house. A centerpiece of the museum is a first-order Fresnel lens from the Sombrero Key Lighthouse. Dr. Cori Convertito is the curator and historian for the Key West Arts and Historical Society, which manages three sites in addition to the lighthouse.
Ralph Krugler co-hosts.
Courtesy of KWAHS
Larry Wright is a national gold medal award winning photographer who has been involved with lighthouse preservation since 1991. He was on the Board of Directors for the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association based in Mackinac, Michigan, for 20 years. Larry has co-written four books about lighthouses on the Great Lakes along with his wife Pat. They are The Great Lakes Lighthouses Encyclopedia; Bonfires and Beacons; Bright Lights, Dark Nights; and Lightships of the Great Lakes.
Larry is currently working on a project called Chronicles of Lighthouses on the Great Lakes. The chronicles have now exceeded 9,000 pages and when finished, Larry says it will be about 12,000 pages. The Chronicles will be housed at a number of universities and non-profit museums and lighthouse organizations.
Piney Point Lighthouse and keepers house, Maryland.
Photo by Jeremy D’EntremontThis episode has three segments. In the first, photographer Pete Lerro describes a photo workshop he will be leading in Maine in October. In the third segment, Judianne Point discusses some exciting happenings at Chatham Light in Massachusetts and Beavertail Light in Rhode Island. Sandwiched in the middle is a conversation about the Piney Point Lighthouse Museum and Historic Park in Maryland.
Ken BurkeIn 1836, a 35-foot-tall, conical lighthouse was built at Piney Point on the north side of the entrance to the Potomac River. It was the first of 11 lighthouses built on the river, and one of only three that survive today. The property was transferred to St. Mary’s County in 1983. The buildings were restored in the years that followed, and the grounds were transformed into a public park. Today, the park, museum, and the lighthouse are open all year. Our guest today is Ken Burke, museum supervisor for the Piney Point Lighthouse Museum and Historic Park. Ben Ridings, curator for Cape May MAC in New Jersey, is the guest co-host.
A replica Fresnel lens is on display in the museum at Piney PointThe beach at Piney PointInside the lighthouse
Concord Point Lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D’EntremontConcord Point Lighthouse in Havre de Grace, Maryland, was built in 1827. That makes it the second oldest standing lighthouse in the state. The conical, 36-foot tower was built of stone that was barged down the Susquehannah River from Port Deposit. In 1918, the light was automated. After that, the property changed hands at least 10 times and for a while served as a rooming house, restaurant, and bar.
The light was decommissioned in 1975, and ownership went to the City of Havre de Grace two years later. By 1979, a citizens group called the Friends of Concord Point Lighthouse was formed. Today, the lighthouse and keeper’s house are open to the public on weekends from April through October. Our guests today are Bill McIntyre, who is on the board of directors for the lighthouse and is also a local historian, and Carie Palmer, who is coordinator for volunteers, events, visitor services, and customer success.
Early postcard of Concord Point from the USLHS archives
Thomas Point Shoal LighthouseThe Annapolis Maritime Museum and Park, or AMM, is devoted to teaching people about the area’s maritime heritage and Chesapeake Bay ecology through exhibits, programs, and events. The museum is also the starting point for public tours of Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse, a national historic landmark. Interviewed in this episode are Alice Estrada, the president and CEO of the Annapolis Maritime Museum and Park, and Bill Cogar, who is the curator of collections.
Aboard the Annapolis Maritime Museum’s traditional skipjack, the WIlma LeeThe Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, in the town of St. Michaels, explores and preserves the history, environment, and culture of the entire Chesapeake Bay region. The museum is also home to the 1879 Hooper Strait Lighthouse. The guests in this episode are Suzanne O’Donnell, school age educator, and Marketing and Communications Manager Eric Detweiler. The museum’s special programs for children and families are discussed.
Hooper Strait LighthouseJennifer Anielski, librarian for the Mariners Museum in Newport News, Virginia, is the guest co-host.
Ida LewisThis is an edited version of an interview first heard in episode 48 in February 2020. The guest is author Lenore Skomal.
Ida Lewis was possibly the most famous lighthouse keeper in American history. She was born in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1842. She became the official keeper at Lime Rock in Newport Harbor in 1879 and held the position for 32 years. Officially, Ida Lewis is credited with 18 lives saved. She became a celebrated national heroine.
Writer Lenore Skomal is the winner of multiple awards for literature, biography, and humor. Her book on Ida Lewis, The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter, was originally published in 2002. Booklist called it “[a] sensitive biography. . . . A remarkable story of an ordinary woman who did some extraordinary things.”
Sea Girt LighthouseBefore Sea Girt Light was established in 1896, there was a long stretch of more than 38 miles with no lighthouses on the New Jersey coast from the Navesink Twin Lights south to Barnegat Light. In addition to helping coastal maritime traffic, the lighthouse served to aid mariners entering Sea Girt Inlet and Wreck Pond. The design of Sea Girt Lighthouse is unusual for the New Jersey coast. It consists of a square, red brick tower rising 44 feet and attached to a keeper’s dwelling.
Jude MeehanAfter World War II, an automatic light was mounted on top of the tower and the lighthouse was decommissioned. By 1980, the building was in a deteriorated state and was closed. An organization called the Sea Girt Citizens Committee was formed to save the lighthouse, and today it’s open to the public. Our guest today is Jude Meehan, who is the president of the Sea Girt Citizens Committee.
Co-hosting this episode are Heather Porter and her daughter, 11-year-old Guinevere, of Kentucky. Heather and Guin discuss their recent visit to New England to see lighthouses, including Portland Head, Nubble, and Goat Island in Kennebunkport, Maine.
Heather & Guin at Nubble LightGuin at Portsmouth Harbor Light
Terry RowdenThis is an edited version of an interview that originally appeared in Light Hearted episode 25 in September 2019. Terry Rowden, a native of Michigan, served as a keeper at Little River Light Station in Cutler, Maine, for the U.S. Coast Guard from 1968 to 1970. Almost four decades later, when the Friends of Little River Lighthouse was founded as a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation, Terry became a volunteer. For ten years, he has been the resident caretaker on the island.
Also taking part in the interview is Bob Trapani Jr., the executive director of the American Lighthouse Foundation. The interview took place inside the keeper’s house at Little River.
Little River Light Station. Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.
Cape May Lighthouse, New Jersey. USLHS photo by James Hill.Cape May Lighthouse stands at the southern tip of the state of New Jersey, on the north side of the entrance to Delaware Bay. The first lighthouse on the site was built in 1823, and the second in 1847. The locations of the first two lighthouses are now underwater. The extant 157-foot brick lighthouse began service in 1859.
The property is owned by the State of New Jersey and leased to the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts and Humanities, known as MAC. The organization raises funds for preservation and opens the lighthouse to the public. Our guest today, Ben Ridings, is the curator for Cape May MAC.
Ben RidingsAlso in this episode is a report from Judianne Point on news from lighthouses in southern New England. Judianne is the first vice president of the American Lighthouse Foundation and an award-winning volunteer for Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse.
This installment features highlights from an interview that was originally recorded in March 2019. Matt Rosenberg is a high school English teacher and also the seasonal caretaker and modern day keeper of the famous Cape Neddick Light Station in York, better known as the Nubble Light.
Nubble Light Station, York, MaineThe light station is owned by the Town of York and is managed by the town’s Parks and Recreation department. Around 500,000 thousand people each year come to Sohier Park in York to view the picturesque lighthouse across a narrow channel of water. Matt is among the privileged few people who actually have access to the island, where he is charge of maintenance and cleanup from spring through fall.
Matt Rosenberg on Instagram
Matt Rosenberg on Facebook
Drum Point LighthouseCove Point LighthouseThe exhibits at the Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons, Maryland, focus on maritime heritage and the natural history of the Chesapeake Bay. On the museum grounds is Drum Point Lighthouse, a cottage-style screw-pile structure that was originally located on the Chesapeake Bay near the mouth of the Patuxent River. The lighthouse was moved to its new home at the museum in 1975. The museum is also the steward for Cove Point Lighthouse, several miles to the northeast. Cove Point Lighthouse was built in 1828 and is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse in the state. The six-bedroom former keepers’ house is available as a vacation rental. Today’s first guest, Kevin Allor, is an exhibits interpreter at the Calvert Marine Museum.
Karen Larson and the first-order Fresnel lens at the Barnegat Light MuseumThe Barnegat Light Museum in New Jersey is a former schoolhouse that houses exhibits on the history of the town of Barnegat Light, the fishing industry, and Long Beach Island. A highlight is the first-order Fresnel lens that once served in Barnegat Lighthouse. Our second guest today is Karen Larson, president of the Barnegat Light Historical Society.
This is an edited version of an interview first recorded in 2019 and appearing in Light Hearted episode 26. Eric Jay Dolin is the author of 14 books and dozens of articles on American history. The book that’s discussed in this interview is the acclaimed Brilliant Beacons: A History of the American Lighthouse, published in 2016.
C. Douglas Kroll, in Sea History Magazine, wrote of Brilliant Beacons: “A must-read for anyone interested in lighthouses or America’s maritime history…This history of American lighthouses is both engaging and enjoyable, whether for academics, who will not be disappointed in the thoroughness of the author’s research, or for lighthouse history buffs who will enjoy its compelling narrative.”
This conversation took place at Eric’s home in Marblehead, Massachusetts.
Seven Foot Knoll LighthouseLocated in the inner harbor of Baltimore, Maryland, Historic Ships of Baltimore celebrates more than 200 years of Maryland’s naval and maritime history. The site’s attractions include the sloop-of-war Constellation, the last sail-only warship designed and built by the United States Navy. Among the other highlights are the USS Torsk, a Navy submarine commissioned in 1944, and the 1936 U.S. Coast Guard Cutter 37.
Lightship ChesapeakeFor lighthouse and lightship buffs there are two historic attractions. The lightship LV116, also known as the Lightship Chesapeake, is a National Historic Landmark and one of a small number of preserved lightships in the U.S.
Alexa PriceThe Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse is a screw-pile structure that began service in 1856 at the entrance to the Patapsco River, on the approach to Baltimore Harbor. The City of Baltimore had the structure moved to its new home on the city’s waterfront in 1988.
Alexa Price, today’s guest, is the public programs manager for Historic Ships of Baltimore.
Borden Flats Lighthouse in Fall River, Massachusetts, was bought in 2011 by Nick Korstad under the guidelines of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act, and Nick fixed it up and opened it up to the public for overnight stays. In 2018, it was bought by Kevin Ferias, who has continued to operate it as a very successful B&B. It’s now for sale, which is discussed in this interview.
East Point Lighthouse began service in 1849 and is the second oldest lighthouse in New Jersey. The Maurice River Historical Society has managed the property for many years. They continue to fight an erosion problem, as well as an entanglement with the lease on the property from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Nancy Patterson, president of the Maurice River Historical Society, was last interviewed in episode 42 of this podcast. She provides an update in this interview.
Carol Connor of Noank, Connecticut, lives in a historic 1865 house in Noank, Connecticut. It also functions as a lighthouse, built by Carol and her husband 38 years ago.
Sandy Hook Light Station, photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.The lighthouse that stands at the end of the long spit of land known as Sandy Hook, on the approach to New York Harbor, began service in 1764, making it the oldest standing lighthouse tower in the United States. The octagonal rubblestone tower stands 103 feet tall.
Tom HoffmanThe light remains active, with the Fresnel lens still in place. Ownership was transferred to the National Park Service in 1996, and the lighthouse is now part of the Gateway National Recreation Area. The tower is open seasonally, and there’s a visitor center in the former keepers’ house. In 1964, Sandy Hook became one of the small number of lighthouses designated a National Historic landmark.
Tom Hoffman, our guest today, is the historian for the Gateway National Recreation Area. He’s also the author of the book Fort Hancock, published by Arcadia Publishing. His association with Sandy Hook goes back 50 years.
Horton Point Lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D’EntremontHorton Point Lighthouse is on the north side of eastern Long Island, New York, in the area known as the North Fork. The granite and brick building consists of a two floor keeper’s dwelling attached to a square, 59-foot-tall lighthouse tower. The building was nearly demolished after World War II, but the Southold Historical Society and the Southold Park District commission stepped in to save it. Today, the lighthouse is a popular tourist attraction.
Mary Korpi, Deanna Witte-Walker, and Ray NofiThere are three guests in today’s episode. Deanna Witte-Walker is the executive director of the Southold Historical Museum. Ray Nofi is a co-chair of the lighthouse committee. Mary Korpi is a volunteer for the lighthouse and a Southold Historical Museum Trustee. She’s also the author of the book The Lady Lighthouse Keeper, a historical novel based on the life of Horton Point’s only female keeper, Stella Prince.
Dianne BallonLocated in the historic shipbuilding city of Bath, Maine, the Maine Maritime Museum includes exhibits dedicated to the past, present, and future of Maine’s storied waterways. For lighthouse buffs, there’s an exhibit called “Into the Lantern: A Lighthouse Experience.” Opening this past February, the exhibit “Lost and Found: Sounds of the Maine Coast” is a collaboration between sound artist Dianne Ballon and the Maine Maritime Museum.
Dianne Ballon (left) and Catherine Cyr recording a fog bell on the grounds of the Maine Maritime MuseumCatherine CyrThe exhibit looks at navigational warning systems from buoys to foghorns, past and present. It investigates the idea of lost and found maritime sounds and invites visitors to reflect on how sound affects our individual and collective memory. Interviewed in this episode are Catherine Cyr, associate curator of the Maine Maritime Museum, and sound artist Dianne Ballon, who is the creative mind behind the new exhibit.
Sally and Wayne WheelerThis is part two of a two part interview with Wayne and Sally Wheeler, recorded in Washington state in March 2024. Wayne is a former Coast Guard officer who founded the U.S. Lighthouse Society in San Francisco in 1984, and he is now the president emeritus of the Society.
The idea for the formation of the Society blossomed when Wayne became the chief of the Aids to Navigation Branch for northern California. Most of the inquiries the Coast Guard’s public affairs staff was receiving involved lighthouses—and Wayne had the knowledge and the books to answer them. He developed a lecture about lighthouses, and one day he went home to his wife, Sally, and said, “Boy, there’s a lot of lighthouse enthusiasts out there. They ought to get organized.” And 40 years ago, the United States Lighthouse Society was born.
Wayne Wheeler in 1983The name Wayne Wheeler has become synonymous with lighthouse preservation and education. He’s one of the pioneers of the lighthouse preservation movement and one of the foremost experts on lighthouse history in the U.S. A 1962 graduate of Syracuse University, Wayne spent 23 years in the Coast Guard in the aids to navigation field. In the early 1980s, when he was the chief of the Coast Guard’s aids to navigation branch in northern California, questions involving lighthouses were always being forwarded to him. As a result, the United States Lighthouse Society came into being in 1984.
In March 2024, L to R: Henry Gonzalez, the new president of the U.S. Lighthouse Society; outgoing president Mike Vogel; founder Wayne Wheeler.Wayne received the Heritage Award from the Foundation of Coast Guard History for creating the United States Lighthouse Society, and the American Lighthouse Coordinating Committee presented him with the H. Ross Holland Lifetime achievement Award in 2004. Today, Wayne is the president emeritus of the Society. Wayne’s wife, Sally, also takes part in this interview, which was recorded in Washington state in March 2024.
Also featured is a new segment on news from the lighthouses of southern New England, with Judianne Point.
Edward Peppitt is the southeast England representative for the Association of Lighthouse Keepers, or ALK, and he produces and hosts a podcast called Keeping Watch. He’s also a fundraising ambassador for Shift MS, a charity aimed at keeping multiple sclerosis sufferers as active as possible.
Ed Peppitt at Happisburgh Lighthouse in England.Ed has written a new book called The Beacon Bike. It tells the incredible story of his 3,500-mile bicycle ride to explore the lighthouses around the coast of England and Wales, proving that a diagnosis of MS doesn’t mean giving up on a lifelong dream. Ed’s bike ride took him to 327 lighthouses over 100 days.
Emily Straight, who is the regular co-host of the Lighthouse Lowdown podcast, co-hosts this episode.
Gene Davis with a fourth-order Fresnel lens from New Dungeness Lighthouse, Washington.The Coast Guard Museum Northwest, located on an active Coast Guard base on the waterfront in Seattle, Washington, opened in 1976. The museum serves as a showcase for some of the Coast Guard’s most important stories, lessons, and accomplishments, and the museum’s extensive archives are available to researchers.
Inside the Coast Guard Museum Northwest.The guest in this episode, Gene Davis, was the planning officer for the Coast Guard district and helped launch the museum in 1976. Gene had also been instrumental in setting up Base Seattle when the Coast Guard took over the site from the Army. After retiring as a captain from the Coast Guard in 1978, he went to work at the museum. For the past 45 years, he has given tours and done research for countless numbers of people.
In 2012, Gene Davis was awarded the Coast Guard Distinguished Public Service Award for his many years of dedication.
Chad Kaiser, general manager of New Dungeness Light Station and a certified lampist, takes part in this interview.
Tony Ashdon (left) with Light Hearted host Jeremy D’Entremont. Photo by John LopezThe guest in this episode, Tony Ashdon, spent 22 years in the Coast Guard including some time as a lighthouse keeper. Tony spent some years on an aids to navigation team that serviced lighthouses and other aids in District One, in the northeastern U.S. He was also part of an inspection team for a while.
He spent a few years as the keeper of the old Deer Island Light in Boston Harbor, a spark plug type lighthouse that no longer stands, and also some time at Plymouth, or Gurnet Light, in Massachusetts. Tony is also an accomplished model boat builder.
This interview was facilitated by John Lopez of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. John also takes part in the interview, which was conducted at Tony Ashdon’s home in Rockport, Massachusetts.
Right: This painting of Deer Island Lighthouse in Boston Harbor was done by Tony Ashdon’s wife, Margo.
The podcast “The Lighthouse Lowdown” was launched in 2022 by two residents of Kansas City, Missouri, Emily Straight and Vince Bailey. To date they have published almost 50 episodes, covering history, spooky stories, and all the “things that make lighthouses cooler than your average tower.”
Emily Straight and Vince Bailey at Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse in North CarolinaEmily is a nautical-loving, lighthouse enthusiast who is excited to spread the word of wicked sea sentinel stories. She is a chemical engineer, and a stained glass artist on the side. Vince is a mechanical engineer and Emily’s partner in crime. In this wide ranging conversation with Light Hearted host Jeremy D’Entremont, topics include the appeal of coastal culture to two people in the middle of the country, past and future visits to historic lighthouses, and how we can get young people interested in the subject.
Left: Emily podcasting from Currituck Beach Lighthouse in North Carolina.
Harbor Beach Lighthouse, Michigan (USLHS archives)The Michigan Lighthouse Alliance (MLA), founded in 2003, encompasses more than 50 preservation groups and lighthouse stakeholders from around the state of Michigan. The purpose of the Alliance is to advocate for the preservation of the historic aids to navigation on the Great Lakes. The MLA holds a conference every two years, and this year’s will be April 21st to 23rd in Port Huron, Michigan.
Buzz HoerrOur guest in this episode, Buzz Hoerr, is the president and co-founder of the Michigan Lighthouse Alliance. Buzz is also the founder and chair for the Harbor Beach Lighthouse Preservation Society, which has worked to preserve an 1885 lighthouse on the shore of Lake Huron. In 2015, Buzz received the Richard L. Moehl Award for Excellence in Volunteerism from the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association.
This is an edited version of an interview that was featured in Light Hearted episode 44 in January 2020. Joseph Smith has been a theatrical performer based in New York City since 1995. His passion is to create excitement and curiosity about history by giving voice to stories that celebrate the human spirit.
He has written and performed a portrayal of Augustin Fresnel, the inventor of the Fresnel lens that revolutionized lighthouse lighting. It is a portrayal of one man’s fascination with “finding the solution to the many questions in the inexhaustible range of science.” He has performed the program at the National Lighthouse Museum and many other venues.
Hereford Inlet Lighthouse (courtesy photo)Hereford Inlet, a break in the barrier islands along the east side of Cape May, New Jersey, was used by whalers as far back as the 17th century. Shifting sands and a strong current made the inlet dangerous for mariners. As coastal shipping and the use of the inlet increased, funds for a lighthouse were appropriated in 1872. A wood frame combined keeper’s house and lighthouse began service in 1874. The beautiful Victorian design was the work of the Lighthouse Board’s chief draftsman, architect Paul J. Pelz.
W, Scott Jett and USCG Lt. PA Felipe DeFreitas, guest speaker at a National Lighthouse Day event in 2019.After automation, the building was neglected and boarded up for nearly 20 years. Then, in 1982, the lighthouse property was leased to the City of North Wildwood, and it was restored in the years that followed. Today the lighthouse is managed by the City of North Wildwood’s Historical Commission. Our guest today, W. Scott Jett, is the city historian and the city clerk for the city of North Wildwood, and he’s the chairman of the Historical Commission.
We’ve produced almost 300 episodes of the podcast Light Hearted in the past five years. Most of the interviews we’ve done have been a half hour to an hour. We realize that listening to an hour-long podcast is not something everyone wants to do, so we’re introducing something we call Light Hearted Lite. In this new series, some favorite interviews from the past five years have been edited down to around 10 to 20 minutes. We’ll still keep posting the longer episodes as well.
For this first edition of Light Hearted Lite, we’re going back to episode one from June 2019. The person interviewed is the award winning writer and illustrator of children’s books Sophie Blackall. Her books have won many awards, and her children’s book Hello Lighthouse, which she wrote and illustrated, won the 2019 Caldecott medal.
Dani and Guin doing what they loveThere are three segments in this episode. First, 11-year-old Guinevere Porter and her best friend Dani, Kentucky residents, talk about their visits to some beautiful and very tall lighthouses in Georgia, Florida, and elsewhere. As they correctly point out, we need kids to get interested in lighthouses. They will be the ones caring for them in the future, and also, visiting and climbing them is fun!
A U.S. Lighthouse Service Chelsea clockIn the second segment, we speak with Patrick Mont, a clockmaker for the famous Chelsea Clock company of Massachusetts. Starting in the early 1900s, Chelsea clocks were used to keep the time at many light stations, lightships, and lighthouse tenders. The company is also famous for its ship’s bell clocks. Lighthouse Service clocks made by Chelsea Clock are now highly prized antiques. In this interview, Patrick talks about what makes the clocks so special.
Guin (L), mom Heather, and DaniGuin Porter returns for the third segment. She interviews Light Hearted co-hosts Michelle Jewell Shaw and Cindy Johnson, along with host Jeremy D’Entremont. The subject is Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse in New Hampshire, a place that is near and dear to all three of them. Included in the discussion is the damage sustained in recent storms.
The seas off the northern California coast are notoriously rough, and no area is more treacherous than St. George Reef, which is the tip of a submerged volcanic mountain about six miles offshore. Construction of a lighthouse on the reef began in 1883. It took nine years to complete the massive 90-foot-tall granite tower on top of a 50-foot-tall base. A powerful first-order Fresnel lens was installed, and the lighthouse began service on October 20, 1892.St. George Reef Lighthouse, California. Courtesy of the St. George Reef Preservation Society. Jen Lewis and John Zimmerman at St. George Reef Lighthouse. Courtesy of Jen Lewis.After a large navigational buoy was positioned nearby in 1975, the light station was discontinued, and the crew was removed. The St. George Reef Preservation Society was formed in 1988 for the purpose of restoring and maintaining the lighthouse. The organization has also provided public tours via helicopter. Interviewed in this episode is John Zimmerman, president of the St. George Reef Preservation Society. Also taking part in the interview is Jen Lewis, outreach manager for the Point Cabrillo Lighthouse. Jen also cohosts the episode.
Whale Rock Lighthouse (U.S. Coast Guard)Walter Eberle with his wife AgnesWhale Rock Light, a typical cast-iron “spark plug” type lighthouse, was constructed at the entrance to the west passage of Rhode Island's Narragansett Bay in 1882 to help mariners past a treacherous reef. Isolated Whale Rock was not a desirable location for keepers, and 16 different men served as head keeper between 1882 and 1909. A 1924 storm sent waves over the top of the tower and did some damage to the structure, but that storm was nothing compared to what was to come in 1938.Walter Barge Eberle, assistant keeper at Whale Rock Light in 1938, was the father of six children. On September 21, 1938, with practically no advance warning, a devastating hurricane was bearing down on New England’s south facing coast. At about 5:30 the next morning, Keeper Daniel Sullivan phoned the Eberle family in Newport. His words were to the point: “The light is gone.” The lighthouse tower was completely gone, and Walter Eberle was never found. He was 40 years old.The base of Whale Rock Lighthouse after the hurricane of1938David Robinson examining the remains of Whale Rock Lighthouse in 2005. Courtesy of David Robinson.There are two interviews in this episode. The first, recorded in 2001, is with the surviving children of Walter Eberle. The woman who did most of the talking in the interview was Dorothy Roach, Eberle's oldest daughter. Also featured is David Robinson, the State Underwater Archaeologist for the state of Massachusetts and Director of the Massachusetts Board of Underwater Archaeological Resources. When he was based in Rhode Island, he was the first person to study the underwater remains of Whale Rock Lighthouse.
The area in Southern California known as San Pedro saw Spanish use dating back to the 1540s. Once a separate township, it’s now part of Los Angeles. After the Mexican-American War, San Pedro’s harbor was expanded and improved. Congress appropriated funds for a lighthouse at Point Fermin, San Pedro’s southernmost point, in 1854. The light began service on December 15, 1874.Point Fermin Lighthouse, California. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.Kristin Heather and Jeanette RodriguezPoint Fermin had the distinction of having two women --sisters Mary and Ella Smith -- serve as the first keeper and assistant. The light was converted to electricity in 1924. The City of Los Angeles took over the property, with a city employee living in the lighthouse as caretaker. The light was darkened after the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, and it was never reactivated as an aid to navigation.The lighthouse is now the centerpiece of 37-acre Point Fermin Park. The facility is managed by the Department of Recreation and Parks for the City of Los Angeles. The Point Fermin Lighthouse Society serves to assist with fundraising, tours, events, and volunteers. There are two guests in this episode. Kristen Heather is the historic site curator, and Jeanette Rodriquez is a museum guide at the lighthouse. A view from Point Fermin. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Mukilteo Lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D'EntremontOn the east side of Washington’s Puget Sound, Mukilteo grew as a port in the late 1800s, with salmon canning and lumber as leading industries. Funds were appropriated by Congress for a lighthouse at Mukilteo in 1903, and construction began in 1905. A 30-foot tower was built, attached to a fog signal building, with two large, separate dwellings for the keepers and their families. The station began service on March 1, 1906. The light and fog signal were automated in 1979.Jerry Arnold and Joanne MulloyThe Mukilteo Historical Society now manages the light station. The grounds are open all year, while the lighthouse is typically open on weekends and holidays, from the end of April to the end of September. There are two guests in this episode. Joanne Mulloy is the president of the Mukilteo Historical Society, and Jerry Arnold is on the Society’s board of directors.
Old Point Loma Lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.Congress authorized lighthouses at several California locations in 1850, including San Diego. Construction began in 1854 on a lighthouse on a high bluff at the end of Point Loma, more than 400 feet above the sea. The lighthouse began service in November 1855. Its active life was fairly short, as it turned out. The great height of the light station was a handicap when low clouds and fog surrounded the bluff, so a new lighthouse was built on the low tip of the peninsula. Darkened for good on March 23, 1891, the original lighthouse ultimately became known as the Old Point Loma Lighthouse. Fresnel lens display at the Cabrillo National Monument, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.Old Point Loma Lighthouse is now a popular attraction within the National Park Service’s Cabrillo National Monument. There are three guests in this episode. Amanda Gossard is program manager for the Cabrillo National Monument. Karen Scanlon and Kim Fahlen are longtime volunteers for the Cabrillo National Monument, and they’re also the co-authors of the book Lighthouses of San Diego. Kim and Karen also happen to be identical twin sisters. Jen Lewis of Point Cabrillo Lighthouse in northern California cohosts this episode.The 1891 Point Loma Light Station. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Cornelia CesariMaine's Baker Island is about four miles southeast of the much larger Mount Desert Island. A lighthouse was established on the highest point of the island in 1828. The early history of the light station is very much tied into the history of the family of William and Hannah Gilley. The Gilleys had taken possession of the island in the early 1800s, and William was appointed as the island’s first lighthouse keeper. The original tower was replaced in 1855 by the 43-foot-tall cylindrical brick tower that still stands today. The keeper's house has been unoccupied since the light was automated in 1957.Baker Island Light Station. Photo by Howie Motenko, courtesy of Keepers of Baker IslandBaker Island Light Station is now owned by the National Park Service as part of Acadia National Park, while the Coast Guard maintains the navigational light. There are Acadia National Park ranger-led tours of the island from Bar Harbor in the summer. Keepers of Baker Island is a nonprofit that was formed to support the National Park Service with the care and upkeep of the island’s natural and cultural landscape. Cornelia Cesari, our guest in this episode, is an island resident and the president of the board of directors of Keepers of Baker Island. Cornelia is also the author of the book Baker Island, released in 2018 by Arcadia Publishing.
Julie Barrow at Pigeon Point Light Station, California. Courtesy of Julie Barrow.California’s iconic Pigeon Point Lighthouse, located on the central coast between Santa Cruz and San Francisco, has been guiding mariners since 1872. Today, the historic light station is managed by California State Parks, and the former keepers’ housing serves as a youth hostel. The lighthouse has been closed to climbing since December 2001, after the collapse of some of the brickwork from near the top of the tower. California State Parks recently announced an upcoming $16 million restoration of the lighthouse, which will begin early this year. During the rehabilitation, contractors will refurbish or replace all the ironwork throughout the tower, and masonry elements will also be repaired or replaced as needed. Today's guest, Julie Barrow, is the special projects coordinator at Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park.Pigeon Point Light Station in 2015. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.Pigeon Point's first-order Fresnel lens is on display in the fog signal building. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.Also included in this episode is one of our occasional "Be a Lighthouse" segments. This past Christmas Day, a very special dinner was served by the fire department in Ogunquit, Maine. Many of the guests were people who would otherwise be alone for Christmas. The Ogunquit Fire Department has also been helping firefighters in Ukraine. Light Hearted host Jeremy D'Entremont spoke with Ogunquit Fire Chief Russell Osgood about these initiatives.Please note: Near the end of the episode, there is a promotion for an upcoming USLHS virtual Zoom event featuring Ford Reiche, owner of Halfway Rock Lighthouse in Maine. In the podcast, it's said that the event is at 7 p.m EST on January 20, but the correct time is 4 p.m. EST. Click here for more details and to register to attend the event.
Harry Duvall and Dan May. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.Harry Duvall enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard in the 1960s and trained as an electronics technician. After graduating from college, he returned to the Coast Guard as a civilian employee based at the district engineering office in Boston. For well over 30 years, he coordinated all the lighthouse automation and modernization projects for the First Coast Guard District. Harry Duvall, left. and RADM Dan May in the lantern room at Point Judith Lighthouse in Rhode Island, in the 1990s. Courtesy of RADM Dan May, USCG ret.Matinicus Rock, Maine, is one of the many light stations automated by Harry Duvall. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.This interview looks back at Harry's fascinating career, with lots of "stories behind the stories" for his many lighthouse projects. Harry's expertise, resilience, and good humor shine through. Joining in the discussion is retired Coast Guard Rear Admiral Dan May. As an ocean engineer for the Coast Guard, Dan worked with Harry on many lighthouse projects in the Northeast. The interview was recorded at Harry Duvall's home in Falmouth, Maine, in December 2023.
A day beacon (or daybeacon) is defined simply as an unlighted nautical sea mark, serving to aid navigation during the day. The U.S. Coast Guard maintains many modern day beacons around the country, but the subject of this episode is the historic day beacons of New England. Some of them date back more than 200 years, and they have fascinating stories to tell -- tales of shipwrecks, pirates, and more. Joining host Jeremy D'Entremont is Bob Trapani Jr., who is the executive director of the American Lighthouse Foundation and a lighthouse technician, as well as an aficionado of all kinds of aids to navigation.Nix's Mate Day Beacon, Massachusetts. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.Bowditch Ledge Beacon, Massachusetts. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.Bucks Ledge Day Beacon, Maine. Photo by Bob Trapani Jr.Stage Island Monument, Maine. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.Fiddler's Ledge Beacon, Maine. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.Drunkards Ledge Day Beacon, MainePhoto by Bob Trapani Jr.Among the Maine daybeacons discussed are the stone marker at Fiddlers Ledge near North Haven; the tripod marker at Shag Rock near Owls Head (destroyed in a recent storm); and the Stage Island Monument near Biddeford Pool. Several Massachusetts beacons are also discussed, including the well known conical marker at Nix's Mate in Boston Harbor; the familiar pyramidal marker known as Ben Butler's Toothpick in Salisbury; and the (recently collapsed) Bowditch Ledge Beacon near Salem.
Little Mark Island—about one acre in size—is in Maine’s Casco Bay, near the town of Harpswell. On the island is a 50-foot tall, stone, pyramidal tower that was built in 1827. It’s known as the Little Mark Island Monument. It wasn’t built as a lighthouse—it was originally intended to serve as a day beacon or day marker to aid local navigation. In 1927, a navigational light was added to the top of the tower. Little Mark Island, Maine. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.Ford Reiche, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.This past May, it was announced that the unique structure would be available at no cost to a new steward, through the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act. This fall the select board of the town of Harpswell voted to approve a partnership with the Presumpscot Foundation to submit an application. The Presumpscot Foundation was founded by the entrepeneur and preservationist Ford Reiche, who has restored several historic properties including Halfway Rock Lighthouse in Casco Bay. Ford Reiche is interviewed in this episode. Bob Trapani Jr., executive director of the American Lighthouse Foundation and an expert on aids to navigation of all kinds, also takes part in the conversation.
Sally Snowman and her husband Jay Thomson on the occasion of Sally's retirement on December 15, 2023. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.At the end of this year, Sally Snowman will retire after 20 years as keeper of Boston Light in Massachusetts, America’s oldest light station. As a civilian employee of the Coast Guard, she oversaw tours and managed the Boston Light Augmentation Program, under which members of the Coast Guard Auxiliary perform various functions at Boston Light. She also has represented Boston Light in numerous interviews and TV shows. She is the last lighthouse keeper in the United States still employed by the federal government, a legacy that goes back 234 years. Boston Light, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.The wedding of Sally Snowman and Jay Thomson at Boston Light in October 1994In 2018, Sally was the recipient of a “Keeper of the Light” award from the American Lighthouse Foundation for "her sustained dedication and outstanding achievement at historic Boston Light Station – and for perpetuating our great nation’s time-honored lightkeeping heritage" Sally’s husband, Jay Thomson, who is a civil engineer, also took part in this interview.
In 2003, the active duty Coast Guard personnel that had been assigned to Boston Light on Little Brewster Island, America’s oldest light station, were reassigned to meet the needs of Homeland Security. Sally Snowman was named the new keeper. She became the first woman keeper in Boston Light’s long history, which dates back to 1716.Sally Snowman (U.S. Postal Service photo by Dan Afzal)Boston Light Station, photo by Jeremy D'EntremontAfter 20 years as keeper, Sally recently announced her retirement, effective at the end of this month. Boston Light is in the process of being transferred to a suitable new steward, which most likely will be the National Park Service. The job of Boston Light keeper is ending with Sally, meaning it’s the end of 234 years of lighthouse keepers employed by the federal government.Sally and her husband Jay Thompson have written two books: Boston Light: A Historical Perspective, published in 1999, and a book on Boston Light for Arcadia Publishing’s Images of America series in 2016. In 2018, for perpetuating our nation’s time-honored light keeping heritage, the American Lighthouse Foundation presented Sally Snowman with a Keeper of the Light award.
RADM Dan May, USCG (ret.) Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.Daniel R. May graduated with a degree in ocean engineering from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, in the class of 1979. During his time as the ocean engineer for the Fifth Coast Guard District, Dan worked on lighthouse projects from Delaware Bay to the Carolinas. Dan eventually moved to Civil Engineering Unit Providence, Rhode Island, where he served as the project engineer for several major lighthouse projects including the relocation of Block Island Southeast Light, the first move of a major lighthouse structure in the United States. Dan retired as a rear admiral in 2013. He is the author of a new book published by the U.S. Lighthouse Society, called Preserving America’s Lighthouses: Memoirs of a Coast Guard Ocean Engineer. Tawas Point Lighthouse during restoration. Tawas Point Lighthouse is located in Tawas Point State Park in the northeastern part of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. The State of Michigan acquired Tawas Point Light Station from the Coast Guard in 2002. Today, it’s one of twelve sites that comprise the Michigan History Center. Laurie Perkins is the Southern Lower Peninsula Historian for the Michigan History Center and she also coordinates the keeper program at Tawas Point Lighthouse. In this interview, Laurie describes the recent restoration of the lighthouse and also the keepers program, which is returning after an absence of a few years.
Stamford Harbor Lighthouse in May 2023. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.The entrance to Stamford Harbor in Connecticut, on Long Island Sound, is obstructed by treacherous ledges. One of them is known as Chatham Ledge. The construction of a lighthouse to mark the dangerous location was completed in 1882. The finished tower, 3,600 feet from shore, was a fairly typical cast-iron "sparkplug" style lighthouse of the era. Stamford Harbor Lighthouse was discontinued as an aid to navigation in 1953, and it was sold into private ownership. Eventually, in 1984, it was bought by Eryk Spector, the chairman of the board of the First Women's Bank in New York City.Dr. Gary KalanMr. Spektor died in December 1998. The lighthouse was sold by his son in August 2023 to the Stamford Harbor Lighthouse Project, a nonprofit organization founded by Dr. Gary Kalan and Mr. Brendan McGee. Dr. Kalan is interviewed in this episode.Judianne PointJudianne Point, an award-winning volunteer for Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse in Rhode Island, is the co-host of this episode. Judianne and host Jeremy D'Entremont chat about recent happenings at Pomham Rocks, including storm damage and a mysterious "something" that appeared on the lighthouse's security camera.
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, North Carolina. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.Alisa Hardin-Lapp andi "Light Hearted" host Jeremy D'Entremont. Photo by John Havel.Cape Hatteras Lighthouse on North Carolina’s Outer Banks is one of the most visited lighthouses in the world. Offshore from Cape Hatteras is a dangerous twelve-mile long sandbar called Diamond Shoals. Countless shipwrecks there led to the nickname “Graveyard of the Atlantic.” A lighthouse was first authorized at Cape Hatteras in 1794, and the station began service in 1803. The lighthouse that stands today began service on December 16, 1870. It got its famous black and white spiral daymark three years later, making it easier to tell apart from other area lighthouses. At 198 feet, it’s the tallest lighthouse in the United States and the second tallest brick lighthouse in the world.Cape Hatteras Light Station was transferred to the National Park Service in 1937. The National Park Service continues to manage the lighthouse and keepers’ quarters, as well as conducting public tours. The Outer Banks Lighthouse Society also actively supports all North Carolina Lighthouses. A major restoration of Cape Hatteras Lighthouse will soon be underway.John HavelThere are two people in today’s interview. Alisa Hardin-Lapp is the supervisory park ranger for the Hatteras Island District, and John Havel is a board member of the Outer Banks Lighthouse Society who has done many years of research on the history of Cape Hatteras light station.
Bodie Island Light Station, North Carolina. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.Bodie Island (pronounced "body") is a long, narrow peninsula at the northern part of the Outer Banks in North Carolina. The original Bodie Island Lighthouse was built in 1847 in a location that is now underwater. That tower was abandoned in 1859 due to its poor condition. The second lighthouse was an 80-foot tower built in 1859, but it was destroyed in the Civil War. The 160-foot brick lighthouse tower that stands today was constructed on the Roanoke Sound side of the peninsula in 1871. A duplex keepers’ house was also built, and a powerful first-order Fresnel lens was installed in the lantern.The first-order Fresnel lens at Bodie Island Lighthouse. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.Most of the light station property was transferred to the National Park Service in 1953. A restoration of the keeper’s house was completed in May 1992. The building now serves as a ranger office and visitor center for the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The most recent restoration of the lighthouse tower was completed in 2013. The lighthouse is open for public tours. Carolyn Wellman, an interpretation park ranger for the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, is interviewed in this episode.The co-host for this episode is Guinevere Porter of Kentucky, and her mom Heather also takes part. Guinevere is 11 years old and loves traveling with her family to lighthouses. She's seen at least 15 so far.In the photo to the right, in front: Guinevere and her brother Ezekiel. Behind them: Heather, Adelaide, and Guinevere's friend Dani.
Old Cape Henry Lighthouse, Virginia. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.There are two lighthouses at Cape Henry in Virginia, marking the south side of the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay. The older of the two lighthouses was built in 1792, and it was the first federally funded public works project of the newly formed United States government. It was authorized by President George Washington and overseen by Alexander Hamilton, secretary of the Treasury. The sandstone tower stands 92 feet tall. A new, taller lighthouse was built in 1881 to replace the original one, which remained standing. The New Cape Henry Lighthouse, built of cast iron, is 163 feet tall and stands about 350 feet from the old structure. Since 1930, the Old Cape Henry Lighthouse has been owned and operated by Preservation Virginia. Rachel Balderson is the site coordinator for Old Cape Henry Lighthouse.New Cape Henry Lighthouse, Virginia. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.Also in this episode, host Jeremy D'Entremont and co-host Michelle Jewell Shaw read excerpts from Jeremy's article Lighthouse Keeper Wars, from the latest edition of the U.S. Lighthouse Society's quarterly journal, The Keeper's Log. Over the years, at the light stations that had multiple keepers, most got along just fine with each other. There were, however, some notable exceptions, as you will hear.Rhode Island's Whale Rock Light is the scene of one of the stories in "Lighthouse Keeper Wars."
The Povyshevs family with their 34-foot sailboat Ellls in the background. L to R: Valeriia, Anna, Stanislav, and Darina.This episode is dedicated to the simple pleasure of visiting lighthouses. The guests in the first interview are Anna Povyshevs (also known as Anna Fox) and her daughter Valeriia (Val). Anna is originally from Ukraine and Val was born there. Along with Anna’s husband and another younger daughter, the family has been sailing from their home port in Stamford, Connecticut, on a mission to photograph all the lighthouses in Long Island Sound. In addition to their sailing adventures in Long Island Sound, the family has traveled widely in New York state and elsewhere, and they have a website detailing their travels - aswegoplaces.com. Val has written an article for Windcheck - click here.Josh LillerThe second interview is Josh Liller, the historian and collections manager at Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and Museum in Florida. Josh is the author of the book The Florida Lighthouse Trail as well as many articles on lighthouse history in the U.S. Lighthouse Society’s journal The Keeper’s Log and other publications. In September, Josh made his first ever trip up the Maine coast to see lighthouses. This discussion with host Jeremy D'Entremont details his adventures and impressions of Maine.
The first-order Fresnel lens from Cape Charles Lighthouse in the Mariners' Museum in Newport News, Virginia. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.The collection of the Mariners' Museum in Newport News, Virginia, includes a vast art collection, boats from around the world, a first-order Fresnel lens from Cape Charles Lighthouse, and much more. Among the museum’s projects has been the conservation of archaeological material from the USS Monitor, the famous ironclad warship built for the Union Navy during the Civil War. The museum is also home to the U.S. Lighthouse Society’s research library, known as the Wayne Wheeler Library. Interviewed in this episode is Jennifer Anielski, the librarian of the Mariners’ Museum.This episode also includes an interview with Ralph Krugler, the historian for the Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse in Florida. St. Augustine Lighthouse in Florida holds occasional Dark of the Moon tours, which focus on the light station’s ghostly legends. In this interview, Ralph tells about a very interesting experience he had at St. Augustine Lighthouse. Right: Peter Rasmussen was the longest serving (23 years) of the keepers at St. Augustine. He is a "usual suspect" in the light station's ghost stories.
The historic twin light station on Thacher Island, off the east side of Cape Ann in Massachusetts. is one of the small number of lighthouse sites in the U.S. that are designated National Historic Landmarks. In 1771, there were nine lighthouses in operation in North America. The original twin lighthouses built on Thacher Island in 1771 were the first built to mark a dangerous spot rather than a harbor entrance, and they were also the last lighthouses built under British rule in the colonies. The two granite towers that stand today, 124 feet tall, were built in 1861 and fitted with first-order Fresnel lenses. The north light was deactivated in 1932.The twin lights of Thacher Island, MassachusettsIn the 1980s, concerned citizens of Cape Ann formed the Thacher Island Association and chose a caretaker to live on the island. The Town of Rockport's Thacher Island Committee in partnership with the nonprofit Thacher Island Association maintains and operates the island, including both lighthouse towers. This episode includes historic audio recorded in the 1980s, as well as audio from a recent visit to the island with co-host Sarah MacHugh. Sarah spoke with Syd Wedmore, chairman of the Thacher Island Town Committee.Co-host Sarah MacHugh (right) on the way out to Thacher Island.Syd Wedmore, chairman of the Thacher Island Town Committee.
O Camiño dos Faros, or The Lighthouse Way, is a 125-mile hiking route in Galicia in the northwest part of Spain. The route passes nine lighthouses, as well as forts, fishing villages, beaches, and important landmarks in the portion of the coast known as A Costa da Morte. National Geographic called the Lighthouse Way an under-the-radar gem, and The Telegraph called it “one of the 50 best adventure vacations in the world.” The Lighthouse Way is divided into eight sections, with an average hiking time of nine hours per section, allowing for time to stop along the way for meals and photos. The route is steep in places and is considered of medium difficulty.A view on O Camiño dos FarosThe organization known as the Association of O Camiño dos Faros was created with one goal: to make O Camiño dos Faros a reality and to preserve the hiking route for people to experience, with maximum respect for nature. The guest in this episode, Cristina Alonso, is the president of the Association of O Camiño dos Faros. She also has a personal connection to lighthouses, as the daughter of lighthouse keepers.Two of the lighthouses on O Camiño dos Faros
The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum campus (courtesy of Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.)The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, Maryland, explores and preserves the history, environment, and culture of the entire Chesapeake Bay region, and makes this resource accessible to all. The museum’s collections include historic watercraft dating back to the 1860s, maritime paintings and prints, ship models, a Chesapeake region folklife collection, and a dozen historic vessels still afloat on the Chesapeake Bay.Hooper Strait Lighthouse (courtesy of Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.)The museum is also home to Hooper Strait Lighthouse. Constructed in 1879, it was once one of the bay’s famed screwpile lighthouses. After its automation in the 1960s, the Coast Guard considered destroying the structure. With support from the Historical Society of Talbot County, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum stepped in to save the lighthouse. It was moved to shore and arrived at its final home on November 9, 1966, and it opened to the public in the following year.Pete Lesher (courtesy of Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.)The guest in this episode, Pete Lesher, is the chief historian and ambassador at large for the museum.
The peninsula known as Cape Blanco, the most westerly point on the coast of Oregon, was named by Spanish explorers because of its high, light-colored cliffs. The reefs around the cape were a hindrance to navigation, leading to the establishment of a lighthouse in 1870. The brick tower, 59 feet tall with its light 256 feet above mean high water, still stands. It’s the oldest continuously operated lighthouse in Oregon, and also the highest above sea level. The lantern room originally held a fixed first-order Fresnel lens.Cape Blanco Lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.The still-active Fresnel lens at Cape Blanco. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.Today, the Cape Blanco Heritage Society works cooperatively with several partners to manage three historic sites on the southern Oregon Coast: the Hughes House and Ranch, Cape Blanco Light Station, and the Port Orford Lifeboat Station. Five people took part in the interview in this episode: Rebecca Malamud-Evans, executive director of the Cape Blanco Heritage Society; Brian and Katherine Zimmerman, and also Mike and Theresia Hewitt, all active volunteers at the lighthouse.L to R: Katherine Zimmerman, Brian Zimmerman, Rebecca Malamud-Evans, Theresia Hewitt, Mike Hewitt.
The Door County Maritime Museum in Sturgeon Bay features the 10-story Jim Kress Maritime Lighthouse Tower.The Door County Maritime Museum in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, is dedicated to showcasing the area’s rich maritime roots. The museum’s exhibits spotlight fishermen, ship captains, skilled craftsmen, inventors, and lighthouse keepers, among others who have contributed much to the area for centuries. Under the same management is the Death's Door Maritime Museum in Gills Rock, which traces the area’s commercial fishing tradition. Among the museum’s most popular offerings are the Door County Lighthouse Festivals that are held each spring and fall. The festivals include tours that highlight all 11 of the lighthouses of Door County and three additional lighthouses to the south. Sam PerlmanIn addition, Cana Island Lighthouse, built in 1869, is owned by Door County and managed by the Door County Maritime Museum. Visitors are taken across a causeway to the island via hay wagon, and tours include a sweeping view of Lake Michigan and the Door County peninsula. Sam Perlman, Deputy Director and Development Manager for the Door County Maritime Museum and Lighthouse Preservation Society, Inc., is interviewed in this episode. Averie Shaughnessy-Comfort, executive director of Presque Isle Lighthouse in Pennsylvania, co-hosts.Cana Island Lighthouse, USLHS photo by Dan Reis.
Christian FiedlerSolargraphy – also called solarigraphy – is a niche form of pinhole photography that stretches single exposure images to an extreme exposure length. Relying on homemade cameras, darkroom paper, and a small pinhole instead of a glass lens, solargraphs allow an image to be captured over months or years. The path of the sun and the landscape appear directly on the surface of the paper.
Solargraph image of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, New Hampshire. The walkway out the lighthouse appears ghostly because it was destroyed by a storm halfway through the exposure.Christian Fiedler, a photographer in New Jersey, discovered solargraphy during the covid pandemic lockdown. He developed “Beacons Through Time,” a solargraph pinhole photography project that has focused on east coast lighthouses. As Christian has stated, regarding what drew him to the project, “With the sun orbiting in grand arcs over the horizon month after month, these beacons through time have endured centuries of quiet and distinguished service.”
The winning dance entry came from Yaquina Head Lighthouse in Oregon.This summer, for the first time ever, the U.S. Lighthouse Society held a dance contest centered around National Lighthouse Day on August 7. Entries came in from ten different states. The first prize winner was shot at Yaquina Head Lighthouse in Oregon and was produced by Sabrina Gorney, who is interviewed in this podcast episode.
In addition to their nature cruises, Bar Harbor Whale Watch in Maine runs regular sightseeing cruises that go near several of the local lighthouses. For years, pre-pandemic, the company also ran occasional all-day lighthouse cruises that passed close to as many as 15 or 20 lighthouses. An annual July cruise was known as the Grand Slam cruise. The cruises were put on hold during the pandemic. The tradition is being revived, with an all-day cruise going near at least 20 lighthouses this September 24. In this episode is a discussion with Zack Klyver, who has organized the cruise; co-narrator Bob Trapani Jr. of the American Lighthouse Foundation; and photographer Mike Leonard, who will be on the cruise to offer photography tips. Also narrating on board will be Jeremy D’Entremont, USLHS historian and host of this podcast.
Dave Waller inside his “do-it-yourself” first-order Fresnel lens.The second segment concerns an exciting project at Graves Lighthouse in outer Boston Harbor. Graves, a 113-foot-tall granite tower on a barren, wave-swept ledge, began service in 1905 with a huge first-order Fresnel lens from Paris. The lens was removed in the 1970s and is in storage at the Smithsonian. Boston businessman Dave Waller bought Graves Lighthouse at government auction in 2013. For the past few years, Dave has been assembling his own first-order lens from spare parts, and that lens has now been installed in the lighthouse. Dave discusses this groundbreaking endeavor with host Jeremy D’Entremont.
Graves Lighthouse, Massachusetts. Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.
Burnt Coat Harbor Light Station on Swans Island, Maine, is one of the sites participating in Maine Open Lighthouse Day. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Maine Open Lighthouse Day is a popular annual event that's sponsored by the U.S. Coast Guard, the Maine Office of Tourism, and the American Lighthouse Foundation. It attracts between 15,000 to 18,000 visitors each year and offers the general public the rare opportunity to climb and learn about more than a dozen historic Maine lights. The event takes place on the second Saturday in September each year. About 20 lighthouse sites will be part of the event on Saturday, September 9, 2023, along with the Maine Lighthouse Museum and the Maine Maritime Museum.
On Maine Open Lighthouse Day, visitors get the rare opportunity to climb Portland Head Light, the oldest lighthouse in Maine. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Bob Trapani Jr. is the executive director of the American Lighthouse Foundation. In this conversation, Bob and Light Hearted host Jeremy D'Entremont discuss each of the sites participating in this year's event. Also discussed is a recent lightning strike at a popular Maine lighthouse.
More information on Maine Open Lighthouse Day
Bob Trapani Jr.
Slip Point Lighthouse, courtesy of Slip Point Lighthouse Keepers
The Strait of Juan de Fuca is a body of water the Salish Sea's main outlet to the Pacific Ocean. Clallam Bay, Washington, is an indentation on the south side of the strait, about 30 miles from its mouth. Slip Point is at the east end of Clallam Bay. A fog signal was established at Slip Point in 1905. A lantern was hung on the fog signal building to provide a navigational light until another appropriation paid for the addition of a lighthouse tower in 1916. The square, wooden tower was attached to the west side of the fog signal building.
The keeper's house at Slip Point, courtesy of Slip Point Lighthouse Keepers
L to R: Karolyn Burdick, Susan Heiny, and Sarah Winter.
Slip Point Lighthouse was replaced in 1951 by a modern tower. Local resident Susan Heiny and her daughter Sarah Winter have formed a group called the Slip Point Lighthouse Keepers to work with the county to preserve the keepers’ house and its history. Also taking part in this interview is Karolyn Burdick, the group’s historian.
The Lovells Island Range Lights, circa 1930s. U.S. Coast Guard photo.
Also featured in this episode are circa 1990 audio recordings of Harold Jennings, son of the light keeper of the Lovells Island Range Light Station in Boston Harbor, Massachusetts.
Pilot Island, Wisconsin. Photo by Tim Sweet, courtesy of Friends of Plum and Pilot Islands.
Porte des Morts, from the French meaning “door of the dead,” is a strait that connects Lake Michigan to Green Bay, Wisconsin. A lighthouse was established in the strait on Plum Island in 1849, but it was determined to be too far west to aid shipping. It was replaced by a lighthouse and fog signal on Pilot Island, less than two miles to the southeast.
Plum Island Rear Range Light, Wisconsin. Courtesy of Friends of Plum and Pilot Islands.
It was still difficult for mariners to determine the exact route to enter the Porte des Morts passage, so in 1897 a pair of range lights was established on Plum Island. The rear range lighthouse, a 65-foot-tall cast-iron skeletal-type tower with a central cylinder, remains standing.
Mary Beth Volmer
Plum and Pilot islands were made part of the Green Bay National Wildlife Refuge in 2007, and management of the lighthouses went to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Friends of Plum and Pilot Islands was formed to work with Fish and Wildlife for the preservation of the historic properties. The Friends have completed a number of restoration projects. Mary Beth Volmer is the president of Friends of Plum and Pilot Islands.
Jeff Gales and Augie
This episode features a wide-ranging conversation between Light Hearted host Jeremy D'Entremont and Jeff Gales, executive director of the U.S. Lighthouse Society (USLHS). Topics include the early history of the USLHS, the Society's move from San Francisco to Point No Point Light Station in Seattle, the passport program, overnight stays at the Society’s properties and other lighthouses, and the changing role of foghorns in today's world -- and more.
Jeff Gales became the Society's executive director in 2005, after time as the manager of Point Arena Lighthouse in California. He is a self-described "lighthouse geek" who is passionate about the past and present of these beacons along our coasts. Among many other duties as director, he edits the Society's magazine, The Keeper's Log, and recruits and manages volunteers. Originally from southern California, he lives in Washington with his wife, Melissa, and their Boston terrier Augie.
This episode features two re-edited interviews from past years, Karen Zacharuk and Chris Mills. For more than 15 years, Karen has been the keeper at Cape Beale in British Columbia. Cape Beale is one of 27 lightstations that remain staffed on the coast of British Columbia. As keeper, Karen maintains the navigation equipment and buildings, monitors weather and sea conditions, and watches for emergency situations.
Karen Zacharuk and friend at Cape Beale
Chris Mills is originally from Ontario, but he has lived most of his life in Nova Scotia. Between 1989 and 1997, Chris worked as a light keeper at 11 different light stations in three provinces on both the east and west coasts of Canada. He was a founding member of the Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society and he's authored two books: Vanishing Lights and Lighthouse Legacies: Stories of Nova Scotia’s Lightkeeping Families.
Chris Mills
Seal Point Lighthouse is on Cape St. Francis in South Africa, close to the southeasternmost point on the continent. At 91 feet tall, it’s the tallest masonry building on the South African coast.
Seal Point Light Station (courtesy of Seal Point Lighthouse)
Construction began in 1874, and materials had to be hauled by oxcart to the remote location. The light station began service on July 4, 1878. For many years, Seal Point was considered one of the most isolated staffed light stations on the country's mainland.
Paul Duval
Wesley Randles
Seal Point Lighthouse has been developed into a major attraction in recent years, with a boutique hotel, a restaurant, and more. There’s also a studio called Salt, with yoga, Pilates, fitness, and dance instruction.
Visitors can also climb the 154 steps inside the lighthouse tower for a spectacular look at the Cape St. Francis seascape.
Courtesy of Seal Point Lighthouse
Paul Duval is the CEO of Petrel Ventures, the company that has developed the light station site. Wesley Randles is the chef and manager of the Nevermind restaurant at the light station.
The waterfront of Belfast, Northern Ireland, is home to one of the world’s biggest tourist attractions: Titanic Belfast, also known as the Titanic Museum. The museum opened in 2012 and attracted more than six million people in its first seven years of operation. In 2018, two important new attractions – the Great Light and Titanic Walkway – officially opened to the public near the museum. The so-called Great Light is the world’s first and largest hyper-radial Fresnel lens -- the largest and most powerful lighthouse lenses ever made. It was originally installed in Tory Island Lighthouse in 1887, and it went through some unusual changes over the years.
The Great Light, photo by Albert Bridge. Titanic Quarter, Belfast CC BY-SA 2.0
Sally Montgomery
Dr. Sally Montgomery has been a science educator for more than 40 years. She is currently a board member of the Commissioners of Irish Lights, a board member of the Titanic Foundation, and a former trustee of the Maritime Belfast Trust. Sally has done much in-depth research on the history of the Great Light.
Focus 244 Gallery, York, Maine
Focus 244 is a new photography gallery in York, Maine. This month the gallery is hosting a lighthouse festival, featuring an artists’ reception on July 22, kids’ activities on July 23, and also an evening presentation by "Light Hearted" host Jeremy D'Entremont on July 23. Shannon Culpepper is the curator of the Focus 244 gallery.
Absecon Lighthouse in Atlantic City, New Jersey, has the distinction of being New Jersey’s tallest lighthouse and the nation’s third tallest masonry lighthouse at 171 feet. The tower was designed by George Meade, who later commanded the Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War. The light went into service in early 1857.
Absecon Lighthouse, New Jersey, at sunrise. Courtesy of Absecon Lighthouse.
Buddy Grover and Jean Muchanic
Buddy Grover
After three quarters of a century as a family station with a principal keeper and two assistants, the light was deactivated in 1933. There was talk of demolishing the lighthouse, but it was saved when Atlantic City took control of it in 1946. The Inlet Public/Private Association was created in the 1990s to rebuild the principal keeper’s dwelling, which had been demolished, and to restore the lighthouse and lens.
Jean Muchanic has been the executive director of Absecon Lighthouse for nearly 20 years. And Buddy Grover has been a lighthouse volunteer for more than 10 years. At the age of 95, he greets visitors in a keeper’s uniform and answers their questions.
The first lighthouse in the Pacific Northwest was established in 1856 on the north side of the entrance to the Columbia River at Cape Disappointment, in the state of Washington. High land blocked the view of the light from the north, so Congress appropriated funds for a second lighthouse at North Head, just two miles north of Cape Disappointment. North Head Lighthouse, a 65-foot-tall brick tower with a sandstone base, began service in 1898 with its light 194 feet above the water.
North Head Lighthouse, courtesy of Washington State Parks
In 2012, Washington State Parks took ownership of North Head Light Station, which is within Cape Disappointment State Park. The lighthouse has undergone a major restoration in recent years.
The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center stands high on the cliffs of the state park, and on display in the center is a first-order Fresnel lens that served in both of the local lighthouses at different times.
The first-order Fresnel lens on display in the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Stephen Wood is an exhibit project specialist, and Alex McMurry is a historic preservation planner for Washington State Parks.
The National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000, or NHLPA, was created to aid the preservation of federally owned historic light stations. The NHLPA program is a partnership that includes the Coast Guard, the National Park Service, and the General Services Administration, or GSA. The NHLPA allows lighthouse properties to be transferred at no cost to federal agencies, state and local governments, nonprofit corporations, or educational and community development organizations.
Sonia Allon-Singh
Anthony Barbati
Kevin Legare
Kevin Legare, Sonia Allon-Singh and Anthony Barbati are realty specialists for the GSA, working out of the GSA’s New England Region offices in Boston. All three of them are involved with the lighthouse properties that are currently up for transfer.
Joe Rivers
The U.S. Lighthouse Society is holding a National Lighthouse Day Dance Contest this summer, and Joe Rivers has written and performed an original song for the occasion. Click here for more details. Joe is interviewed in this episode about his ideas behind the song.
Erie Land Lighthouse, photo by Brian Berchtold.
There are three lighthouses on the Lake Erie shore within the state of Pennsylvania. The first of the three, Erie Land Lighthouse, was erected to mark the entrance to Presque Isle Bay. It has the distinction of being the earliest commissioned light station on the American side of the Great Lakes. The present 49-foot tower was built in 1867 of Berea sandstone.
Erie Harbor North Pierhead Light, photo by Brian Berchtold.
Presque Isle Light Station, photo by Brian Berchtold.
Averie Shaghnessy-Comfort
Presque Isle Lighthouse began service in 1873, and Erie Harbor North Pierhead Light has stood since 1940. All three of these lighthouses are now managed by the Presque Isle Light Station, also known as Lake Erie Lights of Pennsylvania, a nonprofit corporation dedicated to the preserving these historic structures, educating the community on their value, and interpreting them for future generations. Averie Shaughnessy-Comfort, interviewed in this episode, is the executive director of the Presque Isle Light Station.
The 66-foot tall cast-iron Chicago Harbor Lighthouse began service in 1893 to help guide shipping traffic in and out of the busy harbor. A new organization, Friends of Chicago Harbor Lighthouse, has been formed to preserve the historic structure. In this episode the organization's president, Kurt Lentsch, is interviewed by Ralph Krugler.
Chicago Harbor Lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Connie and Elson Small in the 1940s
Constance Scovill Small was born into a Maine family that included sea captains and lighthouse keepers. Connie had dreams of being an artist or writer, but when light keeper Elson Small asked her, “Do you love me enough to go with me on a lighthouse?” she knew she had to say yes. They were soon married.
Connie Small and Jeremy D'Entremont in 2003
Connie and Elson had a 28-year career at light stations including Maine’s Avery Rock, Seguin Island, and St. Croix Island –also known as Dochet’s Island -- and New Hampshire’s Portsmouth Harbor. Portsmouth Harbor Light Station was their first home with electricity, in 1946.
Some years after Elson’s death in 1960, a woman in a social club said to Connie, “How on earth could anyone have any kind of a life in a lighthouse?” That started Connie on a mission that led to the publication of her book The Lighthouse Keeper’s Wife when she was 85 years old. Connie lived to the age of 103, passing away in 2005.
Connie's uncle Loring Myers was a longtime lighthouse keeper in Maine
Connie and Elson Small at Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse in the 1940s
This interview was recorded at the Mark Wentworth Home in Portsmouth in 1997 by Light Hearted host Jeremy D'Entremont. It's been edited for this podcast, and some of the questions have been re-recorded for sound quality and continuity.
Dianne Wolfer’s 2009 book Lighthouse Girl won the West Australian Young Readers’ Book Award for Picture Books. Lighthouse Girl tells the poignant story of Fay Howe, who was the daughter of the lighthouse keeper at Breaksea Island, near Albany in Western Australia, during World War I. In late 1914 a fleet of 36 troop ships left Albany bound for Egypt and Gallipoli. Fifteen-year-old Fay communicated with many of the men using semaphore flags or Morse code. The sight of Fay Howe waving to them from the island became a symbol of hope for the departing soldiers.
Dianne WolferDianne Wolfer was interviewed in Light Hearted episode 96 in January 2021. The original interview extended over two episodes. Also interviewed at that time was Fay Howe’s son, Don Watson, along with his wife Peg and their daughter Denise Rafferty. The interviews with Dianne Wolfer and Don Watson have been edited into a new 30-minute segment in this episode.
Also in this episode is a conversation with Mike Vogel, president of the U.S. Lighthouse Society, and Jeff Gales, executive director of the Society. The discussion touches on the core missions of the Society, but is mostly about the domestic and international tours the Society offers each year. For more about the United States Lighthouse Society and its tours, check out uslhs.org.
Mike Vogel (left) and Jeff Gales
Courtesy of Barry PorterBarry Porter was born into a farming family in Porterville, on the north coast of Newfoundland, Canada. After working as a welder, Barry applied to be a relief lighthouse keeper with the Canadian Coast Guard. He spent the next 23 years working as a lightkeeper in four different locations. He has written about his colorful career in a new book, Adventures of a Lightkeeper.
Barry Porter and his wife Alice at Bacalhao Island Lighthouse. Courtesy of Barry Porter.Stephanie Collins writes in the Miramichi Reader about Barry’s book: “Adventures of A Lightkeeper by Barry Porter is, quite simply, a romantic recounting of the maritime lifestyle of light keeping on the rugged northeast coastline of Newfoundland. Written with passion and great respect for the solitary life such a profession brings, Porter’s book opens the door to these beautiful beacons of light and provides an exclusive tour of these lonely behemoths and the mystique for which they have become famous.”
This is part 3 of a three part interview.
Barry Porter at Puffin Island Light Station, Newfoundland. Courtesy of Barry Porter.Listen to the podcast with this player:
Barry PorterThis is the second part in a three-part interview with Barry Porter, whose new book Adventures of a Lightkeeper tells the story of his 23 years (1983 to 2006) with the Canadian Coast Guard as a lighthouse keeper on the northeast coast of Newfoundland. Barry started his years as a full-time principal keeper in 1984 at Long Point Light Station on North Twillingate Island. Long Point, with its distinctive red lighthouse tower, is one of the 23 light stations in Newfoundland that are still staffed by resident keepers. It’s also a major tourist attraction.
Painting the lighthouse tower at Bacalhao IslandBarry’s next stop in 1988 was Bacalhao Island Light Station, which takes its name from the Portuguese word for cod. Barry spent four years at Bacalhao Island and then moved on to Surgeon’s Cove Head on Exploits Island. Barry ended up staying at Surgeon’s Cove for 10 years, until it was automated in 2002. In 2003 Barry spent a brief period at Puffin Island Lighthouse, off Greenspond on the northwest side of Bonavista Bay. Then from 2003 to 2006, Barry was back at Long Point.
Photos courtesy of Barry Porter
Long Point Light StationBarry’s book, Adventures of a Lightkeeper, is available from online booksellers. If you would like to get an autographed copy directly from Barry, you can contact him directly through his Facebook page. This is part 2 of 3 parts. Listen to the podcast using the player below.
Barry Porter (courtesy of Barry Porter)Barry Porter worked as a lighthouse keeper on the northeast coast of Newfoundland with the Canadian Coast Guard for twenty-three years, 1983 to 2006. Born in the small farming community of Porterville, Barry has worked in several professions, as a welder, a photographer, a lighthouse keeper, and later as the curator and manager of the By the Bay Museum in Lewisporte. His lighthouse adventures began at Surgeon’s Cove Head Light Station on Exploits Island. He also worked at the historic Long Point Lighthouse on Twillingate Island and Bacalhao Island Lighthouse, on an island near Twillingate.
Surgeons Cove Head Light Station in winter, courtesy of Barry Porter.Barry’s new book, Adventures of a Lightkeeper, was published in 2022 by Flanker Press. The book describes the isolation, adventure, and beauty of these places, as well as the history of the lighthouses and their keepers. A chapter is devoted to Barry’s efforts to rehabilitate his beloved beagle, Gypsy, after an accident. Barry is an avid outdoorsman and a proud father of two children. He resides in beautiful downtown Porterville, Newfoundland, with his wife, Alice, and his present beagle, Lucy.
Long Point Lighthouse, Twillingate. USLHS photo by Ralph Eshelman.Barry’s book, Adventures of a Lightkeeper, is available from online booksellers. If you would like to get an autographed copy directly from Barry, you can contact him directly through his Facebook page. This is part 1 of 3 parts. Listen to the podcast using the player below.
St. Helena Island Light Station, Michigan, courtesy of GLLKAMichele and Mark VanderVelde at St. Helena Island. Courtesy of Michele and Mark VanderVelde. The idea for the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association, or GLLKA, was born at a gathering back in 1981 at Grosse Point Lighthouse in Illinois, and in the following year the first informal meeting was held in Michigan. The organization was officially launched in 1983 and it’s going strong 40 years later, remaining dedicated to the restoration and preservation of Great Lakes lighthouses. Since 1986, GLLKA has cared for the St. Helena Island Light Station on Lake Michigan, and volunteers carry out a variety of preservation projects. GLLKA also cares for the Cheboygan River Front Range Light.
Wayne Sapulski with a miniature version of the Point Iroquois Light Station in Michigan. Courtesy of Wayne Sapulski.There are three guests in this episode. Wayne Sapulski is a Great Lakes lighthouse historian, author, and photographer, and a tireless volunteer for GLLKA. He’s also the author of two books and many articles on Great Lakes lighthouses. One of Wayne’s claims to fame is that he has physically visited all 360 lighthouses on the Great Lakes, on both the U.S. and Canadian sides.
Mark and Michele VanderVelde have been involved with St. Helena Island Light Station as volunteers for well over 20 years. In 2019, Mark and Michele received the Richard L. Moehl Award for Excellence in Volunteerism for the countless hours they have contributed in support of GLLKA activities. Wayne Sapulski also received the same award that year.
Elliott Bay, on Puget Sound in the state of Washington, extends southeastward between West Point in the north and Alki Point in the south. The city of Seattle was founded on the bay and the city now surrounds it completely. The bay has served as a key element of the local economy, enabling the Port of Seattle to become one of the busiest ports in the United States. The first navigational light at Alki Point was a kerosene lantern hung on the side of a barn in the 1870s by the property owner.
Alki Point Lighthouse, Washington. Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.The Lighthouse Board eventually recognized the need for something more substantial, and a lens lantern was installed on a wooden post at the point. In 1913, the present lighthouse building was completed. It consists of a 37-foot-tall octagonal brick tower attached to a fog signal building. Two residences were also constructed for the keepers and their families.
The two keepers’ houses at Alki Point.The station was automated in 1984, and the principal keeper’s quarters became the home of the commander of the Thirteenth Coast Guard District. Today, Coast Guard Auxiliarists provide public tours on most Sunday afternoons between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend. Debra Alderman serves as the Coast Guard Auxiliary’s project officer for public tours at Alki Point Lighthouse. She has also been instrumental in outreach events for the Auxiliary across South Seattle.
A fourth-order Fresnel lens on display inside the lighthouse.Information on tours at Alki Point Lighthouse
Facebook page for Alki Point Lighthouse
Email address for information on Alki Point Lighthouse
Point No Point is at the north end of Washington’s Kitsap Peninsula in the small town of Hansville. Construction of a lighthouse at Point No Point began in April 1879. Point No Point is the oldest lighthouse on Puget Sound, and it consists of a square 30-foot-tall brick and stucco tower between an attached office and a fog signal building.
Point No Point Lighthouse at sunrise. Photo by Jeremy D’EntremontIn the late 1990s, the last Coast Guard personnel left Point No Point and the property was leased to Kitsap County Parks and Recreation. The county created the 60-acre Point No Point Park. The U.S. Lighthouse Society relocated its headquarters to the keeper’s house at Point No Point in 2008. One side of the duplex house is the Society’s offices and the other side has overnight accommodations open to the public.
The keepers’ house at Point No Point. Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.There are two interviews in this episode, and the first is with three people. Dave Anderson is the president of the Friends of Point No Point Lighthouse. Lori Raymaker is the docent coordinator for the organization, and Shelly Douglas is a past president. The second interview is with Al Bryant , an architect with special expertise in historic preservation projects. Al is on the board of directors of the Friends of Point No Point Lighthouse and he’s overseeing the current plans for a restoration of the lighthouse buildings. USLHS executive director Jeff Gales takes part in both interviews along with host Jeremy D’Entremont.
Sunrise on the beach at Point No Point. Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.
Browns Point Lighthouse, Washington. Photo by Jeremy D’EntremontBrowns Point is on the east side of the entrance to Commencement Bay, which leads from Puget Sound to the Port of Tacoma. The first navigational aid at Browns Point was a simple post light established in 1887 – two years before Washington became a state. A new square wooden lighthouse began service in 1903, and a fog bell was mounted on the side of the tower. In 1933, the current 38-foot concrete lighthouse tower was built. It’s unusual Art Deco style makes it unique among Washington’s lighthouses.
Jim Harnish and Light Hearted host Jeremy D’Entremont at Browns Point. Photo by Jeff Gales.The keeper’s house at Browns Point. Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.A year after its automation in 1963, Browns Point became a public park. In more recent years, the Points Northeast Historical Society has restored the keeper’s house and has opened it for overnight stays. The Society carried out a major restoration of the lighthouse in 2021. Jim Harnish is a board member and past president of the Points Northeast Historical Society. A 2014 newsletter called him “the glue that holds us all together.” U.S. Lighthouse Society Executive Director Jeff Gales takes part in this interview along with host Jeremy D’Entremont.
George Fox and other volunteers in UkraineGeorge Fox and friends with a sunrise over the Black Sea in Odessa, on Ukrainian Independence Day (August 24)This episode features one of our occasional “Be a Lighthouse” segments, which focus on people doing good in the world. George Fox, who lives in Bethel, Maine, recently spent several months in Ukraine, helping war refugees escape the country to Poland. During his time in Ukraine, Fox transported people west out of Ukraine and brought supplies east. After three separate stays in Ukraine, George says he’s fallen in love with the country and its people. He hopes eventually to go back to help rebuild the country.
If anyone would like to contact George Fox, his email address is georgesfox@msn.com
Jack Graham had a long career with Pennysylvania State Parks, and since 2005 Jack and his wife Tobi have lived at lighthouses all over the map as resident docents and caretakers. They’ve also been involved in historical re-enactment groups since 1976, both as performers and costume makers. Jack also does old-time storytelling as Pennsylvania Jack, performing at venues all around the state. And he is an avid lighthouse researcher who has written dozens of articles for the U.S. Lighthouse Society’s magazine The Keeper’s Log and for Lighthouse Digest magazine.
Jack and Tobi Graham at Cape Lookout Light Station, North CarolinaTobi and Jack have lived and worked as volunteers at such iconic light stations as Seguin Island in Maine, Cape Meares in Oregon, Split Rock in Minnesota, and most recently Cape Lookout in North Carolina. At some of these locations they have portrayed a keeper and his wife in living history presentations.
This is part two of two parts.
Some of the places where Jack and Tobi have volunteered:
Cape Meares, OregonSwallowtail, New BrunswickLittle River, MaineListen to the podcast with this player:
Jack Graham was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A retired Pennsylvania State Park manager, he’s been an active volunteer in many areas of state and national history. Jack is also an old-time storyteller who performs as Pennsylvania Jack. As Pennsylvania Jack, he has performed at events at the state museum in Harrisburg, and at many other venues and events. Jack is also a longtime lighthouse aficionado who has written many articles – around 50 in all – for the U.S. Lighthouse Society’s quarterly journal The Keeper’s Log and for Lighthouse Digest magazine.
Jack and Tobi Graham at Little River Light Station in MaineJack’s wife Tobi Graham grew up in West Orange, New Jersey. Her family spent summers on the Jersey shore within sight of Barnegat Lighthouse. Tobi taught both art and French in grades K through 12 for many years. She is an accomplished photographer and uses her photos to give illustrated talks on wild flowers and herbs, and more recently to accompany Jack’s articles on lighthouse topics.
Some of the places where Jack and Tobi have worked as docents:
Seguin Island, MainePiney Point, MarylandSplit Rock, MinnesotaJack and Tobi married in 1970 and have a son and a daughter, both of whom also have a son and a daughter. Since 2005 Jack and Tobi have served as lighthouse caretakers at sites throughout the United States – 17 locations in all. The places they’ve lived have included the historic light stations at Seguin Island and Little River Island in Maine, several in Michigan, Piney Point in Maryland, Cape Lookout in North Carolina, and even Swallowtail Light Station in New Brunswick, Canada.
This is the first of two parts.
Ida Lewis was featured on the cover of Harper’s Weekly in July 1869Ida Lewis, born in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1842, became one of the most celebrated lighthouse keepers in American history. Her father, Hosea Lewis, was appointed the first keeper of the Lime Rock Light Station in Newport Harbor in 1853, and Ida learned to care for the light as a teenager. Hosea Lewis suffered a paralyzing stroke in 1857. From that time, young Ida was essentially the keeper, although she didn’t get the official appointment until much later. Ida’s rowing skills and courage were to come into play many times during her life at Lime Rock. Officially, she’s credited with 18 lives saved, but the number was probably much higher. She remained keeper at Lime Rock until her death in 1911.
Lenore SkomalThere are two guests in today’s episode. Lenore Skomal is the winner of multiple awards for literature, biography, and humor, with over 30 years of professional writing experience as a journalist, columnist, author, and playwright, and 17 books published to date. Lenore’s book on Ida Lewis, The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter**, was originally published in 2002. The New York Public Library listed it as a 2003 best book for teens.
Nico RaineauThe book has now been optioned to be adapted into a motion picture to be directed by Nico Raineau. Nico is an award-winning filmmaker originally from Mystic, Connecticut. His career began as the assistant to actor/director Ben Affleck on the film The Town, before he transitioned into creative development for Robert Downey Jr. and multiple Academy Award winning producers. Nico is currently producing and fundraising for a new short film that will bring attention to the Ida Lewis film project.
Timothy Mount and Lynne Macco live in the Adirondack region of New York, but they have spent a good part of their lives going back to 2008 serving as volunteer caretakers at lighthouses in far flung corners of the earth. Lynne is a retired physician, and Tim is a professor emeritus of music at Stony Brook University. Both of them are also experienced boat captains.
Lynne Macco and Timothy Mount at Seguin Island Light Station in MaineTheir caretaking experience began with three months at Maine’s Seguin Island Light Station in the summer of 2008. In 2009 they became the first caretakers of Bakers Island Light Station in Salem, Massachusetts for the Essex National Heritage Commission. In the summer of 2013 Lynne and Tim were caretakers at remote Five Finger Lighthouse in Frederick Sound, Alaska. In 2018, they spent a summer as caretakers at the Protection Island National Wildlife Refuge in Washington, working on conservation projects and educating the public about the refuge. In between other caretaking gigs, Tim and Lynne spent three separate stretches as the caretakers at Deal Island Lighthouse in Tasmania, Australia. There they greeted visitors and maintained buildings including a museum, and looked after 10 miles of trails.
Bakers Island Lighthouse, Massachusetts. Photo by Jeremy D’EntremontIn the winter of 2020, the couple served as campus hosts at the Schoodic Institute in the Schoodic Peninsula section at Maine’s Acadia National Park. Then, this past summer, they were the first-ever volunteer caretakers at Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse, also in Acadia National Park.
Bass Harbor Head Light Station, Maine. Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont
Jeremy D’Entremont at Gay Head Lighthouse on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.Bob Trapani, Jr., at Ram Island Ledge Lighthouse in Maine. Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.In this second of a two-part interview with Light Hearted host Jeremy D’Entremont, guest interviewer Bob Trapani asks Jeremy about his decades of experiences in the world of lighthouse preservation, and about humorous and scary experiences in the course of visiting remote lighthouse locations. Bob and Jeremy also discuss the changes they’ve seen in the lighthouse world, and Jeremy names his favorite lighthouses. Jeremy D’Entremont is the president and historian of the American Lighthouse Foundation, historian for the U.S. Lighthouse Society, and founder of Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses. He has lectured at hundreds of venues throughout the Northeast, and is the author of more than 20 books.
Bob Trapani, Jr., who conducted this interview, has been the executive director of the American Lighthouse Foundation for the past 18 years. He is the author of several books and is also an aids to navigation technician.
In this episode, the tables are turned on Light Hearted host Jeremy D’Entremont as he is interviewed by his friend Bob Trapani, executive director of the American Lighthouse Foundation. This is part one of two parts. Among the subjects discussed are Jeremy’s nearly 40 years researching, writing about, and photographing lighthouses, as well as his work in the field of lighthouse preservation.
Jeremy D’Entremont aboard the clipper ship Cutty Sark in Greenwich, England. Photo by Jeremy Hawes.Bob Trapani (left) and Jeremy D’Entremont in the lantern room at Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, New Hampshire. Photo by Ann Trapani.Jeremy D’Entremont grew up on the North Shore of Boston, Massachusetts, and graduated from Emerson College with a BFA in Film in 1979. His varied work experience included several years as a projectionist at the Boston Museum of Science’s Omnimax theater, as well as eight years as a media archivist at WGBH-TV in Boston. In the 1990s he began writing articles on lighthouse history and his first book — The Lighthouses of Connecticut — was published in 2005. He has now written more than 20 books.
Jeremy D’Entremont at Boston Light in 1989Jeremy is the president and historian of the American Lighthouse Foundation, and also serves as the historian of the U.S. Lighthouse Society. He founded Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses in 2001 as a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation, and he has served on other boards of directors including Friends of Flying Santa, the Shining Sea Foundation, and Friends of the Boston Harbor Islands. He began producing and hosting this podcast in June 2019. Jeremy lives in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, with his wife, Charlotte Raczkowski.
Grand Manan is a Canadian island in the Bay of Fundy, about seven miles east of West Quoddy Head in Lubec, Maine. Swallowtail Lighthouse was built on a peninsula at the northeastern corner of the island in response to a number of shipwrecks. The lighthouse began service in 1860 and is one of the oldest wooden lighthouses still in operation. The light station was automated and destaffed in the 1980s. In 2012, the property was turned over to the Village of Grand Manan. A community group called the Swallowtail Keepers Society has a long-term lease to care for the light station. The interior of the lighthouse has been converted into a museum.
Swallowtail Lighthouse, New Brunswick, Canada. Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.Machias Seal Island Light StationLong Eddy Light StationKen IngersollMarine biologist Laurie Murison and her husband Ken Ingersoll spearheaded the initial fundraising for the Swallowtail Keepers Society and the formation of the museum in the tower. Ken Ingersoll is now the volunteer keeper for Swallowtail and also Long Eddy Light on Grand Manan. He’s also one of the country’s few remaining keepers still working for the Canadian Coast Guard, at Machias Seal Island Light Station.
Listen to the podcast with this player:
Kraig AndersonKraig Anderson is the owner and webmaster of one of the most popular lighthouse-related websites on the internet, lighthousefriends.com. Kraig grew up in the landlocked state of Utah and didn’t move to a state with lighthouses until he attended graduate school at the University of California Santa Barbara. After earning his PhD in 1995, he worked for a few years at a high-tech company in the Bay Area, and it was while on an extended assignment from this job to the Raleigh/Durham area that he became interested in lighthouses following a day trip to Cape Hatteras and Bodie Island on the Outer Banks.
After returning to California, Kraig planned a few trips with friends to explore lighthouses on the West Coast, and in 2001, he launched lighthousefriends.com to chronicle these journeys and help others discover lighthouses. Over the next decade or so, he managed to visit every lighthouse in the United States and a good portion of those in Canada. Using historic records and photographs gathered in his travels, Kraig compiled a history of each lighthouse in the United States and Canada to complement his photography.
Screen grab from lighthousefriends.comKraig co-authored a book on the lighthouses of New Brunswick in 2012, and in 2016, he received the “Modern Day Light Keeper Award” from the National Lighthouse Museum. During 2018 and 2019, Kraig compiled an inventory of keepers and other lighthouse personnel for the U.S. Lighthouse Society’s research catalog that includes over 25,000 individuals. He currently serves on the board of directors for the U.S. Lighthouse Society.
U.S. Lighthouse Society Executive Director Jeff Gales takes part in this discussion with Kraig Anderson and Light Hearted host Jeremy D’Entremont. This episode is also available in a video version on the USLHS YouTube channel.
Clare Island is at the entrance to Clew Bay, off Ireland’s western Atlantic coast. It’s the largest of Clew Bay’s 365 islands, only six of which are inhabited year-round. It rises to a height of 1520 feet and is an important breeding ground for seabirds. The family of the legendary pirate queen Grace O’Malley owned the island during the Middle Ages, and many of the O’Malley clan are buried at an abbey on the south side of the island.
Clare Island Light Station, Ireland. Photos courtesy of Sherry FitzGerald Limited The island’s original lighthouse was built in 1806, but it was damaged by fire seven years later due to the careless disposal of candle wicks by the keeper. A new lighthouse was built in 1818, serving until it was decommissioned in 1965. A German pathologist, Goesta Fischer, bought the property in 2008 in partnership with Roie McCann, an interior designer.
After five years of renovation, Clare Island Lighthouse was opened in 2013 as a luxury boutique hotel. It won an award as Europe’s Best Coastal Boutique Hotel in 2016. The property is now for sale. Roie McCann, general manager of Clare Island Lighthouse, is interviewed in this episode.
Roie McCann at Clare Island Lighthouse. Photo by Conor McKeown.
The town of Newport on the central Oregon coast is home to two picturesque lighthouses, at Yaquina Head and Yaquina Bay. Yaquina Bay Lighthouse, a pretty two-story dwelling with an attached square wooden tower, began service in November 1871. It’s believed to be the oldest building in Newport and it’s the only surviving wooden lighthouse built by the federal government in Oregon. A short time later, less than four miles to the north, another lighthouse was built at Yaquina Head. A powerful first-order lens at that location went into service in August 1873. The 93-foot-tall brick tower is Oregon’s tallest lighthouse tower.
Yaquina Bay Lighthouse, Oregon. Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.Friends of Yaquina Lighthouses, a nonprofit organization formed in 1988, now partners with the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to support the preservation and interpretation of the Yaquina Head and Yaquina Bay lighthouses. Amy Anderson is the executive director of Friends of Yaquina Lighthouses, and Andrew Smalldon is an education technician for the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area.
Yaquina Head Lighthouse, Oregon. Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.Absecon Lighthouse in Atlantic City, New Jersey, is hosting its annual “Evening of Romance & Renewal” on February 11th, which is the Saturday before Valentine’s Day. Jean Muchanic, executive director of Absecon Lighthouse, explains what the event is all about. This episode is co-hosted by Jen Lewis, fundraising and outreach manager for the Point Cabrillo Lightkeepers Association in California.
Absecon Lighthouse, New Jersey. Courtesy of Absecon Lighthouse.
In 1990, Goat Island Light Station, at the entrance to Cape Porpoise Harbor in southern Maine, became one of the last light stations in the country to be automated and destaffed. After automation, the island became the property of the nonprofit Kennebunkport Conservation Trust.
Goat Island Light Station, photo by Jeremy D’EntremontA project to rebuild the station’s fog bell tower and the covered walkway between the tower and keeper’s house was completed in the fall of 2011. The station’s fog bell, long on display at the Kennebunkport Historical Society, was returned to the island and now hangs on the side of the bell tower. The Trust now faces a new challenge with the loss of the power cable that provided electricity on the island.
A view from the top of the lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D’EntremontThe lighthouse at sunset, photo by Jeremy D’EntremontScott Dombrowski, the island overseer for the trust, has spent much time on the island over the past 30 years with his wife, Karen, and their two sons, Eric and Gregory. Tom Bradbury is the executive director of the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust. This is part two of a two-part interview with Karen and Scott Dombrowski, along with Tom Bradbury. Also taking part in the discussion is Bob Trapani, Jr., executive director of the American Lighthouse Foundation, along with Light Hearted host Jeremy D’Entremont.
Watch the Goat Island Lighthouse dedication event that took place on October 12, 2011:
https://youtu.be/aZr15o5dXtwListen to the podcast with this player:
Cape Porpoise is a small coastal village in the town of Kennebunkport, Maine. More than a dozen islands protect the deep, sheltered harbor at Cape Porpoise, and it grew into a busy center for fishing and lobstering.
Goat Island Light Station, Maine. Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.Goat Island Light Station was established in 1833 to help guide mariners into the harbor. A 20-foot stone tower and dwelling were built, and John Lord of Kennebunk became the first keeper at a salary of $350 per year. In 1859, the tower and house were rebuilt. The brick tower is 25 feet tall with its light 38 feet above mean high water.
Tom Bradbury, executive director of the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust. (Courtesy of the KPT)In 1990, Goat Island Light became the last lighthouse in Maine to be automated. In 1992, Goat Island was leased to the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust. The light station officially became the property of the trust under the Maine Lights Program in 1998. Since its founding in 1969, the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust has protected about 2800 acres of town land from development.
The Trust has carried out many restoration projects at Goat Island, but it currently faces a new challenge with the failure of the underwater cable that provides electrical power to the island.
There are three guests in this episode, which is the first of two parts. Scott Dombrowski, the island overseer for the trust, has lived on the island much of the time over the past 30 years with his wife, Karen, and their two sons. Tom Bradbury is the executive director of the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust. Light Hearted host Jeremy D’Entremont and Bob Trapani, Jr., executive director of the American Lighthouse Foundation, met with Scott, Karen, and Tom at the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust headquarters in December.
(Right: Scott and Karen Dombrowski on Goat Island)
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The Florida reef lights date back to 1852 when Carysfort Reef Lighthouse was completed under the direction of Lt. George Meade of the Army Corps of Engineers. Sombrero Key Lighthouse was built a few years later, and then Alligator Reef was built as the third of the reef lights in 1873. Alligator Reef Lighthouse is about four nautical miles offshore from the village of Islamorada. The reef is named for the U.S. Navy schooner Alligator, which was launched at Boston in 1820.
Alligator Reef Lighthouse, courtesy of Friends of the Pool, Inc.The lighthouse was established on the northeast end of the reef in 1873, with a light 136 feet above the water. The iron skeletal tower stands on pilings that are driven 10 feet into the coral. The cost of construction was $185,000, making it a very expensive project at the time. The light was automated and de-staffed in 1963. In 2021, under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act, the lighthouse was deeded to Friends of the Pool, Inc., a local nonprofit organization that has held an annual eight-mile round-trip swimming race to the lighthouse.
Rob Dixon, left, and Larry HerlthThere are two guests in this episode, and both are leaders of the effort to preserve Alligator Reef Lighthouse. Rob Dixon is a longtime charter fishing boat operator and open water swimmer based in Islamorada, and he’s the president of Friends of the Pool. Larry Herlth is a metal artisan specializing in incredibly detailed replicas of the Florida Keys Lighthouses, and he’s also a swimmer who inaugurated the Swim for Alligator Lighthouse. He’s known widely as Lighthouse Larry.
Point Cabrillo is in Northern California, about midway between San Francisco and the border with Oregon. In 1908 an octagonal lighthouse tower was built with an integral fog signal building in an attractive building that’s built of local redwood and Douglas fir. Three dwellings were also erected for the keepers and their families. The lantern was fitted with a third-order Fresnel lens created by Chance Brothers of England. It’s one of only three British-built lenses still in use in the United States. Today Point Cabrillo Light Station is a California State Historic Park. The nonprofit Point Cabrillo Lightkeepers Association manages and interprets the site.
Point Cabrillo Light Station in 2015. Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.Jen LewisSometime before 8 a.m. on the morning of January 5th, Point Cabrillo Lighthouse was hit by at least one massive wave that broke open the back doors and flooded the interior of the lighthouse gift shop and museum. There was significant damage to museum displays, exhibits, and gift shop items. The park and lighthouse are closed as the cleanup continues.
Jen Lewis, the fundraising and outreach manager for the Point Cabrillo Lightkeepers Association, was on the site shortly after the damage was done. U.S. Lighthouse Society Executive Director Jeff Gales also took part in this conversation along with Light Hearted host Jeremy D’Entremont.
A gallery of photos showing the damage of January 5, 2023 (courtesy of the Point Cabrillo Lightkeepers Association):
Some video of the waves at Point Cabrillo on the morning of January 5 (courtesy of Point Cabrillo Lightkeepers Association):
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From December 21 through 26, 2022, an historic extratropical bomb cyclone brought blizzard conditions and winter storms to much of Canada and the United States, killing at least 71 people and cancelling or delaying more than 10,000 flights during the busy Christmas travel season. The storm was unofficially named Winter Storm Elliott by The Weather Channel. Meanwhile, a separate storm moved into the Pacific Northwest on December 23. The storm knocked out power for more than 30,000 people in Washington State and Oregon.
The walkway to Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, New Hampshire, was mostly destroyed by Storm Elliott just before Christmas. Photo by Ann Trapani.In Storm Elliott, northwestern Michigan got nearly 43 inches of snow. Buffalo, New York’s 37.5 hours of blizzard conditions was the longest blizzard in the city’s history. As the storm began to exit the United States, it brought the fourth highest high tide on record to Portland, Maine. At Portland Head Light in Maine, one of the most visited lighthouses in the world, damage included a window smashed on the keeper’s house, and a door broken in on the lighthouse tower entryway. At Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse on the New Hampshire Seacoast, the 80-foot walkway that led out to the lighthouse was largely destroyed. Meanwhile, the headquarters of the U.S. Lighthouse Society at the Point No Point Light Station in Washington state was closed due to flooding.
Taking part in a December 30 discussion of the storms were the following people: Jeff Gales, executive director of the U.S. Lighthouse Society; Mike Vogel, president of the U.S. Lighthouse Society; Michelle Jewell Shaw, frequent co-host of this podcast and chairperson of Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses; Bob Trapani, executive director of the American Lighthouse Foundation; Art Greene, chair of the Spring Point Ledge Light Trust in South Portland, Maine; Chad Kaiser, general manager of New Dungeness Lighthouse in Washington; Nick Korstad, owner of the Big Bay Point Lighthouse B&B in Michigan; and Cindy Johnson, frequent Light Hearted co-host and member of the Chapter Leadership Committee of Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses. Interviewed in a separate segment was Kathleen Raftice, director of Fort Williams Park and Portland Head Lighthouse in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.
Waves at Portland Head Lighthouse in Maine during Storm Elliott. Photo by Benjamin Williamson.Point No Point Light Station, Washington, suffered extreme flooding in late December. U.S. Lighthouse Society photo.This episode is also available in extended video form on the USLHS YouTube channel.
Bakers Island Light Station is off the coast of Salem, Massachusetts, a few miles north of Boston. The station was established in 1798 and the lighthouse tower that stands today was built in 1820. The 10-acre site is owned by the Essex National Heritage Commission, also known as Essex Heritage, a non-profit organization that manages and oversees the unique heritage resources of the Essex National Heritage Area. During the summer season, Essex Heritage offers public tours to the light station by boat, as well as overnight stays with a campground and accommodations in the historic assistant keepers’ house. Each year, volunteer caretakers stay on the island throughout the summer. Volunteers Tara and Brian Flanagan have spent the past five summers living and working at the light station, logging more than 1,500 hours worked each season.
Bakers Island Light Station, Massachusetts. Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.Brian and Tara have sailed more than 10,000 miles visiting the Bahamas, the Florida Keys, and the Gulf Coast of Florida, as well as transiting the Intracoastal Waterway six times. In 2017, they had the opportunity to be seasonal caretakers at the historic light station on Seguin Island, off the mouth of the Kennebec River in Maine. They started at Bakers Island Light Station in 2018 and recently finished their fifth and final season there. They are now the winter caretakers for the residential portion of Bakers Island.
Brian and Tara Flanagan in the lantern room at Bakers Island Lighthouse. (Courtesy of Brian and Tara Flanagan)
News of the week December 30, 2022
Historic Portland Head (ME) lighthouse extensively damaged in last week’s storm
The waves from Friday’s storm crashed over Fort Williams Park’s rocks and smashed into the lighthouse, causing extensive damage.
Portland Head, ME – J. Candace CliffordThe Portland Head Light museum’s front room has damage to the counter, register and carpeting from the water.
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Photos: Frozen Lake Michigan lighthouse is breathtakingly beautiful (especially from your cozy couch)ST. JOSEPH, MI – The Christmas week blizzard is finished and we’re looking at a big warm-up this week. That means, now’s your chance to take in Michigan’s winter beauty before it’s gone.
St. Joseph, MI – USLHS archivesYou could bundle up and go out to see the frozen winter wonderland for yourself, or you could leave it our MLive photographers. Photographer Gracie Smith took a trip to Silver Beach County Park and Tiscornia Park in St. Joseph today. Take a look at the gallery above and video below to see what the blizzard made of one Lake Michigan lighthouse.
Click here to read more & see the photos
Pancake Ice Floats Near Frozen South Haven (MI) Lighthouse on Lake Michigan Shore
A Michigan resident captured footage of “pancake ice” floating along the Lake Michigan shoreline in South Haven on December 27, after a severe winter storm brought large waves and freezing temperatures to the area.
South Haven, MI – USLHS archivesDrone footage posted to YouTube by John Flynn shows icy conditions near the South Haven Lighthouse on Tuesday, when the low temperature was 19 degrees Fahrenheit (-7 Celsius). Credit: John Flynn via Storyful
Click here to see drone footage
Want to live on a private island in the Bay? East Brother (CA) lighthouse looks for Keepers
On the surface, it may sound like a dream job.
East Brother, CA – USLHS archivesA charming bed and breakfast on a private island in San Rafael Bay, at the entrance of San Francisco Bay, is now looking for a pair of people to run the operation. The pair will have room and board, access to a boat, and split a six figure salary.
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Showcasing the Michigan DNR: Of Tawas Point (MI) lighthouse keepers and birdwatchers
The sun was already perched high above Lake Huron when I stepped through the mayfly-covered screen door of the keepers’ quarters, down three creaky steps and into my first day as lighthouse keeper at Tawas Point in Iosco County.
Tawas Point, MI – Chad KaiserMy keeper duties were not set to begin until noon, so I decided to spend my first free hours exploring my new temporary home on foot.
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5 Fun Activities at Jupiter Inlet (FL) Lighthouse & Museum
Kick off the new year with a host of family-friendly, history-forward events at the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse & Museum all month long. From healing Twilight Yoga at the Light every Monday to Early Native History on the Loxahatchee tours and Family Adventure Day January 21, welcome 2023 with a whole lot of fun.
Jupiter Inlet, FL – USLHS archivesClick here for the 5 activities
To the Lighthouses: A Path to Nationhood
Instilling confidence among merchants and ship captains was an area in which most agreed the new federal authority could and should act.
Cape Henry, VA – LatrobeOne of the first things the new United States did in 1789 was to take on the operation of existing lighthouses and the building of new ones. Coastal beacons—some in then-remote locations—would become tangible symbols of the new American government, markers of nationhood in both literal and metaphoric senses.
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Lighting the way for 150 years: Yaquina Head, Oregon’s tallest lighthouse prepares for anniversary
The stewards of Oregon’s tallest lighthouse are sprucing up the popular landmark on Oregon’s central coast for its 150th anniversary in 2023.
Yaquina Head, OR – George CollinsThe 93-foot tall Yaquina Head Lighthouse was completed in 1872, but the lamp on top wasn’t lit until the following year because of a 19th century version of, get this, supply chain problems.
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Maritime Museum Exhibit Features Photos of Lighthouses and Waves
Continuing its celebration of coastal living, the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (SBMM) presents The Lure of Lighthouses & Dancing Waves,an exhibit featuring some 35 photographs of lighthouses and waves by Dan Merkel, a renowned and Emmy Award-winning surfing photographer and videographer.
Cape Elizabeth, ME – J. Candace CliffordThe lighthouse photographs include images from Cape Elizabeth and Cape Hatteras on the East Coast and Point Loma and Point Pinos on the West Coast to Portugal and Australia.
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Look at African American Lighthouse Keepers as Seen Through Eyes of Harriet Tubman
In honor of Black History Month, which begins Feb. 1, the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (SBMM) will present two showings of “Keeping the Light: The Story of the Bravery, Heroism and Courage of African American Lighthouse Keepers and Lifesaving Service” as told by Harriet Tubman, portrayed by actor, director and producer Christine Dixon.
Edward David Bland (1848-1927), Jordon Point, VA – USLHS archivesThere will be two performances on Wednesday, Feb. 1; the first from 3:30-5:30 p.m. is designed for children, and the second, 7-9 p.m., is for adults.
Click here to read more
U.S. Lighthouse Society News is produced by the U.S. Lighthouse Society to support lighthouse preservation, history, education and research.
If you have items of interest to the lighthouse community and its supporters, please email them to Jeremy D’Entremont at Jeremy@uslhs.org
Borden Flats Lighthouse in 1900, from the U.S. Coast Guard Historian’s Office.Borden Flats Lighthouse was built in 1881 on a dangerous reef to help guide increased shipping traffic as the city of Fall River, Massachusetts, became an important center for textile manufacturing. In fact, the city grew to become the largest textile producing center in the United States during the 1800s, with over 100 mills in operation by 1920. Borden Flats Lighthouse is a cast-iron tower on a cylindrical caisson – the type of lighthouse that’s often called a sparkplug light.
Borden Flats LighthouseIn 2006, it was announced that the lighthouse would be available for transfer to a suitable buyer under the provisions of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000. There were no applicants, so the lighthouse was at government auction to the general public. The eventual buyer, Nick Korstad, completed much renovation and opened the lighthouse for tours and overnight stays in 2016. In 2018, Nick bought the Big Bay Point Lighthouse B&B in Michigan, and he sold Borden Flats to Kevin Ferias. Kevin, a Rhode Island native, is the media director for New England Laborers.
In part two of a two-part interview, Kevin and Nick compare notes on paranormal activity at the lighthouse, along with many other aspects of owning an offshore lighthouse.
The city of Fall River, Massachusetts, situated where the Taunton River flows into Mount Hope Bay, was famed as the “Textile Capital of the World” in the nineteenth century. A lighthouse was established on Borden Flats at the mouth of the Taunton River in 1881. It took the form of a cast-iron tower on a caisson base, with a fixed red light 47 feet above mean high water. The structure was battered in the hurricane of September 21, 1938, and a new, much wider cylindrical caisson was added around the old one to provide more protection.
Borden Flats Lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.Nick Korstad, photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.Kevin FeriasIn 2006, it was announced that the lighthouse would be sold at auction to the general public. The initial sale couldn’t be finalized, so another auction was held in 2010. The winner was Nick Korstad of Portland, Oregon, who bought the property for more than $56,000 with the intention of fixing it up and opening it to the public. In 2011, he gave the lighthouse a new color scheme with a red band and a red lantern roof. Nick did much restoration of the lighthouse inside and out, and he made it available for public tours and overnight stays. In May 2018, he sold the property to a new owner, Kevin Ferias, who has continued opening it for overnight stays. Nick now owns the Big Bay Point Lighthouse B&B on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, while Kevin just finished another season at Borden Flats. This is part one of two parts.
Website for Borden Flats Lighthouse
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Emma ChoiThe guests in this episode are the hosts of their own highly successful podcasts. Emma Choi is a comic and writer and host of the weekly short-form comedy National Public Radio podcast Everyone & Their Mom. In 2021, Emma joined the NPR program Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me! as an intern. She worked with the Wait Wait team to create the podcast Everyone & Their Mom, which began airing in February 2022. Emma is set to graduate from Harvard University in 2023 with a major in English and, she claims, a minor in tomfoolery.
Kylie LowKylie Low is a podcast manager and content creator based in Portland, Maine. She’s the executive producer of the chart-topping Goal Digger Podcast and she hosts her own show, Dark Downeast — a true crime podcast dedicated to the stories of Maine and New England.
Light Hearted host Jeremy D’Entremont has appeared on Dark Downeastdiscussing lighthouse ghost stories and other topics. The Everyone & Their Mom crew visited Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse in New Hampshire this past October for a segment. In this episode, Kylie and Emma discuss their ideas about attracting a younger and broader demographic to lighthouse preservation.
According to an old Native American legend, there was a giant devil who caused much mayhem in a region that included parts of what is now Westchester County and the Bronx, New York, and portions of southeastern Connecticut. The giant was chased from the area by warriors, but he threw huge rocks at them across Long Island Sound. Some of the boulders landed in the sound and he used them as stepping stones to make an escape. Early maps noted the reefs in Long Island Sound as the “Devil’s Stepping Stones” after the Native American legend.
Bob MullerStepping Stones Lighthouse was built in 1876 to warn mariners of the dangerous rocks and also to serve as a guide into the East River. The light was automated in 1964, and the lighthouse was awarded to the Town of North Hempstead in 2008 under the guidelines of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act. The Town of North Hempstead, the Great Neck Park District, and the Great Neck Historical Society have forged a public/private partnership to work for the restoration of the lighthouse.
Bob LincolnThe lighthouse is in poor condition and is in desperate need of repair. If it decays any further, there is a probability that it will be demolished, and a modern automated navigational beacon erected in its place. Bob Muller is the president of the Long Island Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society and author of the book Long Island’s Lighthouses: Past and Present. Bob Lincoln was the longtime commissioner of the Great Neck Parks District and is the committee chairperson of the Stepping Stones Lighthouse Restoration Committee.
Great Neck Historical Society page for the lighthouse
The port of San Luis, California, developed into a major shipping point in the 1870s. A lighthouse at Point San Luis began operation on June 30, 1890. The beautiful Victorian building consists of a square wooden tower attached to a keeper’s dwelling. The Point San Luis Lighthouse Keepers, a dedicated group of preservationists established in 1995, spearheaded a 15-year restoration effort that led to the lighthouse being opened to the public. Docent-led tours are available year-round.
Point San Luis (San Luis Obispo) Light Station in 1894. (U.S. Coast Guard Historian’s Office)Kathy Mastako is a docent and historian for the Point San Luis Lighthouse Keepers. She has written numerous articles for the organization’s newsletter, for the Avila Beach Life newspaper, Lighthouse Digest magazine, and for the U.S. Lighthouse Society’s quarterly journal, The Keeper’s Log. Kathy’s new book The Lighthouse at Point San Luis, has just been published by the U.S. Lighthouse Society. The book tells the stories of the keepers and families at the Point San Luis Light Station, civilian and Coast Guard, from 1890 to its 1975 automation.
Buy the book on Amazon
The Light Hearted podcast was launched in June 2019 to serve as a place for the exchange of information and ideas about lighthouses in the United States and around the world. Since then, there have been 200 numbered episodes, plus more than a dozen "special editions." This episode celebrates episode 200 with comments from many guests who have appeared on the podcast previously.
Many guests from past episodes contributed messages for this special 200th episode.
Cindy Johnson
Michelle Jewell Shaw
Jeremy D'Entremont
Also included: host Jeremy D'Entremont asks co-hosts Michelle Jewell Shaw and Cindy Johnson why lighthouses still matter. There's also a discussion of the podcast with U.S. Lighthouse Society Executive Director Jeff Gales. And, of course, blooper reels!
Armand Houde was born in Fall River, Massachusetts, in 1927. He served in the U.S. Navy on the USS Gage and took part in the Battle of Iwo Jima, receiving a WWII Victory Medal, American Theatre Ribbon, and Asiatic Pacific Area Ribbon with Star, and various other medals. Houde continued in the Coast Guard after World War II and served at several shore stations and on several vessels, including the Handkerchief Shoal Lightship, before coming to Portland Head Light Station in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.
Portland Head Light Station, Maine. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
He was at Portland Head from March 1963 to October 1965, and then served as keeper at Annisquam Light Station in Gloucester, Massachusetts, from October 1965 to November 1967. His later Coast Guard experience included more time on lightships and at stations on Cape Cod. Armand Houde retired from the Coast Guard in 1978, and he died in August 2000 in Pompano Beach, Florida.
Annisquam Light Station, Massachusetts. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
In this interview, Houde's children Janice Reynolds and Ed Houde recall their family's time living at light stations and other aspects of their father's career.
Ed Houde and Janice Reynolds. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Four light stations were established on Maine's Kennebec River in 1898, on the approach to the busy shipbuilding center of Bath. The keeper's house at one of the stations, Doubling Point, was sold to a private owner in 1935. The house has been owned for many years by Jim and Joyce Spencer, who also spearheaded the formation of the nonprofit Friends of Doubling Point Light in the late 1990s.
The front range light of the Kennebec River (Doubling Point) Range Lights, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
In 1982, Coast Guard first class boatswain's mate Karen McLean became the officer in charge at the Kennebec River Range Lights Station (also known as the Doubling Point Range Lights). In that position, she was also in charge of the light stations at Squirrel Point and Doubling Point. She was one of the first women and the last female to become officer-in-charge of a Coast Guard family light station. In early 1987, Karen's husband, Lt. Dan McLean, took charge of the station. Karen and Dan have now stepped into lead roles for the Friends of Doubling Point Light.
This is part two of a two-part interview with Jim and Joyce Spencer along with Karen and Dan McLean. Bob Trapani, Jr., executive director of the American Lighthouse Foundation, co-hosts.
November 4, 2022
This is a special bonus episode of Light Hearted. The subject is a new play called A Safe Passage, being performed in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, from November 4 through November 13. The play, which is definitely of interest to lighthouse fans, is presented by Glass Dove Productions at the Players Ring Theatre in Portsmouth.
The Players Ring Theatre is located at Prescott Park on the waterfront of Portsmouth. Since 1992, it’s been a center for the production of new and original plays by regional artists.
Andrew Codispoti and Emily Karel in A Safe Passage (Courtesy of the Players Ring)
Here is a description of the play: “New Years Eve, Ireland, 1979. Christy, a lonely lighthouse keeper, is not entirely certain he wants to see 1980. He has lost his wife, his daughter, and his will to go on. But when he sees a young woman on the rocks poised to jump into the sea, he races into the storm to pull her back from the brink. But Christy is about to realize that the woman is not what she seems and this final rescue is much more than he bargained for.”
Irene Kelleher, who wrote “A Safe Passage,” has said, “’A Safe Passage’ was born out of my stay at an Irish lighthouse. It is a story of lost and found. A story of two people, extremely different, who have found themselves isolated and adrift from the rest of the world. A story of Christy the lightkeeper, who shines a ceaseless vigil for all at sea but is lost himself, and the young woman who does not want to be saved.”
The interview in this podcast episode is with two people involved in the production – the director, Catherine Stewart, and Emily Karel, who co-stars in the play and is also a producer.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/0kHznAtId8Y
The city of Bath, Maine, on the Kennebec River, has long been known as the City of Ships. By 1800, Bath’s shipyards were producing vessels used in domestic and international trade. Doubling Point Lighthouse was established in 1898 on the northwest end of Arrowsic Island, at a sharp double bend in the Kennebec River, near the shipyards of Bath. It was one of several aids to navigation built on the river in the same year.
Doubling Point Lighthouse, Maine. In the background is the Bath Iron Works, a subsidiary of General Dynamics -- one of the largest defense contractors in the world and one of the largest employers in the state of Maine. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
In 1935, the keeper's house at Doubling Point was sold to a private owner. The keeper at the range light station a short distance away became responsible for both stations. Responsibility for looking after the light later went to the keeper at Squirrel Point Light Station in 1980. Beginning in the early 1980s, Doubling Point Light was again monitored from the Doubling Point Range Lights Station. It became the job of one keeper to look after the Range Lights, Doubling Point Light, and Squirrel Point Light, as well as their fog signals. For a few years, this job was performed by Coast Guard Boatswain Mate Karen McLean, one of a very small number of female Coast Guard lighthouse keepers.
L to R: Dan and Karen McLean; Jim and Joyce Spencer. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
This is part 1 of 2 parts. The guests in this episode are Karen and Dan McLean, who are now taking the lead roles in the Friends of Doubling Point Light organization. Also joining in the interview is Jim Spencer, founder of Friends of Doubling Point Light, and his wife Joyce. Jim and Joyce are the longtime owners and residents of the keeper’s house at Doubling Point. This episode is co-hosted by Bob Trapani, Jr., executive director of the American Lighthouse Foundation.
Patricia Heyer is a history buff with an interest in coastal folklore as well as research and marine science. She has written extensively for both children and adults during her career. She coauthored Shark Attacks of the New Jersey Shore: A History with her husband, Robert, in 2020. In 2021, Shark Attacks of New York: A History was released, as was Ghosts Along the Navesink and Shrewsbury Rivers.
Pat’s new book, Haunted Jersey Shore: Beaches, Boardwalks, and Lighthouses was published by the History Press in August. In the book, she uncovers the eerie mysteries that shroud many of the New Jersey shore's iconic landmarks, including the lighthouses at Navesink, Cape May, Barnegat, Sandy Hook, and others.
Cape May Lighthouse
Sandy Hook Lighthouse
Barnegat Lighthouse U.S. Lighthouse Society photos
Pat is an avid reader, beachcomber, and animal rescue supporter. She lives on the Jersey shore with her husband and their rescue cat, Gracie.
October 16, 2022
This is part two of a two-part interview with three people involved with the preservation of historic Wood Island Light Station near Biddeford Pool in southern Maine. Brad Coupe is one of the founders of Friends of Wood Island Lighthouse and served as its longtime chairperson, and George Bruns is the current chairperson. Richard Parsons serves as the group's historian and his new book, Wood Island Lighthouse: Stories from the Edge of the Sea, was published this year by the History Press.
Wood Island Lighthouse, Maine. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Sarah MacHugh co-hosts with Light Hearted host Jeremy D'Entremont. Episodes 194 and 195 are also available in video versions on the USLHS YouTube channel.
Early 1900s postcard of Wood Island Light Station
The boat ride to Wood Island from Biddeford Pool
October 9, 2022
Maine's Wood Island, about 35 acres in size, is about two miles east of the entrance to the Saco River and less than a mile from the village known as Biddeford Pool. Congress appropriated $5,000 for a lighthouse on Wood Island in March 1806 and the light began service in 1808. The 1808 tower lasted until 1839, when a new 44-foot conical rubblestone tower was built. Keeper Thomas Orcutt’s dog, Sailor, achieved widespread fame in the late 1800s and early 1900s because of his habit of pulling a rope with his teeth to sound the station's fog bell for every passing vessel.
Wood Island Light Station, Maine. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
In 2003, a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation called Friends of Wood Island Lighthouse was formed to care for the light station. The group has been working for a full restoration of the lighthouse tower, keeper’s house, and other buildings. In the summer season, boat tours are offered to the island and light station from Biddeford Pool.
Keeper Thomas Orcutt's dog, Sailor, became famous for ringing the fog bell at Wood Island. Courtesy of the Friends of Wood Island Lighthouse, a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation.
Three people are interviewed in this episode. Brad Coupe is one of the founders of Friends of Wood Island Lighthouse and served as its longtime chairperson, and George Bruns is the current chairperson. Richard Parsons serves as the group's historian and his new book, Wood Island Lighthouse: Stories from the Edge of the Sea, was published this year by the History Press.
This episode is also available in a video version on the USLHS YouTube channel, with added video clips featuring co-host Sarah MacHugh at Wood Island. This is part one of two parts; part two will be posted on October 16.
The climb up the lighthouse tower at Wood Island
Port Washington, Wisconsin, is located on Lake Michigan's western shore, just a few miles north of Milwaukee. Port Washington’s first lighthouse was established in 1849, with a tower and keeper’s house built of Cream City brick. The lighthouse was rebuilt in 1860. This time, a short square tower was installed on the southern gable of a two-story dwelling, again made of local Cream City brick. A new Port Washington Pierhead Light was established nearby in 1889. Eventually it was realized that only one light was needed, and the 1860 lighthouse was deactivated in 1903. The lighthouse tower was eventually removed from the top of the structure.
Port Washington Lighthouse, Wisconsin. USLHS photo by Tom Tag.
Because the Port Washington area was home to many immigrants from Luxembourg, in 2000 the Luxembourg Minister of Sites and Monuments visited the area. Seeing the condition of the lighthouse, he offered, on behalf of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, to restore the lighthouse to its original appearance by installing a replacement tower. The Port Washington Historical Society raised additional funds for restoration, and a new tower was installed in 2002. The restored lighthouse contains a museum of lighthouse keeping life, managed by the Port Washington Historical Society.
L to R: Andrea Cole, Patrick Curtiss, and Dawn St. George. (Courtesy of Port Washington Historical Society)
Dawn St. George is the executive director of the Port Washington Historical Society. Patrick Curtiss is a board member of the society. He’s also the lighthouse manager and he’s the author of a new book, The Light on the House at the Top of the Stairs. And Andrea Cole is a board member as well as the volunteer coordinator for the light station.
International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend, or ILLW, is an annual event held on the third full weekend of August each year. The event was the brainchild of John Forsyth and Mike Dalrymple who were members of the Ayr Amateur Radio Group in Scotland. The event started in 1998 and has developed into an international gathering of amateur radio operators from an estimated 95 countries. In Britain the Association of Lighthouse Keepers, or ALK, conducts International Lighthouse Heritage Weekend on the same weekend as the ILLW in August. The ILLW is currently managed by an Australian amateur radio operator, Kevin Mulcahy, who has been involved since 1998.
On August 20 of this year, two amateur radio operators broadcast from Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse on the New Hampshire Seacoast, Randall Bashta and Patrick Morrison. They are interviewed in this episode.
Randall Bashta at Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse
Patrick Morrison positions an antenna at Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse
Valentia Island is on the southwest coast of Ireland, in the southwest part of County Kerry. The island’s lighthouse, built on the grounds of a 17th century fort at Cromwell Point, began service in February 1841. The stone tower stands 49 feet tall, and the adjacent keeper’s house is a concrete building constructed in 1910. Valentia Island’s last light keeper, Harry Staniforth, and his family were the last residents of the station, leaving when the lighthouse was automated in 1947.
Valentia Island Lighthouse, Ireland. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
The house is now fully restored as a museum, and visitors get to climb the lighthouse tower for a spectacular 360-degree view of the wild Atlantic. The light itself remains active and is maintained by the Commissioners of Irish Lights. Lucian Horvat is the project manager for the Valentia Island Development Company, which has been developing the light station as a tourist destination in collaboration with the Commissioners of Irish Lights and the Kerry County Council. Valentia Island Lighthouse is one of the founding members of the Great Lighthouses of Ireland, a branded partnership established in 2016.
Lucian Horvat speaking to a tour group at Valentia Island Light Station. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
USLHS Executive Director Jeff Gales co-hosts this episode, which will also be available as a video presentation on the USLHS YouTube channel.
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The Cape Cod Maritime Museum in Hyannis, Massachusetts, focuses on Cape Cod's rich maritime history, along with boat building, yachting, and nautical art. The museum strives to enable audiences of all ages to understand and enjoy maritime culture through exhibitions, public events, and educational programs. Exhibits focus on the cod fishing industry and whaling, the history of navigation, the shellfish of Cape Cod, and more. There’s also an extensive scrimshaw collection and historic Cape Cod wooden boats.
There’s a lecture series and other offerings including a Young Mariners summer program for kids and a boatbuilding program. The museum is developing a new exhibit on lighthouses that opens on October 20. Emily Sullivan, the museum's curator, is interviewed in this episode.
The lighthouse at Verona Beach in New York was one of three built on Oneida Lake to aid navigation in conjunction with the opening of the Barge Canal as part of the Erie Canal system in 1918. In 1920, New York State created its own department for managing navigational aids, including a program for hiring lighthouse keepers. New York is the only state to ever maintain its own aids to navigation department.
Verona Beach Lighthouse, New York. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
The Verona Beach Lighthouse Association was formed in 2002 to save the lighthouse, which had become a popular site for dumping trash. More than 150 truckloads of debris were removed and the windows and entry door were replaced. As part of their “Reimagine the Canal Program,” the New York Power Authority and Canal Corporation had Verona Beach Lighthouse renovated and illuminated with LED lighting in 2021. Terri Knight is a founder and longtime volunteer for the Verona Beach Lighthouse Association, and Bruce Woodward has served as the group’s treasurer.
L to R: Bruce Woodward, "Light Hearted" host Jeremy D'Entremont, and Terri Knight. Photo by Jim Malone.
Scituate Lighthouse, Massachusetts. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
The town of Scituate, on Boston’s South Shore, developed a significant fishing industry by the late eighteenth century and local citizens petitioned the town's selectmen for a lighthouse in 1807. A stone tower was built at Cedar Point, and Scituate Lighthouse went into service in April 1812. When the second lighthouse at Minot's Ledge -- offshore from Scituate -- was lighted on November 15, 1860, Scituate Light went dark on the same night, seemingly forever.
The Italian freighter Etrusco grounded near Scituate Lighthouse in March 1956.
Bob Gallagher has been resident caretaker of Scituate Lighthouse since 2009. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
David Ball has been a volunteer for the Scituate Historical Society since the 1980s. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
The lighthouse property was sold to the Town of Scituate in 1917, and in 1968 custody of the site was awarded to the Scituate Historical Society. The Society had the lighthouse relighted as a private aid to navigation in 1994.
The grounds around the lighthouse are open all year, and the lighthouse is sometimes opened for special open houses.
The interview in this episode was recorded at the Scituate Maritime and Irish Mossing Museum, and it includes three people. David Ball is the former president of the Scituate Historical Society and the author of a book on Cedar Point and the lighthouse. Bob Chessia is a Scituate resident and the new president of the historical society. And Bob Gallagher has been the resident caretaker, or modern-day keeper, of Scituate Light since 2009. He’s also a high school history teacher.
Bob Chessia is the president of the Scituate Historical Society. (Courtesy of the Scituate Historical Society)
Benn Trask has more than twenty years of teaching experience, mostly as a middle-school history teacher. He holds an undergraduate degree in education and a master’s degree in history, both from Virginia Tech. Following Virginia Tech, he served as a communications officer in the Marine Corps. In 1987, he returned to graduate school, earning a master’s degree in library science from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
Old Point Comfort Lighthouse, Virginia. USLHS photo by Ralph Eshelman.
Benn Trask
Prior to teaching, he was the librarian and a curator at The Mariners’ Museum in Newport News. His exhibits, presentations and publications revolve around yellow fever, the American Civil War, maritime affairs, and African American history. From 2013 to 2021, he worked as a deckhand and narrator on the Miss Hampton II harbor cruise boat. On this floating classroom, he shared with visitors the story of five light stations in the Hampton Roads area.
He's currently writing a book for the History Press on 11 lighthouses of southeastern Virginia. The book will include information on some of the African American keepers in Virginia, and Benn is also writing an article on that topic for the U.S. Lighthouse Society’s journal, The Keeper’s Log. A Navy brat and a long-time resident of Hampton, he enjoys writing, exercising, origami, and of course, history road trips.
William Roscoe Davis (right) was one of many African American light keepers in southeastern Virginia. He was the keeper at Old Point Comfort 1870-78.
(USLHS archives)
Courage Like Kate: The True Story of a Girl Lighthouse Keeper is a new children’s picture book biography based on the life of Kate Moore, a lighthouse keeper in the 19th century at Fayerweather Island in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The book is written by Anna Crowley Redding and beautifully illustrated by Emily Sutton.
Anna Crowley Redding
As an investigative TV reporter, Anna Crowley Redding received multiple Edward R. Murrow awards and an Emmy Award, and was recognized by the Associated Press. Anna’s debut young adult nonfiction book Google It: A History of Google explored the extraordinary tale of the startup of one of the world’s most innovative companies. Her other books include Elon Musk: A Mission to Save the World and Black Hole Chasers: The Amazing True Story of an Astronomical Breakthrough. She’s written several picture books for children, including Rescuing the Declaration of Independence, Chowder Rules! The True Story of an Epic Food Fight, and The Gravity Tree. Anna and her two boys live near Portland, Maine.
From "Courage Like Kate"
This podcast episode is also being posted in a video version on the USLHS YouTube channel.
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Here is a description of the classic children's book The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch, written by Ronda Armitage and illustrated by David Armitage: “Every day, Mr Grinling, the lighthouse keeper, cleans and polishes his light to make sure it shines brightly at night. At lunchtime he tucks into a delicious and well-deserved lunch, prepared by his wife. But Mr Grinling isn't the only one who enjoys the tasty food. Will Mrs Grinling think of a way to stop the greedy seagulls from stealing the lighthouse keeper's lunch?” There have been a number of sequel books to The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch, which was originally published in 1977.
Ronda Armitage, originally from New Zealand, first went to England in 1966. Her husband, David, was born in Tasmania. In the late 1970s, they moved to England to stay. Ronda was a primary school teacher for several years and she is a trained counsellor, specializing in family therapy. She has written more than 30 books including several non-fiction books for older students. Most of Ronda’s children’s books are illustrated by her husband, David, who is an artist. In addition to his work as a children’s book illustrator, David Armitage is regarded as one of the UK’s leading abstract artists.
Beachy Head Lighthouse, England. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
This interview was conducted at the Belle Tout Lighthouse in England in July. Belle Tout is about a mile from Beachy Head Lighthouse, which was the inspiration for The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch and its many sequels.
https://youtu.be/mFdXeQeyWxU
South Foreland Lighthouse is located on the famous White Cliffs of Dover in southeastern England, overlooking the English Channel with a view to France on clear days. The cliff face, which reaches a height of 350 feet, is composed of white chalk accented by streaks of black flint. The dangers posed to shipping by the offshore obstacle known as Goodwin Sands led to the establishment of two lighthouses at South Foreland in 1635. The structures were rebuilt in the 1790s, and then Trinity House, England’s lighthouse authority, purchased the property. The lighthouse that stands at South Foreland today was built in 1842.
South Foreland Lighthouse, England. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
In the 1850s, Michael Faraday, acting as a scientific advisor to Trinity House, was exploring the feasibility of electric light being used in lighthouses. A trial was conducted at South Foreland in 1858, making it the first lighthouse to use electric light. In 1898 South Foreland Lighthouse was used by Guglielmo Marconi during his work on radio waves. He received the first ship-to-shore message from the East Goodwin lightship on Christmas Eve that year, and in 1899 the first international transmission was made between the lighthouse and France.
A view from the top of South Foreland Lighthouse. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
The light was automated in 1969, and it was discontinued in 1988. A short time later, ownership was transferred to the National Trust. The site is open to the public, and most people visit by walking a trail along the cliffs from Dover. There’s also a popular teahouse at the light station. Charles Franklyn lives in Deal, Kent, not far from South Foreland, and he’s been a volunteer tour guide at the lighthouse for 18 years.
https://youtu.be/12EUVeyvsNw Video by Charles Franklyn of the celebration of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee at South Foreland in June 2022.
Fantastic Atlantic Salmon fishing has long been a prime attraction at the mouth of the Salmon River in New York, at the eastern end of Lake Ontario. In the early 1830s it was determined that the harbor at the mouth of the river could accommodate as many as 30 ships, and a lighthouse was established in 1838. The lighthouse was built with stone from a local quarry and took the form of a two-story keeper’s house with an octagonal tower mounted on its roof. It was topped by a so-called birdcage-style lantern room, which remains in place today. Inside the lantern room was a sixth-order Fresnel lens.
Selkirk Lighthouse, New York. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
There was a proposal for a canal that would have connected the Salmon River to Erie Canal system, but it never came to be. The importance of the harbor faded and the lighthouse was deactivated in 1859. In 1895 the lighthouse was auctioned by the government and sold for $155. The buyer, Leopold Joh, incorporated the building into a hotel complex. The next owners, the Heckle family, doubled the size of the hotel. Jim Walker bought the property in 1987 and reopened it to overnight stays in 1995.
Abe Ellis. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
In 2014 the lighthouse was bought by the Barnell and Ellis families, longtime summer residents of the area, and they set about restoring and revitalizing the property. The lighthouse is open for daily and weekly rentals and there are fishing charters available from the Salmon River Marina. Abe Ellis is the general manager of the Salmon River Lighthouse and Marina.
July 30, 2022
A lighthouse was established at Stony Point at the eastern end of Lake Ontario in New York in 1838. One of the most notable things about the original lighthouse was its first keeper, Wiley Gilbert Nickles, who held the position for 30 years. Nickles had lost both his hands in an accident at the age of 19, but he performed his light keeping duties with the help of his wife and children. The lighthouse was rebuilt in 1869, with a square stone tower attached to the keeper’s house.
Stony Point Lighthouse, New York. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
The last keeper left the light station in 1946 and the light was automated a short time later. In 1959, the navigational light in the lighthouse was discontinued when an automatic light on a steel skeleton tower was installed closer to the shore. The light station property was auctioned to a private owner in 1960. In 1966, the lighthouse narrowly escaped disaster when a fire started in a nearby barn.
Sherry and Willy Faust. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
In 2002, the lighthouse was purchased by Sherry and Willy Faust of New Jersey, and they have completed much restoration since then.
July 23, 2022
In 1890, the Lighthouse Board recommended a lighthouse at Forty Mile Point, on the northeast coast of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. The primary reason for the light was so that as mariners traveled along the western part of Lake Huron between Mackinaw Point and the Saint Clair River, they would never be out of viewing range of a lighthouse. The name of Forty Mile Point stems from the fact that its location is 40 miles southeast of Mackinaw Point. The light station began service in 1897, with a square tower centered on the lake-facing side of a duplex keepers’ house.
Forty Mile Point Light Station, Michigan. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Pat Williams. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
The station was automated and de-staffed in 1969. Two years later, the property was deeded to Presque Isle County, except for the lighthouse building itself. Finally, in 1998, the lighthouse was transferred to the county. Since then, the county and the Forty Mile Point Lighthouse Society have been working to restore the entire site. The park is open year-round to the public. One apartment in the lighthouse is occupied by a full-time caretaker; the other apartment is now a nautical museum staffed by volunteers. Pat Williams is the vice president of the Forty Mile Point Lighthouse Society, and Eric Klein is the resident caretaker at the light station.
Eric Klein and his wife, Lisa. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
July 16, 2022
Plum Island, a nine-mile long barrier island off the northern coast of Massachusetts, was first connected to the mainland by bridge in 1806. Newburyport was an important port by the late 1700s. The approach to the harbor was dangerous, with a sand bar and shifting channels at the mouth of the Merrimack River, near the northern end of Plum Island. To aid shipping entering the river, in November 1787 the General Court of Massachusetts authorized the building of two small wooden lighthouses. The lights would be an early example of range lights, meaning mariners would keep one light lined up behind the other as they proceeded in the correct channel. The two lighthouses, which began operation in 1788, had to be moved often as the channel shifted.
Plum Island (Newburyport Harbor) Lighthouse, Massachusetts. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
In 1898, a new 45-foot conical, shingled wooden lighthouse was built. It remains an active aid to navigation. The lighthouse is now cared for by the Friends of Plum Island Light, a nonprofit organization formed in the 1990s. In 2003, ownership of the lighthouse was turned over to the city of Newburyport. The Friends of Plum Island Light continue to care for it under a lease agreement with the city.
The fourth-order Fresnel lens and the view from the top. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Roslin Esposito is a longtime resident of Plum Island and volunteer for the Friends. And Jenn Bogard, a descendant of Plum Island lighthouse keeper Arthur Woods, is the secretary of the Friends and she serves on the board of directors of Newburyport’s Custom House Maritime Museum. She’s also an author. Bill Cooper, a retired mechanical engineer with General Electric, has been a summer resident of Plum Island for more than 60 years and has led the Friends of Plum Island Light's preservation projects in recent years.
At the 2003 ceremony transferring ownership of the lighthouse to the City of Newburyport. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
July 9, 2022
The development of Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula, which juts about 60 miles north from the Upper Peninsula into Lake Superior, was based mostly on copper mining. Increased maritime traffic related to the copper industry led to the establishment of Eagle River Lighthouse on the northwest part of the peninsula in 1858. Local maritime traffic decreased and the lighthouse was deactivated in 1908. Meanwhile, there was a call for a lighthouse and fog signals at a location known as Sand Hills a few miles to the southwest. The station established in 1919 at Sand Hills consisted of a buff-colored brick dwelling with a square tower mounted on top, with a light 91 feet above lake level. The light was discontinued in 1954 and was sold at auction to H. Donald Bliss, who used it as a summer home for a few years.
Eagle River Lighthouse, Michigan. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Bud and Jan Cole, courtesy of Jan Cole.
A subsequent owner, Bill Frabotta, renovated the property and opened it as the Sand Hills Lighthouse Inn in 1995. Historic preservationist Bud Cole purchased the property in 2014. After a thorough restoration, he began offering it as a vacation rental with three bedrooms and 3000 square feet of living space. Bud Cole also bought Sand Hills Lighthouse in 2019. His sister, Jan Cole, manages the lighthouse properties at Eagle River and Sand Hills.
Sand Hills Lighthouse, Michigan. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Jan and Jean Gertz's father, Maxwell Gertz, was a keeper in the 1940s and ‘50s at Manitou Island and Sand Hills, Michigan. The Gertz sisters have stayed involved with lighthouses as volunteers for the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association.
Special thanks to Nick Korstad for his help with this episode.
July 2, 2022
Whitefish Point, near the eastern end of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, is a critical turning point for maritime traffic entering Lake Superior. The point marks the eastern end of a notorious 80-mile stretch of shoreline that’s known as Lake Superior’s Shipwreck Coast. Of 550 known major shipwrecks in the vicinity, at least 200 have been near Whitefish Point. Probably the most famous was the 1975 loss of the steamer Edmund Fitzgerald and its crew of 29, just 17 miles north-northwest of Whitefish Point.
Whitefish Point Light Station, Michigan. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Whitefish Point Light Station was established in 1849 and is the oldest operating lighthouse on the lake. The present skeletal-style lighthouse tower replaced the original stone tower in 1861. The 78-foot-tall cast-iron tower has four levels of bracing around a central cylindrical shaft.
Inside the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at the Whitefish Point Light Station has become one of Michigan’s most popular destinations, attracting over 75,000 visitors each season. Bruce Lynn has been the executive director of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum since 2013.
Bruce Lynn, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Mike Vogel retired as editorial page editor of The Buffalo News in 2011, after a 41-year journalism career that included three decades as a reporter and feature writer. Mike was the organizer and founding president of the Buffalo Lighthouse Association, which began restoration of Buffalo, New York’s historic 1833 lighthouse in 1985. Mike’s work at the local level soon led to efforts for the national lighthouse preservation movement. After launching and completing the first compilation of surviving American Fresnel lenses, he served on the National Lighthouse Museum steering committee and its site selection committee.
Buffalo Main Lighthouse, New York. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Mike Vogel, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Mike was elected as the first First Vice President of the American Lighthouse Coordinating Committee, and then was elected to the ALCC presidency. Mike is also the author or co-author of five books on maritime history as well as Buffalo and Niagara Falls local history, including Harboring History: The Heritage Behind Buffalo's 200-Year-Old Overnight Success.
In 2007, the U.S. Lighthouse Society honored Mike with its prestigious F. Ross Holland Award recognizing his exceptional contributions to lighthouse preservation. Mike is a longtime board member and has been president of the U.S. Lighthouse Society since 2020.
There are two interviews related to Michigan lighthouses in this episode, plus a special "Be a Lighthouse" segment for Father's Day, with co-host Sarah MacHugh interviewing her father about his company, Adaptive Design Hudson River.
Old Mackinac Point Light Station, Michigan. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
The Straits of Mackinac, which connect Lake Michigan and Lake Huron and also mark the dividing line between Michigan’s Upper and Lower peninsulas, were treacherous for mariners. The first lighthouse in the area was established in 1829. Mackinac Point, at the northern tip of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, was given a fog signal in 1890. A 50-foot-tall lighthouse was added to the station in 1892, built of cream city brick and attached to the keepers’ house.
Craig Wilson
The construction of the Mackinac Bridge in 1957 rendered the lighthouse obsolete. The lighthouse property was purchased by the Mackinac Island State Park Commission in 1960, and it was incorporated into a state park. Today, the light station is open to the public from late spring to fall, with a maritime museum in the keepers’ house. Craig Wilson is the chief curator for Mackinac State Historic Parks.
Eagle Harbor Light Station, Michigan. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Eagle Harbor Light is one of several light stations that guide mariners on Lake Superior across the northern edge of the Keweenaw Peninsula. The original lighthouse, built in 1851, was replaced in 1871 by the present red brick structure. In 1999, Congress transferred ownership of the Eagle Harbor Light Station to the Keweenaw County Historical Society. The U.S. Coast Guard continues to operate the light at the top of the tower as an active navigational aid.
Karen Hintz
Karen Hintz is the vice president of the Keweenaw County Historical Society.
Sailors' Snug Harbor is a collection of nineteenth-century buildings on the north shore of Staten Island in New York City. It was founded as a retirement home for sailors using funds bequeathed by Captain Robert Richard Randall when he died in 1801. Sailors' Snug Harbor opened in 1833 and expanded over the years to more than 50 buildings. It was said to be the richest charitable institution in the United States with farms, a dairy, a bakery, a chapel, a hospital, a concert hall, recreation areas, and more.
Looking west along the fronts of the five northern buildings comprising "Temple Row" at Sailors Snug Harbor, Staten Island, NY. Wikimedia Commons photo by Dmadeo.
The sailors’ home relocated in the 1970s and the not-for-profit Snug Harbor Cultural Center was formed in 1975 to operate the buildings, and the Staten Island Botanical Gardens managed the gardens. The two organizations merged in 2008 to form Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden. The cultural center includes the Staten Island Botanical Garden, the Staten Island Children's Museum, the Staten Island Museum, the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art, and the Noble Maritime Collection, as well as an Art Lab and Music Hall. Sailors' Snug Harbor today consists of 26 buildings including “Temple Row,” five interlocking Greek Revival buildings. The grounds also include a chapel and a sailors' cemetery.
Circa 1930s postcard of Sailors' Snug Harbor
Bruce Weir is a descendant of sailors, sea captains, and military veterans with an interest in maritime and military history and genealogy. He’s devoted himself to researching the history of Sailors Snug Harbor.
Click here to see a video on Sailors' Snug Harbor from WLIW-TV
The city of Marquette, Michigan, is a major port on Lake Superior that's known primarily for the shipping of iron ore. In the mid-1800s, Marquette's railroad links to numerous mines made it the leading shipping port of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It also became a popular summer destination with steamships bringing passengers who filled the city’s hotels and resorts.
Marquette Harbor Lighthouse, Michigan. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Marquette’s first lighthouse, a stone tower built in 1853, was poorly built and it had to be replaced in 1866 by the structure that still stands today. It’s a one-and-one-half story brick building with an attached 40-foot-tall lighthouse tower. In 2002, the Coast Guard leased the building to the Marquette Maritime Museum. In 2016, ownership was conveyed to the City of Marquette.
Left to right: Hilary Billman, Kurt Fosburg, Nick Korstad, and Frederick Stonehouse at the Marquette Maritime Museum, in front of the second-order Fresnel lens from Stannard Rock Lighthouse.
Frederick Stonehouse has authored over thirty books on maritime history, many of them focusing on the Great Lakes, and he’s also president of the Marquette Maritime Museum. Hilary Billman is the director of the Marquette Maritime Museum. Kurt Fosburg is a professional lampist and also vice president of the maritime museum. Also taking part in the discussion is Nick Korstad, owner of the Big Bay Point Lighthouse B&B near Marquette.
Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Two interviews are featured in this episode, concerning Seul Choix Point Light Station in Michigan and Duluth South Breakwater Inner Light in Minnesota.
Seul Choix Point Light Station, Michigan. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Located at the northwest corner of Lake Michigan, Seul Choix Bay got its name for the French phrase meaning “only choice.” The bay was a popular place of refuge for early French traders in the area. A 79-foot-tall brick lighthouse with a fixed third-order Fresnel lens began service at Seul Choix Point in 1895, along with a steam-operated diaphone fog signal.
Today, the light station is operated by the Gulliver Historical Society, in cooperation with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation Division. It’s open to the public with tours available in season, Memorial Day weekend to the end of September. Marilyn Fisher was instrumental in the founding of the Gulliver Historical Society and she’s been the Society’s president for 34 years. She’s also the author of 12 books including a continuing series beginning with Spirits at Seul Choix Pointe: True Lighthouse Stories.
Duluth South Breakwater Inner Lighthouse, Minnesota. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
The original configuration of the breakwaters in Duluth, Minnesota, featured a light on the south side of the entrance from Lake Superior, established shortly after a canal was constructed in 1874. A light was added to the inner end of the breakwater in 1889. Reconstruction of the canal led to the replacements of both lights around 1900. Duluth South Breakwater Inner Lighthouse stands near a lift bridge on the south breakwater of the Duluth Ship Canal. It forms a range with the Duluth South Breakwater Outer Light to guide ships into the canal from Lake Superior. The current 67-foot-tall skeletal cast-iron tower began service in 1901.
Steve Sola, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
The light remains an active aid to navigation. In 2008 the property was sold by the federal government via online auction to a pair of Duluth residents, Steve Sola and Matt Kampf. Steve grew up in the Park Point section of Duluth, and his family owns the South Pier Inn just a few hundred feet from the lighthouse.
With the 1825 completion of the Erie Canal, which linked the Great Lakes to the Hudson River and the Atlantic Ocean, maritime traffic in the Great Lakes increased dramatically. As the canal was being completed, Congress appropriated funds for a light station near Fort Gratiot, in the southern portion of Michigan’s thumb. When the light station was established at Fort Gratiot in 1825, it was the first light station in the state of Michigan. The original 32-foot-tall tower fell after being damaged in an 1828 storm and it was soon rebuilt, with the new tower first lighted in the spring of 1830.
Fort Gratiot Lighthouse, Michigan. USLHS photo.
The Coast Guard vacated the light station with the construction of the new Coast Guard Station Port Huron, built in 2004. In 2010 ownership was transferred to St. Clair County Parks and Recreation. With funds from the City of Port Huron and other sources, some restoration work was completed and the light station was opened to the public in 2012. Port Huron Museums operates the site, and the Friends of Fort Gratiot Light also work for the preservation of the lighthouse and other buildings. A recent grant from the Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program will enable St. Clair County Parks and Recreation to hire a consultant to rehabilitate the lighthouse tower’s watch room and lantern room.
The keepers' duplex house at Fort Gratiot Light Station (courtesy of Port Huron Museums)
Lauren Nelson (courtesy of Port Huron Museums)
Lauren Nelson is the site manager of Fort Gratiot Light Station for Port Huron Museums.
Fort Gratiot Lighthouse website
Esopus Creek meets the Hudson River at the town of Saugerties, about seven miles north of Kingston and 101 miles north of New York City. The name Saugerties is derived from a Dutch phrase meaning “sawmill on a creek.” The creek eventually powered what has been described as the largest collection of water-powered machinery in the world. In June 1834, Congress recognized the need for a lighthouse at the mouth of Esopus Creek. The original lighthouse was destroyed by fire in November 1848 and was rebuilt by 1850.
Saugerties Lighthouse, New York. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
The existing combined lighthouse and dwelling was built on a granite pier in 1869. The harbor at Saugerties was improved and enlarged in 1888, and access to the lighthouse was made much easier when it was connected to the mainland by a small road atop a jetty. Over the decades, the shipping traffic and ferries disappeared from Esopus Creek, and the lighthouse’s navigational value faded. The light was discontinued in 1954, replaced by a small automatic light on the opposite side of the creek. The building declined into ruin in the decades that followed.
Interior of Saugerties Lighthouse. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
In 1985, a new organization, the Saugerties Lighthouse Conservancy, was formed. The organization acquired the lighthouse and the adjacent wetlands and a restoration effort soon began. The heroic efforts of the Conservancy climaxed with the return of a navigational light to the lighthouse on August 4, 1990, after 36 years in darkness. Today, Saugerties Lighthouse is furnished to look as it did in the early 1900s and offers year-round bed-and-breakfast accommodations.
Anna Berkheiser and Patrick Landewe, courtesy of Saugerties Lighthouse Conservancy
Patrick Landewe came to the lighthouse in 2005 as the modern-day keeper after diverse experience including the supervision of conservation projects in remote locations. In 2011, his wife, Anna Berkheiser, who is a yoga teacher, joined him as a co-keeper.
In 1857, a lighthouse was built at the tip of Lloyd’s Neck at the entrance to Lloyd Harbor, on the North Shore of Long Island, New York. Lloyd Harbor often served as a place of refuge for ships escaping rough conditions on Long Island Sound. The first structure, known as Lloyd Harbor Lighthouse, was considered inadequate. A new lighthouse to serve mariners entering Lloyd Harbor and adjoining Huntington Harbor was established in 1912. Built of reinforced concrete, the Beaux Arts style of the Huntington Harbor Lighthouse makes it look like a small castle.
Huntington Harbor Lighthouse, New York. USLHS photo.
After automation the structure fell into disrepair. As a result of a 1983 survey, the light was deemed unsafe for the Coast Guard personnel who serviced it, and it was considered too expensive to repair. The Coast Guard considered demolishing the lighthouse and erecting a steel tower in its place. In 1985, a group called Save Huntington’s Lighthouse was formed to save the structure. Now known as the Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society, the group continues to enlist volunteers and raise funds for ongoing preservation work. It was discovered in 2008 that the foundation of the lighthouse was badly deteriorated, and a major restoration has been completed in recent years.
Early 1900s postcard of Lloyd Harbor Light Station. USLHS archives.
Pam Setchell
Pamela Setchell is the president of the Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society, and she’s also the owner of a consulting company with more than 22 years’ experience corporate and commercial websites and printed products through photography.
Michele Miroff
Also participating in this interview is Michele Miroff, the Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society’s recording secretary.
The island known as Fisgard is a stone’s throw offshore at the west side of the entrance to British Columbia's Esquimalt Harbor. The island was named for a British naval frigate, with the name’s origins reaching back to Fishguard, a coastal town in Wales. The British Royal Navy began using Esquimalt Harbor as a base for its operations in Pacific Canada in 1848.
Fisgard Light Station. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
The lighthouse at Fisgard went into service on November 16, 1860. The 48-foot conical brick tower was surmounted by an iron lantern holding a fourth-order Fresnel lens that rotated on a mercury bed. The first keeper was George Davies, a native of Wales. He was the first full-time lighthouse keeper on Canada’s West Coast.
Fort Rodd Hill, adjacent to Fisgard Light Station. photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Inside Fisgard Lighthouse. The spiral stairway was created in San Francisco.
Shannon King
The light was automated in early 1929, and Fisgard ceased being an island in 1951 with the creation of a causeway from Fort Rodd Hill. Parks Canada completed much renovation of the station in the 1970s and 1980s, including the reconstruction of a boathouse and storehouse, and the keeper’s dwelling was converted into a museum. Shannon King is the curator for the Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Site.
Gertjan De Boer at the Stavoren Lighthouse in Netherlands, close to where he grew up. Courtesy of Gertjan De Boer.
The European country of the Netherlands conjures images of canals, fields of tulips, and windmills. But the country is also home to dozens of historic lighthouses, and some of them are major tourist attractions. Dutch lighthouse history reaches all the way back to the 14th century.
Brandaris Lighthouse on the island of Terschelling, in Friesland, is the oldest lighthouse in the Netherlands. The first lighthouse was built here in 1323 and the current tower was built in 1594. Courtesy of the Dutch Lighthouse Association.
The Dutch Lighthouse Association was founded in 1992 with the objective of uniting people with a fascination for lighthouses. In more recent years the Association has worked to preserve and repurpose historic maritime structures in the Netherlands, including lighthouses and lightships. Four times each year the Association publishes a magazine with articles about lighthouses and their preservation.
Getjan de Boer is a board member of the Dutch Lighthouse Association. He works in heritage preservation at the National Dutch Heritage Agency. And he’s also currently working on a book on the lights of the Scheldt River.
Dutch Lighthouse Association
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Barry Hawkins worked as a lighthouse keeper for England’s Trinity House from 1978 to 1996. His assignments included some of the most remote and rugged light stations in the UK. He took advantage of his spare time at the lighthouses painting pictures of seascapes, wildlife, and other subjects. His first 18 months of service were spent as a supernumerary keeper at various lighthouses on the west coast of England. For each of these temporary jobs Barry would load up his painting equipment, jump on his trusty motorcycle, and set off from his home to the lighthouse in question.
Self Portrait of Barry Hawkins at St. Annes Head Lighthouse (Oil on Card)
Pen and ink drawing of Wolf Rock Lighthouse by Barry Hawkins
The first station he was sent to was Strumble Head Lighthouse in Wales, where he arrived in a howling gale. He was later posted permanently to the notorious Wolf Rock Lighthouse, located eight miles southwest of Lands End in Cornwall, then to the Skerries Light off the northwestern tip of Wales. Barry spent a brief time at Europa Point Lighthouse in Gibraltar. His final posting was at St. Anne’s Head Lighthouse off the entrance to Milford Haven Sound.
"Clouds at Cape Byron, NSW" (Australia), watercolor by Barry Hawkins.
Over the years, Barry has created a variety of watercolors, as well as pen and ink and pencil drawings. His many awards include two first prizes from the Marine Society of London. He has exhibited and sold work across the UK including at Trinity House, the Royal Society of Marine Artists at the Mall Galleries, King Georges Fund for Sailors Exhibitions, the General Trading Company, and Libertys of London. Barry is also a member of the Clifton Arts Club, and he continues to paint and illustrate from his home in Bristol where he lives with his wife and family.
You can see some of Barry Hawkins’ artwork on his website at lighthouseart.co.uk.
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Jan Guarino has been a graphic artist designing marketing materials for businesses for 45 years. She recently retired from graphic design to focus entirely on her painting and teaching career. The New York resident is now a full-time watercolor artist and teacher, sharing her knowledge in classes and workshops, and exhibiting in various galleries. She is a permanent artist at the Firefly Gallery in Northport, New York. You can see much of Jan’s work on her website at janguarinofineart.com, and original works and prints can be purchased through the site. She specializes in seascapes and landscapes, still lifes and florals, animals, and portraits.
Jan will be working with the U.S. Lighthouse Society and the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and Museum in Florida for a special virtual event via Zoom on April 28. Participants will be able to follow along and create their own watercolor as Jan paints a portrait of the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse.
Also taking part in the interview is Michele Miroff, who is a board member of the Huntington Lighthouse Preservation Society in New York. Jan and Michele worked together recently when Jan did a watercolor of Huntington Lighthouse.
Click here for more on the online painting class on April 28.
Jan Guarino's painting of Huntington Harbor Lighthouse, New York (left), and her painting of Montauk Lighthouse, New York.
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Conanicut Island, about 6,000 acres, is the second largest island in the state of Rhode Island. The town of Jamestown comprises the entire island, which is connected by bridges to North Kingstown and Newport. Beavertail Point, at the southern peninsula of the island, marks the entrances to both the east and west passages of busy Narragansett Bay. With foreign trade blossoming from Newport, local merchants petitioned for a lighthouse and a 69-foot-tall wooden tower was first lighted in 1749. The first lighthouse tower was destroyed by fire in July 1753, but it was soon rebuilt. A new tower was built in 1856, and the 45-foot square granite lighthouse still stands.
Beavertail Light Station, Rhode Island. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Beavertail Light was automated and destaffed in 1972. It’s now located within Beavertail State Park, while the light itself remains an active aid to navigation and is maintained by the Coast Guard. The Beavertail Lighthouse Museum Association, founded in 1993, preserves and manages the light station. The Beavertail Lighthouse Museum occupies two former keepers’ houses and two other buildings.
Beavertail from the air, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Linda Warner and her husband George in 2015.
Linda Warner is the former president and a board member of the Beavertail Lighthouse Museum Association. Linda and her late husband, George, were honored in 2015 by the Newport Country League of Women Voters as the recipients of their Joan C. Arnold Civic Participation Award for their decades of volunteerism in the area, especially at Beavertail.
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David Appleby was a lighthouse keeper in England for 32 years. After he was hired by Trinity House in 1965 and trained at Harwich, he spent some time as a supernumerary keeper at various light stations. His first assignment as an assistant keeper was at isolated Eddystone, one of the most famous lighthouses in the world.
Eddystone Lighthouse, England. USLHS photo.
David Appleby
Other stations where David worked included Wolf Rock off Cornwall and Longstone in the Farne Islands. His longest stint was seven years at Lynmouth Foreland in North Devon. David was the last keeper at St. Mary’s Light and Souter Point Light, and he was one of the last crew of lighthouse keepers in England when he left the North Foreland Light in 1998. He lives today in northeastern England.
North Foreland Light Station, England. USLHS photo.
The body of water known as Sabine Lake is actually a bay on the Gulf coast of Louisiana and Texas, about 90 miles east of Houston. Funds were first appropriated for a lighthouse at Sabine Pass, an outlet of the bay into the Gulf of Mexico, in 1849, but the project was shelved for a few years. It was first lighted in 1856. The appearance of the tower is unique, with eight buttresses supporting it near its base.
Sabine Pass Lighthouse, Louisiana. USLHS photo.
A marsh fire destroyed the keeper’s house and other buildings in September 1976, leaving just the lighthouse and an oil house standing. The property passed through several hands, and in 2001 it came into the possession of the nonprofit Cameron Preservation Alliance. The organization is working toward a full restoration of the lighthouse.
Andrew Tingler
Andrew Tingler is the president of the Cameron Preservation Alliance. He’s also a meteorologist for the National Weather Service. He started his career in Duluth, Minnesota, but grew up near the Sabine Pass Lighthouse.
Andrew Tingler working on the repointing of Sabine Pass Lighthouse
Fort Point Lighthouse is in Stockton Springs, Maine, near the mouth of the Penobscot River. The light station was established in 1836 and the square brick lighthouse tower and attached keeper’s house that stand there today were built in 1857. Terry Cole was a keeper at Fort Point when he was in the Coast Guard for three years in the 1970s. The lighthouse is within Fort Point State Park, and Terry became involved as a park manager while he was in the Coast Guard.
Fort Point Light Station, Maine. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
In 1989, long after he had left the Coast Guard, Terry and his wife Jeri moved back into the light station and Terry became the resident park manager. Jeri Cole also played an important role, helping to host visitors at the lighthouse and planning events. Terry retired last August after after 44 years working for Maine Parks and Lands. In part two of this two-part interview, Terry and Jeri reminisce about living at Fort Point in all kinds of weather, about the concerts and other events they held there, and about what they’re doing in retirement, among other things.
Terry and Jeri Cole, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Laurie Perkins is the Southern Lower Peninsula Historian for the Michigan History Center. Under that umbrella is Tawas Point Lighthouse, which is located in Tawas Point State Park on the west side of Lake Huron in Northern Michigan. In a "Be a Lighthouse" segment, Laurie talks with host Jeremy D'Entremont about some ways the Michigan History Center and Tawas Point Lighthouse are enriching the lives of young people.
Tawas Point Lighthouse, Michigan. USLHS photo.
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Fort Point Lighthouse is in Stockton Springs, Maine, near the mouth of the Penobscot River. The light station is part of Fort Point State Park and is adjacent to the remains of Fort Pownall, which was built in 1759 to guard against the French. Fort Point Light Station was established in 1836, and the 31-foot square brick lighthouse that stands today was built in 1857.
Fort Point Light Station, Maine. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Terry and Jeri Cole with Molly the lighthouse dog, at Fort Point in the 1990s. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
In 1973, 22-year-old Coast Guardsman Terry Cole became the light keeper at Fort Point. While he was stationed at Fort Point with the Coast Guard, Terry served as park manager for a while before he and his family moved on to another assignment on Cape Cod. In 1988, Fort Point Light was automated and the Coast Guard removed its keepers. The keeper’s house became housing for a park ranger and his family. The first person to fill the live-in position was Terry Cole, beginning in 1989. Terry's wife Jeri also played a large role, helping to organize events and answering visitors’ questions. Terry retired this past summer after 44 years working for Maine Parks and Lands and more than 30 years of living at the Fort Point Lighthouse.
The historic fog bell tower at Fort Point, sunrise view by Terry Cole.
Fort Point Light Station in winter, courtesy of Terry Cole.
An organization called Lighthouse Immersive is sponsoring a fundraising initiative built around a show called Immersive Shevchenko: Soul of Ukraine. The subject of the show is Taras Shevchenko (1814-1861), a Ukrainian poet, writer, artist, political figure, and folklorist. In the new show, the audience can see pieces by Shevchenko projected across the gallery walls, and the show is set to a soundtrack to further immerse you in his world. The exhibit first opened in Odesa to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Ukrainian independence last year. Immersive Shevchenko will be shown in five cities on March 15 – Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Toronto, and San Francisco. There will also be a virtual showing on March 15. Details are available at lighthouseimmersive.com. One of the show's producers, Valeriy Kostyuk, discusses the exhibit in a "Be a Lighthouse" segment.
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Circa late 1800s photo of Pointe aux Barques Light Station, Michigan. U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office.
Pointe aux Barques, on Lake Huron at the northeastern tip of the part of Michigan known as “The Thumb,” takes its name from a French phrase meaning “point of little boats.” A dangerous reef extending almost two miles from the point was a hazard to shipping traffic heading north along the Lake Huron shore.
The first lighthouse on the point was constructed of stone in 1848, on a three-acre site carved out of dense wilderness. In addition to warning mariners of the reef at Point aux Barques, the light served to guide shipping into Saginaw Bay and the Saginaw River.
Marolyn and Larry Becker
The original keeper’s house was destroyed by fire in 1849. The first tower was poorly built and had to be replaced in 1857. The new keeper's house and attached 89-foot tower were built of the finest brick available. The light remains an active aid to navigation, making Pointe aux Barques one of the oldest continuously operating lights on the Great Lakes. The light was automated in 1934 and the last keeper left five years later. The light station property was transferred to Huron County in 2003. A nonprofit group, the Point aux Barques Lighthouse Society, was formed.
Larry Becker is the past president of the Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse Society. His wife Marolyn is a longtime volunteer and membership chair for the Society.
Pointe aux Barques Light Station, Michigan. USLHS photo by Chad Kaiser.
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In this special episode, Light Hearted host Jeremy D'Entremont interviews Tetiana Manziuk of Kyiv, the capital city of Ukraine. Tetiana -- or Tanya, as she's known -- is the Alumni Officer at House of Europe, a non-governmental organization fostering professional and creative exchange between Ukrainians and their colleagues in European Union countries.
Tetiana Manziuk at the Lower Berdiansk Lighthouse in Ukraine
In this conversation, Tanya and Jeremy discuss what life in Kyiv is like currently during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. They discuss the beauty and history of the city of Kyiv. And they also touch on the cultural and symbolic importance of lighthouses in Ukraine and the world.
Article about the keeper of the Lower Berdiansk Lighthouse in Ukraine
Thank you to Yana Gultiayeva for making this interview possible.
Tetiana Manziuk
Here is what Tanya posted yesterday on her Facebook page:
Dear friends from abroad, I am in Kyiv, my home. My big wide windows which I always considered as an advantage now are taped and covered. Due to our municipal services doing their job despite everything, I have electricity, water, WiFi. Our metro works as transport and as a shelter from shelling. Our army fights like hell defending our cities from Russian occupants – that’s why I am still able to write this post.
We need support.We need strict sanctions against Russia, especially banning from SWIFT and No-Fly Zone over Ukraine. Here are some offers from Ukraine Сrisis Media Center
No-Fly Zones and Other Ways the International Community Can Help Ukraine
Here is a link to support charity foundation Повернись живим (Come Back Alive) helping army and veterans https://savelife.in.ua/en/donate/
Hospitallers - medical battalion working directly on the frontline in Ukraine.
This is an account from The National Bank of Ukraine to assist the Ukrainian Armed Forces https://bank.gov.ua/.../natsionalniy-bank-vidkriv-spetsrah
Open Petition: People around the world ask NATO to close the airspace over Ukraine.
Change.org: No-Fly Zone for Ukraine Now!
Thank you so much for being in touch with me. It is very important to know that we are not alone. Many greetings from Kyiv!
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Located on the historic waterfront of Rondout, New York, the Hudson River Maritime Museum was established in 1979 and is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the maritime history of the Hudson River, its tributaries, and related industries. The museum's collections include historic vessels, objects, archival material, and art related to Hudson River transportation, industries, and recreation, with paintings, prints, photographs, artifacts, ship models, boats, and more.
The Hudson River Maritime Museum, New York. (Courtesy of HRMM)
Of the dozens of lighthouses and smaller lights that once dotted the Hudson River, only seven remain. Rondout Lighthouse, located at the confluence of the Hudson River and Rondout Creek, was established in 1838. The present lighthouse building, still fully operational as a navigational light, was completed in 1915.
Rondout Lighthouse, New York. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Sarah Wassberg Johnson
Rondout Lighthouse is owned by the City of Kingston and operated by the Hudson River Maritime Museum, and guided tours of the lighthouse are available seasonally.
Sarah Wassberg Johnson is the director of exhibits and outreach at the Hudson River Maritime Museum. She was also the co-author of the book Hudson River Lighthouses, published in 2019.
Together with filmmaker Jeff Mertz of Moonbow Imaging, the Hudson River Maritime Museum is creating a feature-length documentary film, Seven Sentinels: Lighthouses of the Hudson River. Here is the trailer for the film:
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The Port of Galveston, Texas, which was established in 1825, eventually became the busiest port on the Gulf Coast and the second busiest in the country after New York City. Bolivar Point is at the southwestern end of the Bolivar Peninsula, marking the east side of the entrance to Galveston Bay. The first lighthouse on the point began service in late 1852. In 1870 Congress appropriated funds for a new 117-foot-tall cast-iron lighthouse.
Mark Boyt and Amy Maxwell Chase
The third-order Fresnel lens was first illuminated in the rebuilt Bolivar Point Lighthouse on November 19, 1872. The light station weathered devastating hurricanes in 1900 and 1915. With an increase in the intensity of Galveston Jetty Lighthouse in 1930, Bolivar Lighthouse was considered expendable and the light was extinguished. In 1947, the War Assets Administration sold the property for $5,500 to rancher E. V. Boyt. In 2015, descendants of the first private owners of the light station property created the nonprofit Bolivar Point Lighthouse Foundation to address the restoration and preservation of the lighthouse. Amy Maxwell Chase is the executive director of the Bolivar Point Lighthouse Foundation, and Mark Boyt is a founder and board member of the organization.
Bolivar Point Light Station (Courtesy of Bolivar Point Lighthouse Foundation)
Click here for a virtual tour of Bolivar Point Lighthouse
Lighthouses save lives and serve as symbols of hope, and first responders do the same in our communities every day. On Tuesday, February 1, first responders rescued three fishermen after their fishing boat sank off Scituate, Massachusetts. Shortly after 2:30 that afternoon, a local woman called 911 and reported seeing a fishing boat overturn and sink, with black smoke filling the air. She saw that the three fishermen were clinging to debris to stay afloat. The water was 42 degrees and the men were in the water for 45 minutes. Scituate Fire Chief John Murphy discusses the rescue in a "Be a Lighthouse" segment.
Drone footage of the February 1 rescue captured by Scituate Fire Department Lieutenant Erik Norlin:
https://youtu.be/jl4Lq42-plc
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The mission of the Noble Maritime Collection, an art and history museum on Staten Island, New York, is to present exhibitions and programs that celebrate the working waterfront of New York Harbor in the tradition of the distinguished artist John A. Noble. The museum is located on the former grounds of the retirement home known as Sailors' Snug Harbor, on Staten Island's North Shore.
Robbins Reef Lighthouse, New York Harbor. Photo by Peter Yuschak, courtesy of Noble Maritime Collection.
The museum also works to preserve Robbins Reef Lighthouse, a spark-plug-style tower located between the Statue of Liberty and Staten Island's North Shore. Robbins Reef is best known as the home of the famous Kate Walker, who was its keeper from 1895 to 1919.
Megan Beck (Courtesy of Noble Maritime Collection)
Curator Megan Beck began working at the Noble Maritime Collection in 2013. She researched and helped develop exhibits on Sailors Snug Harbor and Robbins Reef Lighthouse, and she oversees all curatorial and archival projects for the museum.
Below: Kate Walker, the celebrated keeper of Robbins Reef Lighthouse. (U.S. Lighthouse Society archives)
Today’s “Be a Lighthouse” subject is from Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Scarves tied around poles were recently spotted in that city, along with notes that said, “If you need this scarf, please take it and be warm and safe.” The person behind this act of kindness is Aunika Sharrock, an 18-year-old Oak Ridge high school senior who enjoys helping others. And this isn’t the first time Aunika has performed selfless acts of caring. Co-host Michelle Jewell Shaw interviewed Aunika for the podcast.
Retired Rear Admiral Daniel R. May U.S. Coast Guard photo
Retired Rear Admiral Daniel R. May graduated with a degree in ocean engineering from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 1979. He spent more than three decades working on many lighthouse-related projects from the Carolinas to Maine.
In part two of this two-part interview, Dan talks about more lighthouses he worked on, including Plum Island in New York, Watch Hill in Rhode Island, Mount Desert Rock in Maine, Isles of Shoals in New Hampshire, and Lynde Point in Connecticut. Also discussed is his work on buoy-related projects, and his involvement with Friends of Plum Island Light in his home city of Newburyport, Massachusetts.
Plum Island (Newburyport Harbor) Lighthouse was transferred to the City of Newburyport, Massachusetts, on May 10, 2003. Left to right: Captain Daniel R. May, commander of Coast Guard Group Boston, Newburyport Mayor Alan Lavender, Friends of Plum Island Light President Jim Frey, Congressman John F. Tierney, and Coast Guard Rear Admiral Vivien S. Crea, who at the time was commander of the First Coast Guard District. Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.
Lynde Point Light Station in Old Saybrook, Connecticut. Dan May was involved with a project to modernize the automated light and fog signal, as well as the repointing and repainting the of the stone tower. The actress Katharine Hepburn was a neighbor. Photo by Dan May.
Daniel R. May graduated with a degree in ocean engineering from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, in the Class of 1979. After time aboard the Coast Guard cutter Ingram, based in Portsmouth, Virginia, Dan became the ocean engineer for the Fifth Coast Guard District. He earned a master’s degree in ocean engineering from the University of Rhode Island in 1982.
Retired Rear Admiral Dan May with his wife, Leslie, at Boston Light. Courtesy of Dan May.
Block Island Southeast Lighthouse, Rhode Island, before its 1993 move back from the edge of the eroding bluff. Photo by Dan May.
During his time as the ocean engineer for the Fifth District, Dan worked on lighthouse projects from Delaware Bay to the Carolinas, along with other engineering projects involving buoys and other structures on the water. After time as the commanding officer of Coast Guard Station St. Louis, Dan moved to Civil Engineering Unit Providence, Rhode Island, where he served as the project engineer for several major lighthouse projects including the relocation of Block Island Southeast Light, the first move of a major lighthouse structure in the United States.
Dan May with Gordon Russell of the Truro (MA) Historical Society just prior to the 1996 move of Highland Lighthouse on Cape Cod. Courtesy of Dan May
Dan retired as a rear admiral in 2013. This is part one of a two-part interview.
In part one, Dan talks with host Jeremy D'Entremont about projects involving erosion control at Montauk Light Station, New York, the moves of Block Island Southeast Lighthouse in Rhode Island and Highland Light in Massachusetts, and several projects involving Boston Light.
Neil Hargreaves
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Neil Hargreaves was a light keeper for Trinity House in England from 1974-1988, and he is the founder and chairman of the Association of Lighthouse Keepers. Neil, who was originally from Lancashire, spent the first two years of his light keeping career on light vessels, mostly the Newarp lightship off the Norfolk coast in southwest England. Neil’s first appointment as an assistant lighthouse keeper was at the Smalls Lighthouse, a wave-swept granite tower on a rock about 20 miles off the coast of Pembrokeshire. After two years at the Smalls station, he spent seven years on the Inner Dowsing tower – a converted coal rig – in the North Sea off England’s east coast.
Neil Hargreaves in the radio room at Longships Lighthouse, 1987. (Courtesy of Neil Hargreaves)
The Smalls Lighthouse, Wales. U.S. Lighthouse Society photo.
Neil’s final three years working for Trinity House were spent traveling around to various light stations in England, Wales, and the Channel Islands. He spent time at Longships, Souter, Wolf Rock, and several other stations. His last station as a keeper was Portland Bill on the Dorset coast. Neil founded the Association of Lighthouse Keepers, or ALK, in 1988, and he serves as its chairman. The ALK manages a lighthouse museum on the south coast of England. The group also runs lighthouse tours and produces a quarterly journal called Lamp.
Lighthouses are seen around the world as a symbol of hope, guidance, and strength along with lots of other positive qualities. The playwright George Bernard Shaw once wrote, “I can think of no other edifice constructed by man as altruistic as a lighthouse. They are built only to serve.” In recognition of that, Light Hearted will be doing occasional segments called “Be a Lighthouse,” discussing people and organizations who are being lighthouses, or beacons of hope, in our communities.
The first “Be a Lighthouse” segment focuses on a nonprofit organization on the New Hampshire Seacoast. Gather serves those in the community experiencing hunger by providing nutritious food through innovative distribution programs. The organization also collaborates with community partners to address the root causes of hunger throughout the Seacoast in New Hampshire and Maine. Seneca Adam Bernard is the associate executive director of Gather.
Following is the transcript of the interview with Neil Hargreaves.
JEREMY
I'm speaking today with Neil Hargreaves, who is a former lighthouse keeper in England and also the founder of the Association of Lighthouse Keepers. You know, I was reading some interviews with you lately. And in one of the interviews, you talked about how you worked on fishing trawlers before you became a lighthouse keeper. I'm sure that was an interesting job that could probably be pretty scary at times.
NEIL HARGREAVES
Yeah. It was a dangerous job. I sailed out of Fleetwood and then I ended up on deep sea in the Faroes in Iceland. That was a beautiful sight to see when I first saw Iceland, and these white mountains rising sheer out of the sea with pink tints on the top. Absolutely magical. But, unfortunately, we weren't allowed to land at the time, because it was during the time of the Cod Wars with Iceland. We had the Icelandic gunboats trying to cut our nets away.
JEREMY
But there must have been some heavy seas you encountered at times.
NEIL HARGREAVES
Oh, for sure. Yeah. I mean there was one trip, we ended up sailing right around Iceland. The skipper kept sailing north and right to the top to escape the weather. The weather was that bad. There was one sea, the vessel actually keeled over and half the boat deck was underwater. But it was pretty close, I think, that one. I only did it two years before I transferred over to lighthouses.
JEREMY
You worked on the lightships at first, but what, what exactly led you to work for Trinity House?
The growing limestone trade in Midcoast Maine led to the establishment of a light station at Owl's Head, at the entrance to Rockland Harbor, in 1825. A tall lighthouse wasn’t necessary because of the height of the promontory. The light is exactly 100 feet above sea level. The present 30-foot brick lighthouse tower replaced the original one in 1852.
Owls Head Lighthouse. Photo by Dominic Trapani (do not use without permission).
The station was automated in 1989 and the last Coast Guard keeper was removed. In December 2007, the lighthouse tower was licensed to the American Lighthouse Foundation (ALF). Then, in late 2012, it was announced that the keeper's house had also been licensed to the American Lighthouse Foundation and that it would serve as the organization's headquarters.
Bob Trapani and daughter Gianna next to the still active fourth-order Fresnel lens in Owls Head Lighthouse.
Ann Trapani
Bob Trapani, Jr., has served as the executive director of the American Lighthouse Foundation since 2005. As associate director of the American Lighthouse Foundation, Ann Trapani is involved in many aspects of the organization’s operation. Bob and Ann’s son Dominic, at the age of 23, has already established himself as one of the top photographers of the Maine coast.
Dominic Trapani
In this interview, Ann, Dominic, and Bob discuss the special experience of working at Owls Head Lighthouse in all kinds of weather conditions, the photographic beauty of the Penobscot Bay region, and the day to day operation of the interpretive center and gift shop at the light station.
Owls Head Light Station in August 2019. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Photographer Mike Leonard lives in Yarmouth, Maine. His work is frequently seen in books, magazines, and on television, including the Weather Channel. His photos have also been seen on the National Geographic Wild program. He enjoys shooting landscapes and seascapes, including lighthouses, as well as nighttime scenes.
Mike offers workshops on digital photography, which you can read about on his website at phototourismbymike.com. He leads a Photoshop User Group in Portland, Maine. He’s also provided instruction aboard lighthouse photo cruises and other special cruises around New England.
Mike Leonard
This is Mike’s third time on Light Hearted. In this conversation with host Jeremy D'Entremont, Mike discusses five factors that make great photos, including some details about photographing lighthouses.
Photo Tourism by Mike on Facebook
Sunset at Boothbay Harbor, Maine. Photo by Mike Leonard.
Paradise Island in the Bahamas was formerly known as Hog Island. With an area of about 685 acres, it's located just offshore from the city of Nassau. The island was bought by the A&P supermarket heir Huntington Hartford in 1959, and the name was changed from Hog Island to Paradise Island. The island was heavily developed and is best known today for the Atlantis Paradise Island Resort.
Paradise Island Lighthouse, Bahamas. Courtesy of Toby Smith.
Paradise Island Lighthouse, courtesy of Toby Smith.
A lighthouse was built on Hog Island in 1817. The 68-foot-tall white brick tower with a red lantern stands at the island’s western tip. It was the first lighthouse constructed in the Bahamas. It was built prior to the formation of the Imperial Lighthouse Service, the agency that was responsible for the navigational aids in the colonies of the British Empire. The lighthouse been abandoned since the 1980s and has fallen into disrepair.
Toby Smith
After eight years of waiting, Toby Smith of the Paradise Island Lighthouse and Beach Company was offered and accepted a lease of Crown Land in 2020. He aims to restore the lighthouse and to create a sustainable, low-impact beach club on the site, and to make the site accessible to all. Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line is claiming the same land, with plans for a large beach club. An organization called Save the Bays objects to Royal Caribbean Cruise Line’s large-scale plan because of the damage they believe it would cause to the fragile environment.
In this interview, Toby Smith discusses his plans and the current status of the legal fight over the land on Paradise Island. Jeff Gales co-hosts.
Tiny Cockspur Island is located at the mouth of the south channel of Georgia’s Savannah River. An unlighted day beacon tower built on the island in the 1830s, later converted into a lighthouse in the late 1840s, was destroyed by a hurricane in 1854. The 46-foot-tall lighthouse that still stands today was built in 1856 on the old foundation. The tower is made of Savannah Grey brick.
Cockspur Lighthouse, USLHS photo by Ralph Eshelman. Tybee Lighthouse, about two miles to the east, can be seen in the background.
When Confederate forces at Fort Pulaski fell to the Union in the Civil War, Cockspur Lighthouse stood directly in the line of fire for 30 hours. Amazingly, the lighthouse suffered no damage. Except for the Civil War years, the lighthouse operated continuously until 1909 when it was discontinued because of decreased maritime traffic in the south channel.
Fort Pulaski, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
The lighthouse today is part of the Fort Pulaski National Monument. Friends of Cockspur Lighthouse was established to work with the National Park Service for the preservation of the lighthouse. Major work was carried out this past summer, including the stabilization of the brick masonry and the replacement of doors and windows.
Cockspur Lighthouse, November 1, 2021. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Joel Cadoff at Cockspur Lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Joel Cadoff is the Chief of Interpretation and Visitor Services Public Information Officer at Fort Pulaski National Monument. His specialties are historical interpretation, the Civil War and Seacoast Defense History, and the National Park Service Historic Weapons Safety Program.
The Flying Santa is a tradition that dates back to 1929, serving to express gratitude to lighthouse keepers, Coast Guard personnel, and their families through Yuletide visits by plane or helicopter. The tradition was started by Captain William Wincapaw, a pioneering Maine aviator. To show his appreciation for the people at the lighthouses in Midcoast Maine, he loaded up his seaplane with packages containing newspapers, magazines, and other gifts, and he dropped them at the lighthouses on Christmas Day.
The Flying Santa plane over Graves Lighthouse in Massachusetts in 1937. Bickford's restaurants was an early sponsor of the flights.
Captain Bill Wincapaw in 1936. Alton H. Blackington Collection (PH 061). Special Collections and University Archives, University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries.
The flights got such a positive reaction that Wincapaw expanded them to more of the Maine coast and the other New England states.
The popular maritime historian Edward Rowe Snow became involved in 1936, and he kept the tradition going through 1980. From 1981 to 1997, the flights were carried out by the Hull Lifesaving Museum in Massachusetts. A new nonprofit organization, Friends of Flying Santa, was created in 1997.
Today, Santa travels by helicopter in the weeks leading up to Christmas to stops from northern Maine to Long Island, New York, bringing holiday cheer to more than 1000 children of Coast Guard families.
Edward Rowe Snow with his wife Anna-Myrle and daughter Dolly in the 1950s. (Friends of Flying Santa)
This episode of Light Hearted, hosted by Jeremy D'Entremont and Cindy Johnson, looks back at 92 years of the Flying Santa using audio clips of Edward Rowe Snow and his wife and daughter, Brian Tague of Friends of Flying Santa, lighthouse keepers and family members, and more.
The Flying Santa helicopter at Portland Head Lighthouse, Maine. (Friends of Flying Santa)
Hilton Head Island, or simply Hilton Head, is a barrier island about 20 miles northeast of Savannah, Georgia, and 95 miles southwest of Charleston, South Carolina. The island features 12 miles of beaches and is a popular vacation destination. It’s also a golf mecca with 33 courses on the island.
Harbour Town Lighthouse, South Carolina. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
The Harbour Town Lighthouse at the Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head was funded by Charles Fraser. designed by architect Kenneth DeMay, and constructed by the Whalley Construction Company of Savannah. Completed in 1970, the 90-foot-tall octagonal tower has distinctive red and white bands and a white light that flashes every 25 seconds.
The shop at the topThere are exhibits at every landing
There's a museum in the interior, with gift shops at the bottom and top of the tower. Because it’s seen by millions as the backdrop for the final hole of the Harbour Town Golf Links, the lighthouse has become a widely recognized landmark and a symbol for the Sea Pines Plantation and Hilton Head as a whole. The lighthouse is a tourist destination for Hilton Head, with about 250,000 visitors yearly.
Views from the top
There are three guests in this episode. Nadia Wagner is the general manager and modern-day keeper of the lighthouse. Greg MacDonnell is a teaching golf professional and also a local historian who has given tours at Harbour Town. And Mark King is the president of Club Group, the company that manages the Sea Pine Resort.
Judianne Point
This episode is co-hosted by Judianne Point, a volunteer at Pomham Rocks Lighthouse in Rhode Island, and the latest developments at Pomham Rocks are discussed -- including the return of an historic Fresnel lens.
St. Simons is part of a cluster of barrier islands located off the southeastern Georgia coast. The original lighthouse on St. Simons was a 75-foot-tall tower that was built in 1810. When Confederate troops retreated from the area in 1861, they blew up the lighthouse so it wouldn’t serve as an aid to navigation for Union warships. The 104-foot-tall brick tower that stands today was built between 1868 and 1872.
St. Simons Light Station, Georgia. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
In 2004, ownership of the lighthouse was transferred to the Coastal Georgia Historical Society. Today, visitors can climb the lighthouse and visit the museum in the keeper's house to learn the fascinating history of Coastal Georgia through rare artifacts, historical photographs, and interactive exhibits. Sandy White is the education director for the Coastal Georgia Historical Society and its museums.
Sandy White at the top of St. Simons Lighthouse. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Tybee island is a barrier island and coastal community east of Savannah, Georgia, a short distance south of the border with South Carolina. An unlighted day beacon was established on Tybee Island in 1736, and there's been an active lighthouse since 1791. After the light’s automation in 1987, the Tybee Island Historical Society spent 12 years working toward a restoration of the lighthouse tower.
Tybee Lighthouse, Georgia. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Sarah Jones is the executive director of the Tybee Island Historical Society. William Rawlings is the author of Lighthouses of the Georgia Coast, published earlier this year.
Sarah JonesWilliam Rawlings
The Isles of Shoals are a cluster of nine islands located several miles off the seacoast of New Hampshire and southern Maine. A lighthouse on White Island -- the southernmost of the island group -- went into service in early 1821. It was a stone tower, later encased with wood and shingled. A new 58-foot brick lighthouse tower was built on White Island in 1859, and the new tower was fitted with a second-order Fresnel lens.
Sue Reynolds (in the blue jacket) with her son Pete Reynolds (rowing) and two of the Lighthouse Kids, circa 2002. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
In this photo from 2002, the Lighthouse Kids measure the cracks in the exterior of White Island Lighthouse. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
The Lighthouse Kids in downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in 2005. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
In 1993, White Island became the property of the State of New Hampshire. Over the years that followed, the lighthouse tower developed major cracks in its exterior, mostly on the northeast side that bears the brunt of storms. The good news is that Sue Reynolds, a seventh-grade science teacher at the North Hampton School on the New Hampshire seacoast, started a nonprofit organization called the Lighthouse Kids to save the lighthouse. The effort led to a 2005 restoration.
Sue ReynoldsNancy BergeronKyla CunninghamPhoto by Ed Latta, early 1980s
There are four guests in this episode. Sue Reynolds was a public school educator for 40 years and for more than 20 years was the captain of the tour boat Uncle Oscar. She was also the founder of the Lighthouse Kids. Nancy Frye Bergeron is a longtime resident of the New Hampshire Seacoast who serves on the board of directors of the Lighthouse Kids, and she’s also an author. Ed Latta was a Coast Guard light keeper on White Island in the early 1980s. And Kyla Cunningham, formerly Kyla Briggs, was a Lighthouse Kid circa 2002 and 2003.
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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. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
The Martha’s Vineyard Museum was originally incorporated in the 1920s as the Dukes County Historical Society. In 1932, the Society purchased the Thomas Cooke House in Edgartown to serve as its permanent headquarters. As the collection grew, the museum expanded in the years that followed. A small tower was built on the museum grounds to display the 1854 Fresnel lens from Gay Head Lighthouse.
The first-order Fresnel lens from Gay Head Lighthouse in the Martha's Vineyard Museum. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Bonnie Stacy, courtesy of the Martha’s Vineyard Museum.
Realizing the need for more and better collection storage space, improved access, and additional space for exhibitions and public programming, the Museum purchased the former 1895 Marine Hospital in Vineyard Haven in 2011. The museum opened in its new location in 2019. The museum’s “Flashes of Brilliance” exhibit chronicles the history of lighthouses and navigation around the Island. Set in the middle of the exhibit and spanning two floors like a suspended jewel is the magnificent first-order Fresnel Lens from Gay Head Lighthouse. The guest in this episode, Bonnie Stacy, is the chief curator of the Martha’s Vineyard Museum.
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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 iron, and took five years to complete. With a rotating second-order Fresnel lens, the light began service on the Fourth of July in 1882.
Stannard Rock Lighthouse, Michigan. U.S. Lighthouse Society photo by Mike and Carol McKinney.
Frederick Stonehouse
The light was automated in 1962. In 2015, ownership was transferred to the Superior Watershed Partnership, an award-winning Great Lakes nonprofit organization. The lighthouse now serves as a climate research station.
Carl Lindquist
Carl Lindquist is the founder and executive director of the Superior Watershed Partnership.
Frederick Stonehouse is the author of more than thirty books including the best-selling The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. He’s also been a consultant for both the U.S. National Park Service and Parks Canada.
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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 a light station at Marshall Point in 1831 and a rubblestone lighthouse tower was completed in the following year.
Marshall Point Lighthouse, Maine. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
The 31-foot brick and granite lighthouse that stands today was built in 1857. The original 1832 keeper's house stood until 1895, when it was destroyed by a fire caused by lightning. The Colonial Revival keeper’s house built after the fire still stands. The light was automated in 1971, and the house was boarded up in 1980.
The keeper's house is now the Marshall Point Lighthouse Museum. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Several years later, the St. George Historical Society undertook the restoration of the house. A committee raised money and the restoration was completed in 1990. The first floor now houses the Marshall Point Lighthouse Museum, with exhibits on local history as well as life at the light station. Nat Lyon is the director and curator of the Marshall Point Lighthouse and Museum.
Nat Lyon (center, with the shovel) and other members of the Marshall Point Lighthouse and Museum Committee.
Ron Kolek
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 lighthouses, including Goat Island and Wood Island in Maine, Portsmouth Harbor in New Hampshire, Rose Island in Rhode Island, Borden Flats in Massachusetts, and New London Ledge in Connecticut. Light Hearted host Jeremy D'Entremont has taken part in most of these investigations, and all of them are discussed in this interview.
Ron has also co-authored three books on the paranormal with Maureen Wood and has contributed to many others. After doing paranormal investigations at lighthouses, Ron became involved in lighthouse preservation. He’s served as chair of Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses in New Hampshire and he’s currently on the organization’s leadership committee. Ron lives in Dracut, Massachusetts, with his wife and Janet.
Rose Island Lighthouse in Newport, Rhode Island, was investigated by New England Ghost Project in March 2011. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
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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, Massachusetts.
Debbie Mueller's painting of Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse in Maine will be part of her solo show, "Beacon," at the Kennedy Gallery in Portsmouth, NH.
Debbie Mueller
Debbie’s solo show “Beacon” at the Kennedy Gallery in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, will feature original oil paintings of more than 20 different New England lighthouses. Twenty percent of the proceeds from the show will be donated to the American Lighthouse Foundation, an organization that works to preserve 16 lighthouses in New England. The show will be at the gallery November 5 to November 30.
Also in this episode is part 3 of a three-part interview with Irish lighthouse keeper Gerald Butler. His career at lighthouses spanned from 1969 to 1990 and it included stays at some of Ireland’s most iconic lighthouses -- Bull Rock and Fastnet Rock among them. Gerald was co-author, with Patricia Ahern, of the book The Lightkeeper: A Memoir, which was published in 2012. Today Gerald is the Attendant Keeper at Galley Head lighthouse, and he frequently lectures on Irish lighthouses.
Bull Rock Lighthouse (Commissioners of Irish Lights)
Gerald Butler
In part three of the interview Gerald talks about the lighthouses where he worked in the last part of his career, about a commemoration of the Fastnet disaster that was discussed in part two of the interview, and about his post-lighthouse-keeping career.
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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 career as an assistant keeper on the Bull Rock, Fastnet Rock, Old Head of Kinsale, and Mizen Head lighthouses.
Gerald Butler at Galley Head Lighthouse
A new short documentary film has been produced about Gerald Butler’s career as a lighthouse keeper. The film, called The Last Lightkeeper, was directed by Niamh Hayes. It was selected for the International Filmmaker Festival in New York last May.
Fastnet Lighthouse, Ireland. U.S. Lighthouse Society photo.
In part two of the interview, much of the focus is on the iconic Fastnet Lighthouse, especially the story of what happened in 1979 when Gerald was a keeper there during one of the worst disasters in the history of yacht racing. Part three of the interview with Gerald Butler will be posted on Thursday, October 28.
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 17 other lighthouses.
Gerald Butler
Gerald was born in 1950 in southwestern Ireland. He was an identical twin and one of 15 siblings. When he was two years old, Gerald’s family moved to the Galley Head Lighthouse, where his mother’s father was the principal keeper and his father was an assistant keeper. Later, his mother was for a time the only female lighthouse keeper in Ireland.
Gerald was co-author, with Patricia Ahern, of the book The Lightkeeper: A Memoir, which was published in 2012. John Gore Grimes of the Commissioners of Irish Lights called the book “extraordinary... a fascinating history of a lightkeeper and his family... a wonderful record of a unique piece of social history.”
This is part one of a three-part interview. Part two will be posted on October 26, and part three will be posted on October 28. In part one we hear about Gerald's childhood experiences at the lighthouses and about his training as a keeper, and also about the lighthouses where he began his career.
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 seamen traveling through Vineyard Sound often stopped for a meal or a night's stay at a tavern run for many years by Zaccheus Lumbert. Lumbert erected an early navigational light on the island in 1759.
Tarpaulin Cove Lighthouse, Naushon Island, Massachusetts. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
In 1817, the federal government established a light station at Tarpaulin Cove with a rubblestone tower showing a fixed white light 71 feet above mean high water. A new 38-foot-tall brick tower was built in 1891. After the light was automated in 1941, the keeper's house and outbuildings fell into disrepair and were torn down in 1962. The lighthouse tower at Tarpaulin Cove is now maintained by the Cuttyhunk Historical Society. The Society was launched in 1978 and operates the Museum of the Elizabeth Islands on Cuttyhunk, the westernmost of the Elizabeth Islands.
Naushon Island is also home to a herd of belted Galloway cows, who sometimes like to take a dip in the ocean. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
The light station on Cuttyhunk was demolished in 1947. (Collection of Jeremy D'Entremont)
Paul Elias
Also discussed in this episode is the lost lighthouse of Cuttyhunk, which was established in 1823. Paul Elias is a longtime summer resident and a trustee of Naushon Island.
He’s also a former board member of the Cuttyhunk Historical Society and the "point person" for Tarpaulin Cove Lighthouse.
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 the most significant.
19th century illustration of Cape Otway
Alex Parry at Cape Otway
Built in 1848, the lighthouse stands on a high cliff at the western entrance to Bass Strait between Australia and Tasmania. Frequent shipwrecks in the area with hundreds of lives lost led to the establishment of the lighthouse.
In 1891, the original system of 21 whale oil lamps and parabolic reflectors was replaced by a first-order Fresnel lens manufactured by Chance Brothers in England.
Today, overnight accommodations are available in the head keeper’s cottage. Alex Parry is the operations coordinator for Cape Otway Light Station.
Sarah MacHugh
Sarah MacHugh co-hosts this episode.
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 1898 and the light was automated in 1958. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources now owns the lighthouse tower, while the Coast Guard continues to maintain the active navigational light.
The lighthouse is now part of nine-acre Marblehead Lighthouse State Park. The Marblehead Lighthouse Historical Society operates a museum in the old keeper's house, with exhibits on the history of the lighthouse and the local area. Visitors can climb to the top of the lighthouse for spectacular views of Lake Erie and its islands.
Courtesy of the Marblehead Lighthouse Historical Society
Above left: The reconstructed lifesaving station. Above right: The keeper's house. Courtesy of the Marblehead Lighthouse Historical Society.
A replica of an 1876 lifesaving station was completed on the park grounds in 2016, and a renovation of the lighthouse tower was completed last year. The annual Lakeside-Marblehead Lighthouse Festival is coming up on October 9, and Marblehead Light Station is celebrating its 200th anniversary next year. Dennis Kennedy is the president of the Marblehead Lighthouse Historical Society.
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Bessida Cauthorne White
Stingray Point Lighthouse in Virginia, built in 1858, marked a dangerous shoal at the mouth of the Rappahannock River. In 1861, six enslaved men used the lighthouse – which was abandoned during the Civil War -- as a safe house while waiting to catch a Union ship that would allow them to escape slavery. Bessida Cauthorne White is an activist, genealogist, and retired attorney, as well as the co-founder and president of the Middle Peninsula African American Genealogical and Historical Society. This past July 17th there was a standing room only crowd at the Deltaville (VA) Community Center for the dedication by the Society of an historical marker commemorating the 1861 incident involving Stingray Point.
Stingray Point Lighthouse, Virginia. National Archives photo 26-LG-24-63.
Donald S. Murray was born and raised in Ness in the Isle of Lewis in Scotland. He’s written 14 books and published countless essays, columns, short stories, and poems in a variety of publications. His writing, both of fiction and non-fiction, has received widespread critical acclaim and numerous literary awards.
In his new book, For the Safety of All, Donald explores Scotland's lighthouses through history, storytelling, and the voices of the lightkeepers. After 30 years as an English teacher, Donald became a full-time writer in 2012. He now lives and works in Shetland.
Andy Robinson is a junior at Palo Alto High School in California, and he’s a co-chair for the Teen Advisory Council of the Palo Alto History Museum, where he helped create a historical time capsule of his city. Andy has also been a volunteer for the U.S. Lighthouse Society’s passport program, helping to update information on stamp locations and events. He’s written histories for a series of collectible passport stamps to commemorate lost lighthouses.
Andy Robinson
Andy is also a writer and editor for Verde, a student-run magazine for Palo Alto High School. He's now in the process of starting a California chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society, which will be called the California Lighthouse Society.
A website has been established for the chapter: www.calighthousesociety.org
Joining host Jeremy D'Entremont for this interview is U.S. Lighthouse Society Executive Director Jeff Gales.
One of Andy Robinson's inspirations was a visit to California's Point Pinos Lighthouse. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
J. Dennis Robinson
J. Dennis Robinson is a popular columnist, lecturer, and public historian living in Portsmouth on the New Hampshire Seacoast. He’s the author of a dozen books on topics ranging from Jesse James, child labor exploitation, the Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth, archaeology at the Isles of Shoals off the New Hampshire coast, and the infamous 1873 Smuttynose Island ax murders.
He’s also written about 3000 published articles on a variety of history topics, including the local lighthouses. His latest book is a mystery novel called Point of Graves. He discusses his new book in this interview, as well the iconic importance of the region's lighthouses.
Shalana Millard co-hosts.
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Point Sur juts out from a rugged portion of the California coast 25 miles south of Monterey Bay. The Lighthouse Board had considered a lighthouse at Point Sur as early as 1856, but the terrain was daunting.
Point Sur, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Congress finally appropriated $50,000 in 1886 and another $50,000 in the following year. Stone for the buildings was quarried near the site, and a steep railway—708 feet long—was built to transport supplies to the top of a volcanic rock that rises to a height of 361 feet. At the top, after a roadbed was blasted out of the rock, another 480-foot railway was built to the lighthouse site. The station went into service on August 1, 1889.
Point Sur Lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
The light was automated and the personnel were removed in 1972. In 1984, the Coast Guard turned over most of the station to the California Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Point Sur State Historic Park was soon born.
Carol and John O'Neil
A nonprofit organization, Central Coast Lighthouse Keepers, was formed in 1993 to support the preservation of the light station. State Parks volunteers lead tours at Point Sur Light Station and operate the visitor center.
John and Carol O’Neil have been working as Point Sur State Historic Park volunteers for about 27 years, and John serves as chair of the Central Coast Lighthouse Keepers while Carol is the historian.
Carol wrote the book Point Sur, published by Arcadia Press in 2003.
Josh Liller
Josh Liller has been the Historian and Collections Manager for the Loxahatchee River Historical Society and the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse & Museum in Florida since 2014.
Jupiter Inlet Light Station has a museum on the site that features 5000 years of local history.
Josh also serves as historian for the Florida Lighthouse Association, and he gives presentations related to local history throughout the year.
Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, Florida (courtesy of Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse & Museum)
He’s the co-author of the revised edition of the book Five Thousand Years on the Loxahatchee, and he was the editor of the second edition of the book The Florida Lighthouse Trail.
Josh is also a regular contributor to the U.S. Lighthouse Society’s journal, The Keeper’s Log, and his column Bright Ideas appears on this news blog.
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Block Island, south of the Rhode Island coast and east of the entrance to Long Island Sound, lies in the middle of major shipping lanes. A lighthouse was established at the island’s northernmost point in 1829, but it did nothing to aid vessels heading past the south side of the island. Congress appropriated $75,000 for a first-order light and fog signal in 1872, and a brick dwelling and attached 67-foot-tall brick tower were built. The light went into operation on February 1, 1875.
Early postcard of Block Island Southeast Lighthouse, Rhode Island. (U.S. Lighthouse Society)
The architecture of the lighthouse has been classified as the High Victorian Gothic style, with Italianate influences. The building is an architectural showcase that’s totally unlike any other lighthouse ever built in the New England region. It was also a technological showcase and was regarded as one of the best-equipped stations on the coast, with a huge first-order Fresnel lens from France.
Block Island Southeast Lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Block Island Southeast Light Station was one of the last in the country to be automated and de-staffed. In December 1989, the navigational light was relocated to a steel skeleton tower. At that time, the lighthouse building was severely endangered by erosion of the bluff. Funding was secured for a move of the lighthouse to safer ground, and the move took place in 1993. The lighthouse was returned to service as an aid to navigation following the move.
The first-order Fresnel lensThe lens remains in use
Restoration has been ongoing, and most recently the interior of the building has been renovated and new exhibits have been installed. Lisa Nolan is the executive director of the Southeast Lighthouse Foundation, and Dr. Gerald Abbott is the president.
Lisa Nolan and Dr. Gerald Abbott
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Early photo of Bass River Lighthouse, Massachusetts (National Archives)
Congress appropriated $4,000 for a lighthouse near the mouth of the Bass River on Cape Cod in 1850. Oxen hauled building materials across the local marshes, and the Bass River Light went into service on April 30, 1855. The government deemed the lighthouse unnecessary after the advent of the Cape Cod Canal and a new automatic light was established on the Bass River west jetty at the entrance to the river. The light was extinguished in 1914 and the property was soon sold at auction.
The Lighthouse Inn, formerly Bass River Lighthouse, in West Dennis, Massachusetts. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
The third and fourth generations of the Stone family involved with the operation of the Lighthouse Inn. Greg Stone is at the far right.
In 1938, the property was bought by State Senator Everett Stone and his wife, Gladys. The Stones began to have overnight guests, and their hospitality became so popular that they soon opened it to the public as the Lighthouse Inn. Bob and Mary Stone managed the Inn for many years.
In 1989 the Stone family had their lighthouse relighted as a seasonal aid to navigation, with a 300-millimeter optic providing a white light that flashes every six seconds.
Members of the Stone family remain involved with the inn’s operation today. Bob and Mary’s son Greg is president, and his wife, Patricia, is the general manager.
Ralph Krugler is the historian for the Hillsboro Lighthouse Preservation Society in Florida. He’s spent several years researching the history of the light station and he’s put together an extensive book on the subject.
Volume one is now available, and he also has a new children’s book called Let’s Visit the Lighthouse.
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The Outer Banks, a 200-mile-long chain of barrier islands, stretch from southeastern Virginia to most of the North Carolina coast. The islands were a haven for piracy in the 1600s, but later an important commercial fishing industry developed in the region. Currituck Beach Lighthouse—the northernmost of the light stations on the Outer Banks—began service on December 1, 1875, to fill a 40-mile gap on the coast between the lights at Cape Henry, Virginia, and Bodie Island, North Carolina. It was the last major brick lighthouse built on the Outer Banks. Until 1933 when it was electrified, the station had a principal keeper and two assistants serving at a time.
Currituck Beach Lighthouse. U.S. Lighthouse Society photo.
After automation in 1937, the site fell into disrepair until the nonprofit Outer Banks Conservationists renovated the station’s buildings and opened the site to the public in 1990. In 2003, the U.S. Department of the Interior awarded the organization the ownership of the lighthouse.
Meghan Agresto
Meghan Agresto has been the resident site manager of the Currituck Beach Light Station for more than 16 years. Because the nearest schools are far away on the mainland, she started a school for local children and she continues to serve as board president of the Corolla Education Foundation.
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Orient Point Lighthouse is a cast-iron, so-called “sparkplug” type lighthouse in a location known as Plum Gut, between Plum Island and Orient Point at the northeastern tip of Long Island, New York. After its 1958 automation, the Coast Guard considered tearing it down and replacing it with a simple pipe tower, but a public outcry saved the structure and some restoration work was carried out.
Orient Point Lighthouse, New York. photo by Jeremy D'Entremont
Randy Polumbo
In 2013 the property was auctioned under the guidelines of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000. The winner of the auction was Randy Polumbo, an artist and the founder of the New York City eco-construction company, Plant. Randy’s work has been exhibited nationally and abroad. Over the past few years he has transformed the interior of the lighthouse, adding a kitchen and studio space. He’s installed a spinning, glowing sphere on the watch room gallery, and a colorful grotto inside, which he calls a “walk-in kaleidoscope." Randy plans to make the lighthouse available for artists, writers, and composers who want to be “lost at sea for a week or more.”
Click here to read more about Randy Palumbo and Orient Point Lighthouse
Tarrytown Lighthouse, New York. photo by Jeremy D'Entremont
George Latimer
Tarrytown Lighthouse went into service on October 1, 1883, about 20 miles north of New York City on the east shore of the Hudson River. It’s a cast-iron caisson structure, with four stories inside and a light 56 feet above mean high water. The Tappan Zee Bridge, spanning the Hudson River at its widest point, was completed in 1955. The bridge, with powerful lights and a foghorn on its center span, rendered the lighthouse virtually obsolete. After years of abandonment, the lighthouse was acquired by Westchester County. It has again fallen into disrepair in recent years, but Westchester County recently announced a major restoration project. Westchester is led by County Executive George Latimer, who took office in January 2018 as the ninth County Executive.
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Elinor DeWire at Cape Meares Lighthouse, Oregon
Elinor DeWire is an award-winning author, editor, public speaker, educator, and blogger based in Connecticut. She began her writing career with freelance stories for a Florida newspaper, and in 1987 she published her first book, Guide to Florida Lighthouses. Since then, she’s authored some twenty books about lighthouses. From 1991 to 2000 Elinor wrote two regular columns for the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration's Mariners Weather Log, one about the U.S. Lifesaving Service and one on lighthouses.
She continues to contribute articles on lighthouses to various publications. She’s also written early Victorian-era novels, plus four books and a number of articles about amateur astronomy and sky watching.
Elinor DeWire at Anclote Key Lighthouse, Florida
Elinor was awarded a short fiction prize in 1992 from the National League of American Pen Women. She is also the recipient of the Coast Guard Meritorious Public Service Award. She serves today on the board of directors of the U.S. Lighthouse Society and chairs the Society’s Education Committee.
Elinor's website
Elinor's blog
Also in this episode: an interview with Bill Gicker, director of Stamp Services for the U.S. Postal Service. On August 6, the USPS is releasing a new set of five Mid-Atlantic lighthouse stamps. The stamps feature paintings by Howard Koslow, and they depict the following lighthouses: Montauk, New York; Navesink Twin Lights, New Jersey; Erie Harbor Pierhead in Pennsylvania; Harbor of Refuge in Delaware; and Thomas Point Shoal in Maryland.
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Point Cabrillo is in Northern California, about midway between San Francisco and the border with Oregon. The point is named for Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, an explorer who sailed the California coast on behalf of Spain in 1542 and ‘43. It took a series of shipwrecks in the vicinity and pleas from mill owners and mariners before construction of a lighthouse began in the summer of 1908. An octagonal lighthouse tower was combined with a fog signal building in an attractive building that has been likened to a small church, built of local redwood and Douglas fir.
Point Cabrillo Lighthouse, California. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
The last Coast Guard keepers left in 1972 when the navigational light in the lighthouse was replaced by an aerobeacon that was mounted on the roof of the fog signal building. In 1992, the property was bought by the California State Coastal Conservancy. Restoration followed, and the Fresnel lens in the lighthouse was reactivated. After restoration, the duty of managing the station was handed over to the nonprofit Point Cabrillo Lightkeepers Association.
Point Cabrillo's third-order Fresnel lens was created by Chance Brothers of England. It’s one of only three British-built lenses still in use in the United States. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont
Jen Lewis
Two of the former keepers’ houses and two smaller buildings are open for overnight stays. A museum and gift shop are open daily, and there’s an aquarium and marine science exhibit in another light station building. Jen Lewis began volunteering at Point Cabrillo Light Station when she moved to Mendocino County in 2016, and she has been the Outreach Manager for the nonprofit Point Cabrillo Lightkeepers Association since 2018.
This episode is co-hosted by Jeff Gales, executive director of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.
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Chris Overcash
Chris Overcash is the Senior Engineer and Deputy Director of Coastal Resilience for EA Engineering, Science, and Technology in Maryland. Chris has more than 20 years of experience in the fields of coastal, civil, and environmental engineering. His background includes projects in marine and coastal design, dredging, and resource management, and climate resiliency.
Chris is also an adjunct faculty member of the Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering, and serves as an associate member of the Environment, Energy, Sustainability, and Health Institute. And he's also a longtime maritime enthusiast, which led him to get involved 17 years ago with the effort to preserve Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse, the only cottage-style screw-pile lighthouse still in its original location in Chesapeake Bay.
Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse, Maryland. U.S. Lighthouse Society photo by J. Candace Clifford.
New postage stamp featuring Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse
For many years, Chris has organized and led volunteer days for his company’s staff to help support preservation efforts.
He completed an environmental assessment of the lighthouse and designed a landing dock for visitor access and tours.
More recently, he completed a resilience study on how climate change will affect Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse.
Shalana Millard
The special guest co-host for this episode is Shalana Millard, a writer and lighthouse aficionado living in Washington D.C.
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The lighthouse at Piney Point in Maryland --14 miles from Chesapeake Bay up the Potomac River -- was established in 1836, making it the oldest lighthouse on the river. The conical brick tower is 26 feet tall.
Piney Point Light Station, Maryland. U.S. Lighthouse Society photo by J. Candace Clifford.
April Havens
In 1980 the property was transferred to St. Mary’s County. The County licensed the St. Clement’s Island-Potomac River Museum to preserve the light station, and a museum was established. The museum’s exhibits focus on the construction and operation of the lighthouse, lighthouse keepers, the role of the Coast Guard, and other subjects related to the history of the site. April Havens is the site manager at the Piney Point Lighthouse Museum and Historic Park.
Split Rock Lighthouse, Minnesota. U.S. Lighthouse Society photo by Tom Tag.
Split Rock Lighthouse is located on a 127-foot-high cliff on the northwest shore of Lake Superior. The lighthouse went into service on August 1, 1910. The Coast Guard declared the lighthouse obsolete and it was discontinued as an official navigational aid in 1969. Ownership was transferred to the State of Minnesota, and today the Minnesota Historical Society administers the site. The light station is the centerpiece of 2200-acre Split Rock Lighthouse State Park.
Lee Radzak became the lighthouse site manager in November 1982. After retiring in 2019, Lee began work on a new book -- The View from Split Rock: A Lighthouse Keeper’s Life. The book, which is co-written by journalist and author Curt Brown, takes readers into the life of a modern-day lighthouse keeper at Split Rock. The book is organized by season and is illustrated with photos taken by Lee and other talented photographers.
Lee Radzak
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Ireland’s Hook Lighthouse is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse in the world. The tapering headland of Hook Head is in the southwestern part of County Wexford, on the southeast coast of Ireland below Dublin. In the fifth century, a monastery was established on the peninsula. According to tradition, the early monks from the monastery erected a beacon that burned fire to warn mariners away from the dangerous rocks on the Hook peninsula. A more substantial lighthouse tower was built around the year 1200. The tower was constructed of local limestone and it stands four stories high with walls up to 13 feet thick.
Early drawing of Hook Lighthouse (U.S. Lighthouse Society)
The light was automated in 1996 and the last light keepers were removed. The old keepers’ houses were turned into a visitor center and the light station was opened to the public in 2001. There’s also a café on the site.
Hook Lighthouse, U.S. Lighthouse Society photo
Noel Lynch
Noel Lynch is a tour guide and entertainer at the Hook Lighthouse.
We're posting both the usual audio version of this episode and also video of the interview.
The video version of the interview is below.
https://youtu.be/atmfb96OG2M
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Eighteen-acre Rose Island, about a mile offshore from Newport, Rhode Island, has a commanding position in Narragansett Bay's East Passage. The waters around Newport were busy with passenger steamers, fishing boats, and freighters in the mid-nineteenth century. On July 20, 1868, Congress appropriated $7,500 for a lighthouse on the island, and the site chosen was a surviving bastion of eighteenth-century Fort Hamilton. The octagonal lighthouse tower rises from the west side of a mansard roof on top of the handsome one-and-one-half-story wooden keeper's dwelling. The lighthouse went into service on January 20, 1870.
Rose Island Lighthouse and the Newport Bridge in Newport, Rhode Island. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
The light lost its importance as a navigational aid with the construction of the Newport Bridge in 1969. In the 1980s, a group of dedicated preservationists founded the Rose Island Lighthouse Foundation to protect the historic structure. In 1985, the Rose Island Lighthouse Foundation began the process of restoring the building inside and out. The lighthouse has been restored to the 1912-1915 period.
Below: Some of the rooms at Rose Island Light Station. Photos by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Brian Tefft
In 1992, the lighthouse was opened to the public, and on August 7, 1993, it was relighted as a private aid to navigation. You can now stay overnight at Rose Island for a taste of Lighthouse Service life. You can stay in the restored downstairs rooms or in the upstairs apartment. The Rose Island Lighthouse Foundation recently changed its name to the Rose Island Lighthouse and Fort Hamilton Trust, also known as the RIFH Trust. Brian Tefft is the executive director of the Trust. Brian is also a biologist with extensive experience with natural resource management, wetlands, environmental policy, and education.
Rose Island Lighthouse at night; photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Below: Video for the song "Flashing in the Dark" by Neptune's Car, shot at Rose Island in 2012.
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Boon Island is located in southern Maine, about six miles from the nearest point of land. The popular writer Celia Thaxter once called the small rocky island “the forlornest place that can be imagined.” It was the scene of many shipwrecks over the years, including the wreck of the British Nottingham Galley in December 1710, an incident that was later the basis of a novel by Kenneth Roberts.
Undated view of Boon Island Light Station. (Coast Guard Historian's Office)
For the safety of local fishermen and coastal trading vessels, a lighthouse replaced an earlier day beacon in 1811. The original wooden tower was only 32 feet tall. The slender granite tower that stands today is 133 feet tall, making it the tallest lighthouse in the New England states. A second-order Fresnel lens in the tower was first lighted on January 1, 1855.
The photos below of Boon Island, circa 1978, are courtesy of Kirby Eldridge. The boathouse and peapod boat are on the left, and the keeper's house is on the right.
Kirby Eldridge in 1978
The Coast Guard automated the station soon after the keepers' house was badly damaged in the disastrous Blizzard of 1978. Kirby Eldridge and Leo Berry were the last keepers on the island. After his time in the Coast Guard, Kirby spent about 17 years in the Army, followed by 25 years working as a systems engineer until his recent retirement. He lives today in Georgia.
Bob Trapani, Jr., at the base of Boon Island Lighthouse in 2006. (Courtesy of Bob Trapani, Jr.)
Co-hosting this episode is Bob Trapani, Jr., executive director of the American Lighthouse Foundation. Bob is also a lighthouse technician and he's had some personal experience with Boon Island.
Below: Left, the demolition of the keeper's house in 1982. Right: Boon Island Lighthouse in 2007 (photo by Jeremy D'Entremont).
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In the late 1860s, the hazard known as the Middle Ground Flats — opposite the City of Hudson, New York, in the Hudson River —made navigation in the busy shipping route treacherous. An appropriation of $35,000.00 was approved by Congress in 1872 to build the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse. The lighthouse went into service in late 1874. It was run by a resident keeper until it was automated in the 1950s. It still serves as an aid to navigation.
Hudson-Athens Lighthouse, New York. Photo by Bob Taylor.
In 1982 a group of local citizens formed the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse Preservation Society. Since then, with the help of private donations, public grants, and legislative initiatives, the Preservation Society has undertaken the analysis and mitigation of structural, aesthetic, interpretive and public access issues that face the property. Recent efforts have mostly focused on shoring up the foundation of the structure.
Left to right: Joe Keneally, Van Calhoun, and Bill Palmer of the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse Preservation Society
A grant from the Preservation League of New York State earlier this year is supporting an engineering study of the lighthouse. Another issue the organization has faced in recent years is the failure of the power cable that provided electricity for the lighthouse. Van Calhoun is chair of the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse Preservation Society's Foundation Renovation Committee. Bob Taylor is the historian for the Society, and Bill Palmer is a volunteer and boat captain.
Bob Taylor
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The Bonavista Peninsula is on the east coast of Newfoundland, Canada, separating Trinity Bay to the south from Bonavista Bay to the north. At the peninsula’s northeastern tip is the headland known as Cape Bonavista. It’s believed that the navigator Giovanne Caboto, better known as John Cabot, may have landed at the cape during his first expedition to North America in 1497. It’s said that when he caught site of the high bluffs at Cape Bonavista, he exclaimed, “O Buono Vista,” meaning “Oh Happy Sight,” which gave the cape its name.
Cape Bonavista Light Station, Newfoundland. U.S. Lighthouse Society photo by Ralph Eshelman.
The lighthouse at Cape Bonavista was established in 1843 to help mariners entering Trinity Bay and Bonavista Bay, and to aid navigation heading down the coast for Labrador. The original lamps and reflectors came from the famous Bell Rock Light in Scotland. That system was replaced in 1895 by a catoptric lighting system that had been designed by the renowned Scottish engineer Robert Stevenson. The apparatus was originally used at Isle of May Lighthouse in Scotland. It was installed at Harbour Grace Lighthouse in Newfoundland in 1847, and finally at Cape Bonavista in 1895.
The lighting apparatus at Cape Bonavista. U.S. Lighthouse Society photo.
In 1970 the station was declared a Provincial Historic Site, and the lighthouse was restored by the provincial government a few years later. The historic 1895 lighting apparatus was returned to the lantern room, and it’s on display there today. Marlene O’Connell Russell is the site supervisor for Cape Bonavista Lighthouse and also for Mockbeggar Plantation in Bonavista.
Marlene O’Connell Russell
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Wave-swept Bell Rock Lighthouse, about five miles from Arbroath in southeastern Scotland, was designed by the engineer Robert Stevenson of the famous Stevenson family of engineers. The granite tower, first lighted in 1811, was built so well that none of it has needed to be repaired or replaced in more than 200 years. It’s the oldest wave-swept, or sea-washed, granite lighthouse in the world.
Bell Rock Lighthouse, Scotland. U.S. Lighthouse Society photo.
The keepers at Bell Rock lived inside the tower itself. The lighthouse operated in tandem with a shore station known as the Bell Rock Signal Tower, built in 1813 in Arbroath. The Signal Tower housed the families of the keepers, along with personnel who ran the lighthouse tender that supplied the light station.
The Signal Tower Museum. U.S. Lighthouse Society photo by Tom Tag.
Caroline Taylor
The Signal Tower was converted into a museum in the 1970s. The museum has exhibits on Bell Rock Lighthouse and its keepers, as well as exhibits on the local manufacturing and fishing industries.
The Signal Tower is one of several museums operated by ANGUSalive. Caroline Taylor is the Heritage Learning and Engagement Lead at ANGUSalive.
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Litløy fyr, on a small island off the northwest coast of Norway, was first lit in October 1912. For a time, it was the second most powerful lighthouse in Norway. The lighthouse was electrified in 1959 and then automated in 1991. Staff remained at the light station to maintain the property and to run a weather station. Eventually the staff was removed in 2003. Then, a couple of years later, the Norwegian Coastal Administration sold 20 lighthouses to new stewards. Elena Hansteensen bought Litløy fyr with the intention of making it accessible to the public.
Litløy fyr, Norway. (Courtesy of Littleisland Lighthouse)
The property, known as Littleisland Lighthouse in English, has been renovated. Overnight accommodations are now available, as well as guided tours. Travel and Leisure named Littleisland Lighthouse one of the best small hotels in the world. B&B. Elena Hansteensen is the owner and managing director of Littleisland Lighthouse. She was honored with an award for women entrepreneurs in 2017.
Elena Hansteensen
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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 a vital part of the state's economy. Georgia's barrier islands are home to five existing lighthouses, each with its own unique style and history.
William Rawlings
Lighthouses of the Georgia Coast is the eleventh book by William Rawlings. He was born, raised, and lives in Sandersville, Georgia, home to his family for more than two centuries. His first five books were suspense novels set in rural Georgia. Turning to nonfiction, he wrote three subsequent works about Georgia and Southern history. He’s been the recipient of a number of writing awards.
Rawlings’s recent works include a suspense novel set in Savannah titled The Girl with Kaleidoscope Eyes, and a true-crime thriller, Six Inches Deeper. Lighthouses of the Georgia Coast, his fifth nonfiction book, was published by Mercer University Press earlier this year. The new book includes information about lighthouse design and construction, the role and legacy of the keepers, and the strategic importance of the structures during the Civil War. To learn more about William Rawlings and his books, see the author's website at williamrawlings.com.
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On one side of North Carolina's Bald Head Island, the Cape Fear River empties into the Atlantic Ocean. On the other, treacherous sand bars known as the Frying Pan Shoals stretch to the south for about 30 miles into the ocean. The island's first lighthouse was established in 1794. The original lighthouse was soon threatened by erosion, and it was discontinued in 1813. A new 110-foot-tall lighthouse was completed in 1817, but it was soon realized that it wasn’t bright or tall enough to guide vessels past the dangerous shoals. A new lighthouse, known as the Cape Fear Light, was built on the island in 1903 to help mariners negotiate the Frying Pan Shoals. Cape Fear Lighthouse has since been demolished but Old Baldy remains standing as the oldest lighthouse in North Carolina.
Bald Head Lighthouse, aka Old Baldy, North Carolina. Bald Head Island Limited photo.
Abby Overton
The Old Baldy Foundation is a nonprofit organization established for the preservation of Bald Head Lighthouse, best known as Old Baldy. Abby Overton has been the development and communications coordinator for the Old Baldy Foundation since 2017. She has led fundraising efforts and planned many special events, developed a membership program, created and edited a monthly newsletter, designed the organization’s promotional materials, among many other accomplishments.
Hunter Ingram
Old Baldy Foundation educator and historian Hunter Ingram came to the Cape Fear region to write about local history and the North Carolina film industry for the Wilmington StarNews. Hunter is a devoted storyteller and lifelong lover of history who is excited about sharing the centuries of stories that define Old Baldy and Bald Head Island.
Located at the eastern tip of Long Island, Montauk Point Light is the oldest lighthouse in New York and the fourth oldest active lighthouse in the country. Construction began in 1796 and was completed in the following year. When the light station was automated and de-staffed in 1987, a museum opened in the keeper’s house, operated by the Montauk Historical Society. Then, in 1996, ownership of the light station buildings was transferred to the historical society.
Montauk Lighthouse, New York. U.S. Lighthouse Society photo by J. Candace Clifford.
Henry Osmers
For many years the light station has been threatened by the erosion of the bluff on which it stands; it was 297 feet from the edge when it was first built, and only about 90 feet today. A series of erosion control measures have been carried out, including a current revetment project costing more than $30 million and being implemented by the Army Corps of Engineers.
Mia Ceric
Mia Certic became the executive director of the Montauk Historical Society in April 2020. She is a writer and screenwriter who’s lived in California for many years, but she’s spent every summer in her life at Montauk.
Henry Osmers is the official historian for the lighthouse, and he’s written four books about Montauk history. One of them, On Eagle’s Beak, published in 2008, was the first major history of the lighthouse.
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Dianna Stampfler
Dianna Stampfler has written countless articles for many Michigan travel and culture periodicals. In August 2004, she launched Promote Michigan to help market the people, places, and products of her home state. Dianna has also been researching Michigan’s lighthouses for more than 10 years. In 2019, she published her book Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses through the History Press.
Michigan has more lighthouses than any other state, with more than 120 dotting its expansive Great Lakes shoreline. Many of these lighthouses lay claim to haunted happenings.
Dianna is currently writing a book called Death & Lighthouses of the Great Lakes: A History of Misfortune & Murder, which is due to be published in March 2022.
Michigan’s Big Bay Point Lighthouse stands on a high bluff on the state’s Upper Peninsula, about 24 miles northwest of Marquette on Lake Superior. The light was deactivated in 1961 and the property was sold into private ownership. Later owners turned the lighthouse into a bed and breakfast inn in 1986. The owner since May 2018 is Nick Korstad.
Nick Korstad
Before he bought the property, Nick bought and restored Borden Flats Lighthouse in Fall River, Massachusetts, a project for which he was featured on several national TV shows and received a “Keeper of the Light” award from the American Lighthouse Foundation.
In the interview in this episode, Nick talks about an unusual experience at Big Bay Point Lighthouse, and he also discusses strange happenings at Borden Flats Lighthouse.
The Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society, or ARLHS, was formed in 2000. The ARLHS is devoted to maritime communications, amateur radio, lighthouses, and lightships. Its members travel to lighthouses around the world where they operate amateur radio equipment at or near the light stations.
Other goals of the ARLHS include working to increase public awareness of the role ham radio and lighthouses have played in assisting and maintaining safety at sea; aiding with the preservation of lighthouses; and fostering camaraderie and fellowship among ham radio operators nationally and internationally. The ARLHS also maintains a World List of Lights.
John Huggins
John Huggins is an electrical engineer living in Virginia. He has experience in astronomy, aerospace, and the radio communication field, and he reviews and writes about antennas and other technical topics in various online publications. John became the president of the ARLHS in 2016.
Dan Romanchik
Dan Romanchik has been an electronics engineer, a software developer, an engineering manager, a writer/blogger/editor, a teacher/trainer, and a website developer. He's written a series of books called the “No-Nonsense Amateur Radio License Study Guides,” and he also has a popular blog on all aspects of ham radio operating. He's been involved with the ARLHS in recent years.
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The light station on East Brother Island in Richmond, California, was established in 1874 . After nearly a century as a staffed light station, East Brother was automated and destaffed in the summer of 1969. The building deteriorated for a decade until the Coast Guard granted a license for restoration to a new nonprofit organization, East Brother Light Station, Inc.
The property was restored and eventually the doors were opened for overnight guests. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the bed and breakfast operation to close down at the end of last June. The resident caretakers left and board member Desiree Heveroh moved in as the resident keeper.
East Brother Light Station (U.S. Lighthouse Society photo)
In early April, a 30-year-old, 2000-foot-long underwater power cable, installed and owned by the Coast Guard, failed. A permanent fix to the cable will be very expensive. Funds are desperately needed so the light station won’t fall into disrepair, and so it can reopen for overnight stays.
Desiree Heveroh (Courtesy East Brother Light Station)
Host Jeremy D'Entremont and co-host Cindy Johnson recently interviewed Desiree Heveroh about the current situation.
Website for East Brother Island Light Station
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The lighthouse at Sumburgh Head, established in 1821, is the oldest lighthouse in the Shetland Islands, a part of Scotland. The light station is on a dramatic promontory at the southern tip of Mainland, Shetland, the largest of the islands and the fifth largest island in the British Isles. It was designed by Robert Stevenson, one of the most prolific and celebrated lighthouse engineers in the world. The tower is 56 feet tall, and the light is about 300 feet, or 91 meters, above the sea. Because Sumburgh Head is exposed to severe weather conditions, the walls of the lighthouse were built twice as thick as usual.
Sumburgh Head Light Station. Wikimedia Commons photo by Ronnie Robertson.
The station was automated in 1991 and the former keepers’ houses and the other buildings except for the lighthouse tower are now owned by the Shetland Amenity Trust. The Trust has renovated and restored the buildings to create a world-class visitor attraction.
Brian Johnson’s connection with Sumburgh Head Lighthouse goes back many years, beginning when he took a position as Supernumerary Assistant Keeper in 1969. Most of Brian’s lighthouse career was spent as a mechanical technician. He refurbished the foghorn at Sumburgh Head, and on special occasions visitors can watch as he expertly starts the diesel engine to sound the foghorn.
Brian Johnson (Shetland Amenity Trust)
Jane Outram first visited Shetland for three weeks and is still there 18 years later. She initially worked with the archaeological team of the Shetland Amenity Trust. When a position as a guide at Sumburgh Head became available in 2015, she jumped at the opportunity. Then, in 2019, she made the move to the site supervisor position.
Jane Outram (Museum of Scottish Lighthouses)
Here is the transcript of the interview:
JEREMY D’ENTREMONT
I'm speaking today with Jane Outram and Brian Johnson, who are associated with the Sumburgh Head Lighthouse in Shetland, which is part of Scotland. Thanks so much for joining me today, Jane and Brian. I really appreciate it.
JANE OUTRAM
Thank you, it’s great to be here.
JEREMY
First of all, can you explain where the Shetland islands are and where Sumburgh Head is?
JANE
Yes, of course. So Shetland is an archipelago of around 100 islands, 15 of which are inhabited. And we are located approximately a hundred miles off the northern tip of mainland Scotland and due west of Bergen in Norway. And Sumburgh Head is the rocky headland at the southern tip of mainland Shetland. This is where the North Sea meets the North Atlantic.
JEREMY
So how do people get to Shetland from mainland Scotland?
JANE
So there are two options for getting to Shetland. You can take an overnight ferry from Aberdeen, which takes between 12 and 14 hours, or you can fly. And there are several flights every day from Scottish airports, including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness , and Aberdeen.
JEREMY
Okay. I was reading that the weather conditions at Sumburgh Head can be very harsh. So what sort of weather do you get there?
JANE
Well, really, the weather here is no worse than any exposed headland in Northern Scotland. Lighthouses by their very nature and purpose tend to be situated in very exposed locations. And I'm often surprised that even on a windy day, how sheltered it can feel within the grounds of Sumburgh Head. But overall, it doesn't rain very much in Shetland. And we have mild winters with temperatures between five to ten degrees warmer than other places on the same latitude. And this is down to the influence of the Gulf Stream.
That's not to say that we don't get our fair share of wind here. Margaret Anderson, an assistant keeper's wife, told us that she could remember watching her husband, Leslie, on his hands and knees against the strength of the wind, trying to reach the tower. And Tommy Eunson, who was an occasional keeper at Sumburgh Head from 1968,
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This is part two of two episodes about Pater Noster Lighthouse off the west coast of Sweden. The light station is operated as a small hotel that features rooms with a sea view, a restaurant, and three boathouses for dinner and conferences. The lighthouse hotel has formed a partnership with the Göteborg (or Gothenberg) Film Festival. The festival, which began in 1979, is the largest film festival in the Nordic countries. Because of COVID restrictions, this year’s 11-day festival was held digitally, with about 70 films and premiere screenings every night.
Pater Noster Lighthouse
This year the festival organizer’s created an “Isolated Cinema” event. It was announced that a winner would be selected to spend a week watching film premieres at the isolated Pater Noster Lighthouse. The winner would have to commit to living in isolation on the island, completely without contact with the outside world, and also to keep a video diary of the experience.
Lisa Enroth (Photo by Ola Kjelbye)
The contest was announced with an online video and more than 12,000 entries were received from more than 45 countries. On January 19, the festival selected Lisa Enroth, a 41-year-old emergency nurse and film enthusiast, as the winner. The CEO of the festival said it felt right to give the unique opportunity to one of the many heroes working in healthcare during the pandemic.
Jonas Holmberg
Lisa Enroth is interviewed in this episode. Also interviewed is Jonas Holmberg, artistic director of the Gothenberg Film Festival. Jonas is a movie critic who founded a film magazine called FLM. He joined the festival in 2012 and became the artistic director in 2014.
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Pater Noster is a small archipelago off the west coast of Sweden. The island group’s name, which means “The Lord’s Prayer,” is said to come from the tradition that mariners would recite the Lord’s Prayer as they negotiated their way around the dangerous reefs in the vicinity. The 105-foot-tall cast-iron lighthouse on one of the islands was constructed in 1868 during a period of intensive lighthouse building in Sweden.
Pater Noster Lighthouse
Since last year, Pater Noster Lighthouse has been operated as a small hotel. The facilities include rooms with a sea view, a restaurant, and three boathouses for dinner and conferences. The hotel on Pater Noster was awarded the 40th annual Gold Key Award for Excellence in Hospitality Design.
The lighthouse was moved to shore for restoration in 2002. In this photo it's being returned to the island in 2007. Wikimedia Commons photo by Rolf Broberg.
Erik Nissen Johansen is originally from Norway. He is the founder and creative director of Stylt Trampoli, a multi-award winning hospitality design company. For more than 25 years, Stylt has helped created unique hotel and restaurant experiences for clients all over the world. He is now a partner in the hotel at the Pater Noster Lighthouse.
Erik Nissen Johansen (Courtesy of Stylt)
This is the first of two episodes about the Pater Noster Lighthouse; the second will be posted on Wednesday, April 28. Earlier this year, the nearby film festival in Gothenberg awarded a weeklong stay at the lighthouse hotel to Lisa Enroth, a nurse. Linda watched all the films in the festival while at the lighthouse. Jonas Holmberg, artistic director of the film festival, and Lisa Enroth will be the guests in episode 116.
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Pointe-au-Père is near the mouth of the St. Lawrence River and about 160 miles northeast of Quebec City, Canada. For many years, river pilots helped incoming vessels to steer safely toward Quebec City. The Montreal Ocean Steamship Company established the first lighthouse and foghorn on Pointe-au-Père in 1859. The government of Canada purchased the lighthouse two years later. After the original lighthouse was destroyed by fire, a new one was built in 1867. The first and second lighthouses were both wooden dwellings with lanterns on their roofs.
Pointe-au-Père Lighthouse, U.S. Lighthouse Society photo.
Cindy Larouche (Parks Canada)
Work on the extant lighthouse at Pointe-au-Père began in 1909. The octagonal tower, 92 feet tall, is made of steel-reinforced concrete. With its buttresses, the design was unusual for Canada. Today, the Pointe-au-Père Lighthouse National Historic Site offers climbs to the top of the tower and exhibits in the former keeper’s house.
Cindy Larouche is the manager of the Pointe-au-Père National Historic Site, and she also manages the Battle of the Restigouche National Historic Site.
Here is a transcript of the interview:
JEREMY D'ENTREMONT
I'm speaking today with Cindy Larouche, who is the manager of the Pointe-au-Père National Historic Site in Quebec, Canada. We've covered lighthouses in Nova Scotia and British Columbia before on this podcast. This is the first time we're focusing on one in Quebec. Thank you so much for joining me today, Cindy.
CINDY LAROUCHE
Nice to meet you.
JEREMY
Likewise. Let's talk about the history of the lighthouse and so forth. But before we do that, I just want to ask you – I'm kind of curious to know a little bit about what led you to being the manager of two historic sites in Quebec.
CINDY LAROUCHE
Well, it was a happy coincidence that led me to become the visitor experience manager at two historic sites of Parks Canada. First of all, having a very great interest in travel, I first studied tourism and then I did a bachelor’s degree in history at the University of Quebec at Rimouski. I always been drawn to culture, education, and museum sector. And furthermore, I have worked in tourism and cultural development in various institutions in Gaspésie and the Lower St. Lawrence region. So when I saw that Parks Canada was looking to fill a position on its team, I told myself, Cindy, you must apply right away. There was a mix of my interest and it helped me to use my skills in many ways. I applied for my dream job and I got it. And I'm still here eight years later. Managing two incredible national sites and doing my best to keep employees happy at work and visitors enjoying their visit.
JEREMY
Yeah. Well, that's great. You know, not everybody gets to find their dream job, so I'm happy that worked out for you. That's wonderful.
CINDY LAROUCHE
Yeah.
JEREMY
So besides the lighthouse site, you also manage the Battle of the Restigouche National Historic Site. Can you explain what that is?
CINDY LAROUCHE
Yeah, this national historic site highlights a very interesting but little-known event in the history of New France. It was the last naval battle that took place in the Restigouche River between the French and the British for the conquest of the North American territory. During this war in 1760, the colony of New France was forced to ask for reinforcements from France, which sent soldiers and ammunition and food to the fleet of six ships. In the end, only three ships including a frigate and two merchant ships ended up in the Restigouche River to hide. They were eventually sunk by British ships in a battle that took place and resulted in the victory of the British fleet. And for more than 200 years, the remains of the different ships remained underwater. But in the ‘70s, Parks Canada carried out archeological excavations, which brought to the surface parts of the Machault sh...
Both of the lighthouses featured in this episode are celebrating their 150th anniversaries in 2021.
Souter Lighthouse is on the northeast coast of England, in South Shields, Tyne and Wear. A lighthouse was much needed here because of dangerous reefs offshore. When the light went into operation on January 11, 1871, it was one of the first lighthouses in the world to be built specifically to operate using AC electric current. The 77-foot-tall brick lighthouse was designed by James Douglass for Trinity House.
Souter Lighthouse. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Souter Lighthouse was decommissioned in 1988. Today the light station property is owned by the National Trust, an organization that promotes heritage conservation in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The lighthouse was opened to the public in 1990, and two former keepers’ cottages offer overnight accommodations for the general public. Kate Devlin, interviewed in this episode, is the National Trust's collections and house officer at Souter Lighthouse.
Vintage view of Souter Light Station. (National Trust)
Judianne Point
Pomham Rocks Lighthouse is owned by the American Lighthouse Foundation and managed by Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse, a chapter of the Foundation.
The Friends have completed extensive restoration of the exterior and interior of the lighthouse in the past 15 years. They have a variety of events planned this year for the light station's 150th anniversary, and volunteer Judianne Point discusses the group’s plans in this episode.
Pomham Rocks Lighthouse. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
The co-host of this episode with Jeremy D'Entremont is Jeff Gales, executive director of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.
Angeli Perrow
Angeli Perrow was born in Rockland on the Maine coast. Her grandfather was a lobsterman and her uncle fished the Grand Banks. As a child, Angeli delighted in exploring the beach with her grandmother, collecting shells and sea glass. She also started writing poems and stories when she was a child.
Angeli taught elementary school for 30 years before retiring two years ago. Maine's maritime history has provided material for much of her writing, including four of her children's books, Captain's Castaway, Lighthouse Dog to the Rescue, Sirius the Dog Star, and Love from the Sky, as well as a coloring book. The "Maine Lighthouses Coloring Book" was published in a brand new second edition in March 2021.
Her other picture books include Dogsled Dreamer and Many Hands, which was a 2010 Lupine Award winner. Angeli’s love for mystery stories inspired her to write the Key Mystery Series for children 8 to 12, starting with The Lightkeeper's Key and The Whispering Key. There are now eight volumes in the series. She has also written a trilogy of horse adventure books for young teens, Celtic Thunder, Celtic Tide,and Celtic Legend.
Angeli lives in Hampden, Maine, with her husband and their dog Lily. She is the mother of two and grandmother of three. Her other interests include hiking, kayaking, cross-country skiing, reading, painting, gardening, Irish dancing, and Celtic music.
Angeli Perrow's website
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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 building was added in 1908.
Patos Island Lighthouse, U.S. Lighthouse Society photo.
In 2007, the Keepers of the Patos Light was formed to preserve the lighthouse. Edrie and Terri Vinson’s comprehensive book, Patos Island Lighthouse has been published by the History Press and will be available for purchase on March 29, 2021. Edrie is the president of the Keepers of the Patos Light, and Terri is the secretary.
Edrie VinsonTerri Vinson
Dangerous shoals around Cape Canaveral -- on the east coast of Florida -- were a constant threat to mariners, leading to the establishment of a lighthouse in 1849. The original brick tower wasn’t tall enough, leading to a decision to build a new tower. The second Cape Canaveral lighthouse, a 151-foot cast-iron tower, began service in 1868.
Cape Canaveral Lighthouse, Florida. (Courtesy of Ron Thorstad, Sunward Tours)
The Air Force became the owner of the automated lighthouse in 2000, with the Coast Guard continuing to maintain the light. Then, in 2002, the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse Foundation was formed. Rear Admiral Jim Underwood, U.S. Coast Guard retired, is the past president of the Foundation. Becky Zingarelli serves as the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse Museum Director.
Jim UnderwoodBecky Zingarelli
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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 East River. The cornerstone for the lighthouse was laid on April 16, 1912, one day after the news of the sinking of the Titanic reached New York. Many prominent New Yorkers were among the 1496 lives lost in the disaster.
The cylindrical white lighthouse was 60 feet tall. It displayed a fixed green light that was visible throughout New York Harbor and all the way through the Narrows to Sandy Hook, about a dozen miles to the south. Surmounting the tower was a time ball, to be hoisted five minutes before noon, Monday through Friday, and dropped at the precise moment a telegraphic signal signifying noon was received from Washington, D.C. Captains in the harbor set their ship’s chronometers by to the ball drop and citizens would set their timepieces to the drop of the ball at noon each day.
After the organization relocated in 1968, the building was demolished. The lighthouse was removed and donated to the South Street Seaport Museum. In May 1976, it was erected at its present location. There’s a new effort to restore the memorial lighthouse, which has fallen into disrepair. Click here for a GoFundMe page for this project.
The guests in this episode are Adrian Saker, who is spearheading the restoration effort, and also two descendants of Titanic passengers, Angelica Harris and Simon Medhurst.
Adrian Saker
Angelica Harris is the author of the book Titanic: The Brothers Peracchio, Two Boys and a Dream. The book is the story of her Italian uncles, Alberto and Sebastiano Peracchio. The brothers were stewards in the A’ la Carte Restaurant on board the Titanic.
Simon Medhurst’s great grandfather was Robert Hichens, the quartermaster of the Titanic who was at the ship’s helm on April 14, 1912.
Hichens survived the disaster in lifeboat 6. Simon’s mission is to keep the story alive and to promote all things Titanic.
Simon MedhurstAngelica Harris
Click here for the website for the effort to restore the Titanic Memorial Lighthouse
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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 in 1857 by the 48-foot brick tower that still stands.
Sandy Neck Light Station circa 1859 (National Archives)
Barnstable Harbor gradually declined in importance, and shifting sands left the lighthouse in a less advantageous position. In the summer of 1931, the lighthouse was decommissioned and its lens was moved to a steel skeleton tower 200 feet closer to the tip of Sandy Neck. The lantern was removed from the lighthouse and the property was sold at auction in 1933. In 1944, the property was sold to Fred Lang, a radio personality. Lang sold the property to the Hinckley family in 1950. Since 2000, Ken Morton has managed the light station for the family.
Ken Morton and Light Hearted host Jeremy D'Entremont at the top of the lighthouse in 2004. Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
The installation of a new lantern began in the spring and summer of 2007. The job was completed in the fall, and in October 2007 the lighthouse was relighted as a private aid to navigation, with a modern LED optic.
Sandy Neck Lighthouse in 2008. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
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The brightly striped red and white tower on Sambro Island, near Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, is the oldest lighthouse in the Americas. The first act passed by the Nova Scotia House of Assembly, on October 2, 1758, authorized the lighthouse. It was paid for by a tax on vessels entering Halifax Harbour. The station was automated and destaffed in 1988. Of three keepers’ houses built in the 1960s, one was demolished for salvage in 1989 and another was burned down in 2007.
Sambro Lighthouse, Nova Scotia, Canada. Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
Joe Flemming
The Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society succeeded in having the lighthouse designated as a classified federal heritage building in 1996. Two years later, the tower was reshingled and repainted. In 2008, more restoration work was completed and a solar power system was installed. Another major restoration project was carried out in 2016. A new local nonprofit organization has also been formed to preserve the lighthouse: the Sambro Island Lighthouse Heritage Society.
Chris Mills served as a lighthouse keeper in Canada for nine years at 11 light stations on both coasts. (Courtesy of Chris Mills)
Joe Flemming, who lives in Ketch Harbour, Nova Scotia, is a past president of the Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society, and he has played a large role in the preservation of Sambro Lighthouse. Chris Mills is a former lighthouse keeper and the author of two books on lighthouses and keepers, and he was a founding member of the Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society.
A 2016 video showing the restoration:
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Tybee Island Light Station in 2009. U.S. Lighthouse Society photo by J. Candace Clifford.
Tybee Island's Lighthouse is the oldest and tallest in Georgia, and it's one of the most intact historic light stations in the U.S.
Sarah Jones
The Savannah River marks the border between Georgia and South Carolina. The river was vital to the early development of the area, including the city of Savannah. A lighthouse at Tybee Island has been guiding shipping into the river since 1791. Under the guidelines of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act, the Tybee Island Light Station became the property of the Tybee Island Historical Society in 2002.
Sarah Jones authored this book of historic Tybee Island postcards for Arcadia Press.
Today, a ticket to the site allows you to tour the lighthouse tower and the other station buildings, and to visit the Tybee Island Museum across the street. The Tybee Island Historical Society’s board named Sarah Jones their new executive director in 2014.
In 2019, Sarah authored a book of historical postcards of Tybee Island for Arcadia Press.
Tybee Island Light Station and Museum
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Dan Spinella began his Fresnel lens research and restoration work in 1992. His first project was to provide engineering drawings to aid in the restoration of the St. Augustine Lighthouse first-order Fresnel lens. Several restoration projects followed, using both acrylic and glass prisms used to restore historic Fresnel lenses. Dan’s company, Artworks Florida, began creating full-scale reproduction Fresnel lenses in 2004.
Dan Spinella has restored several lenses at the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse Museum in Florida (courtesy of Dan Spinella)
To date, 40 reproduction Fresnel lenses have been manufactured. Some of his lenses are installed in lighthouses as aids to navigation and some are on exhibit in lighthouse museums across the country.
Dan has also created numerous short videos that explain the intricate workings of the Fresnel lens and the creation process of the reproduction lenses. The videos can be viewed on the “Artworks Florida” YouTube channel.
Alan Dunlop in his studio (courtesy of Alan Dunlop)
Alan Dunlop is one of the UK’s leading architects and a respected educator. He’s taught at a number of schools of architecture in the UK, the USA, and in Germany. He's also a gifted artist and his drawings have been exhibited at the Royal Academy in London and the Royal Scottish Academy.
Last year, when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted his work, he created a visual diary of his family’s life during lockdown.
After filling four large sketchbooks, he turned his attention to lighthouses. Alan has been visiting and photographing lighthouses for about 30 years.
For his latest sketches, he’s focused on the Scottish lighthouses designed by the famous Stevenson family of engineers.
Rattray Head LighthouseSumburgh Head Lighthouse
More of Alan's sketches can be seen on Instagram.
The special guest co-host for this episode is Jeff Gales, executive director of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.
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Halfway Rock is a windswept, rocky ledge far out in Maine’s Casco Bay, about nine miles east of Portland Head. Its name comes from its location about halfway between Cape Elizabeth and Cape Small. 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.
Halfway Rock Light, photo by Jeremy D'EntremontSeguin Light, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont
Tim Bailey
Tim Bailey was born in Gardiner, Maine, but he spent his school years in Connecticut. After graduating from high school, Tim joined the Coast Guard. After his time as a keeper at Halfway Rock (1971-72), he was stationed at Boothbay Harbor, Maine, then Seguin Light Station off the mouth of the Kennebec River.
In this interview, he discusses his experiences at Halfway Rock and Seguin Island. Joining in on the interview is Ford Reiche, the owner of Halfway Rock Lighthouse.
Thanks to Jesse Littlefield for her help with this interview with her dad, Tim Bailey.
Photographer Mike Leonard lives in Yarmouth, Maine, and his photography is frequently seen in books and magazines, and in television segments. Mike offers workshops on digital photography, which you can read about on his website at phototourismbymike.com. In this installment of “Photo Tips with Mike Leonard" he discusses night photography of lighthouses.
Portland Head Light, photo by Mike LeonardWest Quoddy Head Light, photo by Mike Leonard
Gallery of photos of Halfway Rock, 1971-72 (Courtesy of Tim Bailey):
December 1971
Tim Bailey rowing the USCG peapod boatDecember 1971 - hole in lantern glass made by a sea duck
The boat slipThe third-order Fresnel lens
February 1972 storm damage; railing and fuel tank missingFrank Reese and Tim Bailey, Thanksgiving 1971
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Although our nation has made much progress in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and we can now all start to see a guiding light at the end of the tunnel, it will still be several months before lighthouse visitation picks up to near-normal levels and for some organizations that may not happen until the 2022 season. The Board of Directors of the U.S. Lighthouse Society has therefore unanimously agreed to once again defer the normal cycle of grants and to instead offer our support and assistance with $1,000 grants to help with your operations during another tough year.
Eligibility for the grant consists simply of being a current non-profit 501(c)(3) organization responsible for preservation, care and public visitation of a historic lighthouse in the United States, including its territories, etc. The deadline for submitting a letter is February 26. More details are available here.
In this short special edition of Light Hearted, USLHS President Mike Vogel and Executive Director Jeff Gales discuss the emergency grant program.
Sheringham Point Lighthouse. BC.Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Sheringham Point, in the community of Shirley, about 16 miles northwest from Race Rocks near the south end of Vancouver Island, was named in 1846 for the British Vice Admiral William Louis Sheringham of the Royal Navy. The wreck of the steamer Valencia nearby in 1906, with the loss of at least 126 lives, had put pressure on the Canadian government to improve navigation. To aid shipping along the Canadian side of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, a light station was established at Sheringham Point in 1912. A 64-foot-tall hexagonal, reinforced concrete tower was built along with a dwelling and outbuildings.
Early photo of Sheringham Point Lighthouse, courtesy of the Sheringham Point Lighthouse Preservation Society.
A flashing white light shown from a third-order Fresnel lens, rotating on a bed of mercury and 72 feet above the water, was visible for 14 miles. The station began operation on September 30, 1912. The station was very isolated in its early days, and a lighthouse tender delivered supplies every few months.
The Sheringham Point Lighthouse Preservation Society was founded in 2003 to preserve the remaining structures and to ensure that the site remains accessible to visitors. Much of the surrounding land is now privately owned.
Rebecca Quinn (Sheringham Point Lighthouse Preservation Society)
Rebecca Quinn is a PhD student at the University of Warwick in Coventry, England, but she considers British Columbia her real home. In 2013, Rebecca was elected to be the historian of the Sheringham Point Lighthouse Preservation Society. She worked with Society volunteers to create the book Sheringham: A Canadian Heritage Story, which was published last year.
John Walls(Sheringham Point Lighthouse Preservation Society)
John Walls is the author of a book called Celebrating Victoria, about one of Canada’s most beautiful cities. He was also the photographer for Government Street, about Victoria’s Heritage Mile. And in 2015, he co-authored, with Peter Johnson, the book To the Lighthouse: An Explorer’s Guide to the Island Lighthouses of Southwestern BC. John is the vice president of the Sheringham Point Lighthouse Society.
This part 2 of 2. Part 1 (episode 104) featured an interview with Elanie Bruton, daughter of Sheringham Point keeper Jim Bruton.
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Jim Bruton was born in Wales in 1926, but his family relocated to British Columbia in Canada when he was just one year old. He started working in the logging industry when he was 14. After serving as a merchant seaman during World War II, in 1945 Bruton became an assistant keeper, or junior keeper, at Lennard Island Lightstation, off the west coast of Vancouver Island near Tofino.
Jim and Evelyn Bruton, courtesy of Elanie Bruton.
After a brief time at Lennard Island, Jim Bruton left the lighthouse service for a while and returned in the logging industry. In 1951 he met and married Evelyn Stockman from Edmonton. Evelyn had no idea she would spend nearly 30 years at lighthouses. Jim returned to light keeping in 1958 as a junior keeper at Discovery Island. After a year and a half as junior keeper at Discovery Island, he was the principal keeper at Chrome Island off the east coast of Vancouver Island for four years. He then returned to Lennard Island from 1964 to 1968.
Sheringham Point Lighthouse, BC. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
At a ceremony on March 20, 2016, a plaque signifying Sheringham Point Lighthouse as a Canadian Heritage Lighthouse was dedicated. The heritage plaque was unveiled by retired Senator Pat Carney (left) and Elanie Bruton (right). Courtesy of the Sheringham Point Lighthouse Preservation Society.
Jim Bruton's daughter Sharon was married in the lantern room at Sheringham Point in 1976 with 16 people, including the minister, all crowded in the small space. Courtesy of Elanie Bruton.
The Brutons eventually had four children, three girls and a boy. Their daughter Elanie lived at the light stations until she was 18. Jim Bruton was often heard to say, “I have the best kids in the world.” The family moved to Sheringham Point, a mainland lightstation in Shirley on the southwest coast of Vancouver Island, in 1968. Jim Bruton replaced Fred Mountain, the previous keeper, who had died at the station. Bruton’s daughter Sharon was wed at the top of the lighthouse in December 1976, with the couple’s vows broadcast over CB radio.
The Brutons lived at Sheringham Point for nearly two decades, until 1986, when Jim Bruton retired. Today, Jim’s daughter Elanie Bruton remains a very active volunteer of the Sheringham Point Lighthouse Preservation Society, which was formed in 2003 and took ownership of the lighthouse and surrounding land in 2015.
This part 1 of 2. The second part, which will be posted on February 17, features interviews with Rebecca Quinn, author of Sheringham: A Canadian Heritage Story, and John Walls, vice president of the Sheringham Point Lighthouse Society.
Pete Lerro is a graduate of Temple University in Pennsylvania, where he studied video, audio, and photography. In his career as a photographer, Pete has done work for the Department of Homeland Security, the NFL, the NBA, the NHL, and USA Gymnastics, among others. When he’s not on assignment, he organizes photo workshops across the country. With Pete’s unique workshops, guests can expect special access, private photo sessions, and a night of professional photography seminars. During some of the workshops, for example, railroads and museums are rented out for the evening. And there’s always one-on-one interaction with Pete for the guests taking part in the workshop.
Split Rock Lighthouse, Lake Superior, Minnesota, November 2020.Photo by Pete Lerro.
"Keeper of the Light" photo at Seguin Island, Maine. Photo by Pete Lerro.
Among Pete’s events coming up this year are lighthouse photo workshops on Long Island, New York, in Oregon, and in California. There’s also a special one in the works to photograph the famous twin lights on Thacher Island, Massachusetts. During these workshops, participants learn how to take great pictures at night by utilizing the light of the moon and stars. Pete has also done a series of “Lighthouse Keeper” photos utilizing a reproduction Lighthouse Service uniform and props like a handheld lantern and a spyglass. Participants in his lighthouse workshops get a chance to feel like they’re stepping back in time by creating unique photos like these.
Along with lighthouses, Pete’s extensive portfolio includes landscapes, railroads, cityscapes, historical reenactments, portraits, and more. You can see many of his photos and find out more about his workshops on his website at lerrophotography.com.
Joining in this conversation with Pete Lerro and host Jeremy D'Entremont is Jeff Gales, executive director of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.
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This is part two of a two part interview with Richard Cummins, a native of Ireland who worked as a lighthouse keeper in that country for a decade. He spent time at the very famous Fastnet Rock Lighthouse; at Hook Head, the oldest operating lighthouse in the world, and some other well known light stations – more than 20 in all.
A clip from the interview with Richard Cummins:Download
Here's a video tour of Fastnet Rock Lighthouse, one of the places where Richard served as a keeper.
A Tour of the Fastnet Lighthouse from Peter Cox on Vimeo.
Some beautiful footage of Fastnet:
Click here for more fascinating short films of Irish lighthouses.
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Richard Cummins
Richard Cummins is a native of Ireland who, for about 10 years ending in 1989, worked as a lighthouse keeper in that country. He spent time at the very famous Fastnet Rock Lighthouse; at Hook Head, the oldest operating lighthouse in the world, and some other well known light stations – more than 20 in all.
Hook Head, County Wexford, Ireland. Photo by Richard Cummins
After his time as a lighthouse keeper he’s worked as a photographer and his photos have been published in National Geographic and other publications. You can see Richard’s photographic work online at art.com and many other websites. He’s also known for the remarkable ships in bottles and other nautical models he’s built, which you can see on his Facebook page.
This is part one of a two-part interview. The second part will be released in two days, on February 3.
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The U.S. Lighthouse Society podcast "Light Hearted" was launched in June 2019. The podcast's name refers to people who have lighthouses in their hearts. It's the only podcast that's devoted to the subject of lighthouses. Since it was launched, 100 episodes have featured interviews with lighthouse keepers, authors, historians, and preservationists -- and much more.
This retrospective includes clips of interview highlights from the first 20 months of "Light Hearted," along with never-heard-before outtakes.
Elizabeth Spires was born in Lancaster, Ohio, and she now lives in Baltimore, Maryland. She has always admired the poetry of Emily Dickinson, and by the time she was twelve she had decided to be a writer. When she was in college at Vassar, she began writing poetry seriously. That led to the publication of seven collections of poetry for adults, most recently A Memory of the Future, which was a New York Times Best Poetry Book of the Year.
Elizabeth Spires
Elizabeth has written seven children’s books include The Mouse of Amherst, The Big Meow, and I Heard God Talking to Me, which was about the Nashville outsider artist William Edmonson. Her work has won many awards. Among others, she’s been the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Maryland Author Award from the Maryland Library Association. I Heard God Talking To Me was named a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year.
Elizabeth Spires’ new children’s book, Kate’s Light, tells the true story of Kate Walker, the renowned keeper of Robbins Reef Lighthouse in New York Harbor. She lived at Robbins Reef for 33 years (1886-1919) and was known for her many rescues.
The book Kate’s Light is illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully, a Caldecott Medal winner.
Kirkus Reviews said this about Kate’s Light: “Kate comes alive through the combined talents of Spires and McCully, and their portrayal highlights how an ordinary woman can excel and pave the way for others by virtue of her dedication and fortitude.”
Kate Walker
Publishers Weekly had this to say: “Caldecott Medalist McCully’s vivid ink and watercolor spreads bring to life the storms and waves that made Walker’s work necessary, and brim with visual information about the lighthouse and the people who depended on it.
"Chapter book–style writing by Spires (The Big Meow) provides ample context and many anecdotes. An intrepid heroine in a lonely place, Walker had grit that makes for gripping reading.”
Like his father before him, young Joseph Hindley went to work in the textile mills of New Bedford, Massachusetts. Looking for a more adventurous life, he joined the Revenue Cutter Service in 1921. After some time in the Merchant Marines, Joseph joined the Lighthouse Service. He spent more than a decade as an assistant keeper, first at Whale Rock Light in Rhode Island and then at Butler Flats Light in New Bedford. Hindley joined the Coast Guard when they took over the management of lighthouses from the civilian Lighthouse Service, and his time in the Coast Guard included 18 months in Greenland.
12/29/1967 - Lighthouse keepers (L to R) Osborne E. Hallett, Joseph G. Hindley, Jr. and Harry A. Wilbur are awarded Gallatin Certificates by Captain Frederick J. Hancox, commanding officer of Woods Hole Coast Guard Group. The men were the last three civilian lighthouse keepers in New England. U.S. Coast Guard photo.
Joseph Hindley and his daughter Betty. Courtesy of Betty Hindley Hatzikon.
When Hindley returned from Greenland, he went back to being a civilian lighthouse keeper, first as the head keeper at Sakonnet Point Light in Rhode Island from 1947 to 1950. Hindley and his family then moved to Gay Head Light Station at the western end of the island of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.
The Hindley family spent six years at Gay Head, leaving when the light was automated in 1956. The keepers’ house was demolished a short time later. The Hindleys moved on to Nobska Point Light in Woods Hole on Cape Cod, where Joseph served as an assistant to Keeper Osborne Hallett until 1968. When Hallett retired, Hindley became the principal keeper.
Gay Head Lighthouse, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Betty Hindley Hatzikon in front of the first-order Fresnel lens from Gay Head Lighthouse, now at the Martha's Vineyard Museum. Courtesy of Betty Hindley Hatzikon.
In 1967, while Hindley was at Nobska Point, he was honored with a Gallatin Certificate from the Coast Guard as one of the last three civilian lighthouse keepers in New England.
He retired in 1972 as the very last civilian keeper in the New England region.
This episode features reminiscences of life at the lights in an interview with Betty Hindley Hatzikon, Joseph Hindley's daughter.
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Pemaquid Point Lighthouse is one of the most frequently visited attractions on the Maine coast, receiving about 100,000 visitors each year. The point, at the entrance to Muscongus Bay to the east and Johns Bay to the west, was the scene of many shipwrecks through the centuries. In May 1826, Congress appropriated $4,000 for the building of a lighthouse at Pemaquid Point. The original tower didn’t last long, and a new 30-foot-tall conical stone tower was built in 1835.
Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
In March 1940, residents voted at a town meeting to authorize Bristol’s selectmen to purchase the property, except for the lighthouse tower. The surrounding property became the town’s Lighthouse Park, and the keeper’s house was later converted into the Fishermen’s Museum, which opened in 1972.
In May 2000, the lighthouse tower was licensed by the Coast Guard to the American Lighthouse Foundation. A chapter of the foundation, the Friends of Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, was formed. The group soon restored the entryway to the tower and began holding open houses.
Trudy Irene Scee
Trudy Irene Scee completed a Ph.D at the University of Maine. In addition to being an historian and journalist, she’s also an educator and photographer. She has seventeen books in print. In her new book Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, she uncovers the fascinating story of this iconic Maine location, as well as the light keepers and their families, from the construction of the first lighthouse through the present day.
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Fay Howe, courtesy of her son, Don Watson.
Fay Howe, as drawn by illustrator Brian Simmonds for "Lighthouse Girl."
This is part 2 of a two part interview with Dianne Wolfer, author of the award-winning children's book Lighthouse Girl. The book tells the true story of Fay Catherine Howe, daughter of the lighthouse keeper at Breaksea Island in Western Australia, during World War I.
Around 30,000 soldiers left Australian shores to fight in World War I, and the sight of Fay Howe waving to them from the island became a symbol of hope for many of the departing soldiers.
Part 2 also features an interview with Fay Howe's son, Don Watson, along with his wife, Peg, and their daughter Denise.
Dianne Wolfer's website
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Dianne Wolfer
Dianne Wolfer is an award-winning children's author who lives on the south coast of Western Australia. A teacher who has worked in Tokyo, Japan, as well as in Nepal in addition to schools in her native Australia, she pens novels for children and young adults that focus on life in modern Australia and Pacific countries. Her 2009 book Lighthouse Girl won the 2010 West Australian Young Readers' Book Award for Picture Books and has been adapted into a stage play.
Lighthouse Girl tells the poignant true story of Fay Catherine Howe, who was the daughter of the lighthouse keeper at Breaksea Island in Western Australia. Around 30,000 soldiers left Australian shores to fight in World War I, and in late 1914 a fleet of 36 troop ships left Albany bound for Egypt and Gallipoli. Fifteen-year-old Fay was adept at signal communications, and as the men waited on their ships to leave Albany, she communicated with many of them using semaphore flags or Morse code. She relayed their messages to Albany, and from there they were routed to the men’s families.
Fay Howe, courtesy of his son, Don Watson
The sight of Fay Howe waving to them from the island became a symbol of hope for the departing soldiers. For many of those men, their contact with Fay was their last connection to their home country. Dozens of them wrote cards and letters to Fay from overseas, sometimes addressed to the “little girl on Breaksea Island.”
This is part one of two. Part two also includes an interview with Faye's son, Don Watson. It will be posted on January 6.
Breaksea Island Lighthouse (U.S. Lighthouse Society)
Dianne Wolfer's website
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Filmmaker Rob Apse was born and raised in Reading, Massachusetts, but he spent summers on the coast of Maine and at Great East Lake in New Hampshire, boating, fishing, and exploring. After graduating from Ithaca College with a degree in Cinema Production, he’s worked almost 10 years in creative marketing. After realizing he had a passion for documentary storytelling, he opened his own marketing studio, Wandergroove, helping small businesses and nonprofits tell their story.
Rob Apse, right, with crew member John Dickson on the left and Ford Reiche, owner of Halfway Rock Lighthouse in Maine, in the center. Courtesy of Wandergroove.
He’s spent five years working on his new documentary, The Last Lightkeepers. It focuses on a number of people in the world of lighthouse preservation – members of nonprofit organizations, historians, lighthouse owners, and others. The film is now available for viewing on Amazon.
A portion of the proceeds from the film are going to Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses for the preservation of Whaleback Lighthouse in Kittery, Maine.
Dave Waller, owner of Graves Light in Boston Harbor. Courtesy of Wandergroove.
“The film is gorgeous and important, in that it gives visual voice to an extremely powerful and essential act of preservation — making sure that lighthouses are still there for future generations to not only see, but also learn about their history.” - Best selling author Eric Jay Dolin
Trailer for The Last Lightkeepers:
The Last Lightkeepers // Feature Launch Introduction from wandergroove on Vimeo.
Dwight Berry
Also in this episode is a discussion with lighthouse aficionado Dwight Berry about the lighthouses of the Outer Banks in North Carolina.
Dwight offers tips for visiting the lighthouses and for other things to do in the area.
Bodie Island Lighthouse, NC. U.S. Lighthouse Society photo.
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In March 1871, Congress appropriated funds for a lighthouse on the east side of California's San Pablo Strait. It was decided that East Brother Island, about 1000 feet offshore on the east side of the strait, would be a good location. The style chosen was the handsome Stick Style design developed by architect Paul Pelz and used for several other West Coast lighthouses around the same time; a square wooden tower was attached to a six-room keepers’ dwelling. On March 1, 1874, a fourth-order lens was put into operation for the first time.
East Brother Light Station
Desiree Heveroh
The light station was automated and de-staffed in the summer of 1969. The building deteriorated for a decade until the Coast Guard granted a license for restoration to a new nonprofit organization, East Brother Light Station, Inc. The lighthouse was lovingly restored with the help of much volunteer labor, and by late 1980 the doors were opened for overnight guests. This year, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the bed and breakfast operation to close down at the end of June. The resident caretakers left and a longtime board member, Desiree Heveroh, interviewed in this episode, moved in as the resident “keeper.”
Hillsboro Inlet Light Station, Florida, in 1920. (National Archives 26-LG-28-17)
Next is another installment of Florida Lighthouse History with Ralph Krugler. Ralph is the historian for the Hillsboro Lighthouse Preservation Society, and also a volunteer for the U.S. Lighthouse Society. Today’s subject is the interesting life of Alfred Alexander Berghell, the first keeper at Hillsboro Inlet.
The Flying Santa tradition traces its origins to a pioneering pilot named Bill Wincapaw. Wincapaw flew amphibious airplanes around the Penobscot Bay region in Maine. He often relied on the area’s lighthouses to get him safely home. To show his appreciation to the lighthouse keepers and their families, on Christmas Day 1929 he loaded his plane with a dozen packages containing gifts for the lighthouse families. He dropped the packages at some of the lighthouses in the Penobscot Bay region.
The Flying Santa plane passes Boston Light in 1947 (Friends of Flying Santa)
In the years that followed, Wincapaw expanded the flights to more of the Maine coast and to the other New England states. A few years later the Wincapaw family relocated to Winthrop, Massachusetts. Bill Wincapaw Jr. had a history teacher at Winthrop High School by the name of Edward Rowe Snow, a budding historian. Edward Rowe Snow took an interest in the Flying Santa and took part in the 1936 flights. After some years when the Flying Santa duties were shared by the Wincapaws and Edward Rowe Snow, Bill Wincapaw Sr. died in a plane crash in 1947.
Edward Rowe Snow with his wife, Ann-Myrle Snow, and their daughter, Dolly, in 1963. (Friends of Flying Santa).
From the Christmas season that year through 1980, Mr. Snow kept the Flying Santa tradition alive. His wife, Anna-Myrle Snow, flew along each year, and their daughter Dolly took part beginning the year she was born in 1951.
Edward Rowe Snow loading the Flying Santa plane in 1962 (Friends of Flying Santa)
Dolly Snow Bicknell has been involved in lighthouse preservation as president of Project Gurnet and Bug Lights in Massachusetts. Dolly has been honored recently with a Keeper of the Light award from the American Lighthouse Foundation, and also a special award from the Hull Lifesaving Museum in recognition of her years on the board of directors of that organization and her work on behalf of many local charities. In this interview, Dolly discusses her personal experience as the daughter of the popular historian and longtime Flying Santa, Edward Rowe Snow, and about her own participation in the Santa flights.
The flights continue today, with Friends of Flying Santa visiting Coast Guard stations by helicopter.
Dolly Snow Bicknell inside the lantern of Plymouth (Gurnet) Lighthouse, Plymouth, MA. (Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.)
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The Chance Brothers and Company glassworks began producing glass in 1824 at their facility in Smethwick, West Midlands, England. Before too long, the company became known as the best glass manufacturer in Britain. In addition to producing sheet glass, Chance Brothers perfected methods of manufacturing optical glass for telescopes. In 1848, Chance Brothers began working on the manufacture of Fresnel lenses for use in lighthouses. A first-order lens was created and displayed in the Crystal Palace at London’s Great Exhibition of 1851. James Chance worked with Trinity House to adjust the lenses already in British lighthouses so that they were more efficient.
The Chance Glassworks and canal. courtesy of Chance Heritage Trust.
The company’s lenses were eventually used in approximately 2500 lighthouses worldwide. The lenses were all sizes, including 13 hyper-radial lenses, which were the largest ever used. Chance Brothers also became involved in the production of prefabricated cast-iron lighthouse towers. In addition, they made lanterns and other components for lightships, and clockworks used to drive the rotation of lenses in lighthouses.
Interior of the Crystal Palace showing the Chance Brothers first-order lens, 1851. (U.S. Lighthouse Society)
Mark Davies
The Chance Brothers factory in Smethwick was officially closed in the early 1980s. Today, the Chance Heritage Trust is working to restore the remaining buildings at the nine-acre Chance Glassworks site in Smethwick. The plan is to convert the site to a combination of residential units, educational space, a heritage center, a café, and archives facilities. Mark Davies is the co-founder and chair of the Chance Heritage Trust.
Click here to read the Chance Heritage Trust's magazine, CHaT
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Offshore from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, the Gulf Stream collides with the Virginia Drift, a branch of the Labrador Current from Canada. This current forces mariners heading south toward a dangerous twelve-mile long sandbar called Diamond Shoals. Countless shipwrecks there have led to the nickname “Graveyard of the Atlantic.” A lighthouse was first authorized at Cape Hatteras in 1794, and the station began service in 1803. By the 1860s it was decided that instead of extensive repairs to the old tower, a new one would be built. The new tower went into service on December 16, 1870. At 198 feet, it’s the tallest lighthouse in the United States and the second tallest brick lighthouse in the world.
Cape Hatteras Light Station, North Carolina, in 1898. (U.S. Lighthouse Society)
Cape Hatteras Light Station was transferred to the National Park Service in 1937. Over the years, efforts were made to stabilize the beach in front of the lighthouse as the ocean crept closer. After years of study and much debate, the lighthouse was moved 2900 feet from its original position in 1999. The keepers’ houses and other light station buildings were also moved. The National Park Service continues to manage the lighthouse and keepers’ quarters, as well as conducting public tours. This December 16 marks the 150th birthday of the 1870 tower, and the National Park Service is putting on a special event. You can watch the event on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore’s Facebook page and Dare County’s CURRENTtv.
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, U.S. Lighthouse Society photo.
The Outer Banks Lighthouse Society actively supports all North Carolina Lighthouses. Bett Padgett has served on the organization’s board of directors since 1999, and is serving her second stint as president. Bett is a North Carolina native who taught guitar at NC State University for 29 years. She continues to teach music, and she also writes and performs original music. John Havel is a New Jersey native who’s lived in North Carolina for more than 40 years. His love for Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and its history led to John becoming a board member of the Outer Banks Lighthouse Society, and he serves as the historian for Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.
Bett PadgettJohn Havel
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The Nantucket South Shoals extend many miles south of Nantucket Island, which is south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. The shoals were a great hazard to shipping, with more than 500 shipwrecks in the area. The first lightship was stationed at the Nantucket New South Shoals in June of 1854. The name eventually changed from "Nantucket New South Shoals" to just "Nantucket Shoals" lightship station (1896-1983). The LV-112, built in Wilmington, Delaware, went on station in 1936. It was the largest lightship ever built in the United States. The LV-112 was removed from the Nantucket South Shoals in 1975. From 1975 to 1983, Nantucket WLV-612 and WLV-613 replaced LV-112 and alternated until Nantucket Shoals lightship station was discontinued in 1983.
After its active days, ownership of the LV-112 changed several times. In 2009, the nonprofit United States Lightship Museum, or USLM, became the new steward. In recent months the LV-112 has been in drydock in Chelsea, Massachusetts, undergoing restoration work.
Bob Mannino
Bob Mannino is the president of the United States Lightship Museum. For most of his life, Bob has been involved in historic preservation and related educational programs, maritime and non-maritime, as an avocation. A retired marketing communications and public relations professional, Bob began his historic research and preservation endeavors by chronicling New England’s historic shipwrecks and other historic maritime events.
Nantucket Lightship LV-112 in East Boston, Massachusetts.
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North Manitou Island is in northeastern Lake Michigan, about 12 miles west-northwest of Leland, Michigan. A lighthouse was first established on the island in 1896. A few years after the lighthouse on the island was established, it was decided that an offshore light was needed to mark a shoal in the busy six-mile-wide passage between the southern point of North Manitou Island and the mainland. The Public Works Administration funded construction and work on North Manitou Shoal Lighthouse began in 1933. The light went into service in 1935.
North Manitou Light Keepers dounders, from left to right: Anna Oginsky, Daniel Oginsky, Jake Kaberle, Dave McWilliam, Sherry McWilliam, Todd Buckley. Natalie Buckley. Missing: Suzanne Kaberle. Courtesy of North Manitou Light Keepers.
When the light was automated in 1980, it was the last offshore light in the Great Lakes to be destaffed. It was virtually abandoned after automation. The lighthouse was auctioned by the GSA in 2016. The high bidders were a group of four Michigan families and they founded a nonprofit organization, the North Manitou Light Keepers. They intend to restore the station and to eventually open it for public tours and overnight stays. Dan Oginsky is president of the North Manitou Light Keepers.
North Manitou Shoal Lighthouse in summer 2020. Courtesy of North Manitou Light Keepers.
Bob Trapani, Jr. is the executive director of the American Lighthouse Foundation. He's also a writer and photographer. What started as family adventures exploring the coast of Maine evolved into something more, and in recent years Bob has launched a new effort called “Moments in Maine.” He's published a new book called Rockland Breakwater: A Journey Through the Seasons. In this collection of stunning photography, Bob captures a very special place in Midcoast Maine through four seasons of the year. Rockland Breakwater is a place where you can go to sea without leaving land.
Bob Trapani, Jr
Stonington, Connecticut, grew into a thriving port known for its shipbuilding, sealing, and whaling. By 1819, the town had as many as 15 vessels engaged in fishing along with some engaged in coastal trade. In May 1822, Congress appropriated $3,500 for a lighthouse at the east side of the entrance to Stonington’s harbor. The stone lighthouse was first lit in 1824. In 1840, a new lighthouse was built further back from the eroding shore. A new 25-foot cast-iron lighthouse was erected on a breakwater in Stonington Harbor in 1889, rendering the old lighthouse obsolete.
The Lighthouse Museum in Stonington, Connecticut. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Aimee Newell
The fortress-like stone lighthouse was acquired by the Stonington Historical Society in 1925. They converted the interior into a six-room museum of local history.
It's considered the oldest lighthouse museum in the U.S. Visitors get to ascend the 29 steps to the lantern room for a spectacular view.
Aimee Newell is the executive director of the Stonington Historical Society. She comes to Connecticut from Pennsylvania, where she was executive director of the Luzerne County Historical Society and also an adjunct professor of history at Wilkes University.
The 1861 building, known as Red Bluff Lighthouse. (Island County Historical Society)
The promontory known as Admiralty Head, on the west coast of Whidbey Island in Washington, juts out into the east side of the entrance to Admiralty Inlet, a busy passage that leads to Puget Sound. Admiralty Head’s light station went into service in January 1861. It was originally known as Red Bluff Lighthouse.
Because of the development of Fort Casey in the early 1900s, the lighthouse had be built in a different position in 1903. The new building's striking architecture is often referred to as “Spanish-style.”
Photo: Admiralty Head Lighthouse after 2020 restoration work. Photo by Jim Castaneda, Twisted Firs Photography
Wayne Clark and Patrick Hussey(Keepers of Admiralty Head Lighthouse)
With changes in the shipping lanes, the lighthouse was decommissioned in 1922. The lighthouse was opened as part of Fort Casey Historical State Park in the early 1960s.
Today, the nonprofit group Keepers of Admiralty Head Lighthouse and the Admiralty Head Docents Program preserve and interpret the lighthouse.
Wayne Clark is the president of Keepers of Admiralty Head Lighthouse, and last year he received a volunteer of the year award from Washington State Parks.
Patrick Hussey and Dick Malone are interpretive docents.
Left: Dick Malone (Whidbey News-Times)
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With a large harbor on Buzzards Bay, Mattapoisett, Massachusetts, developed as a center for shipbuilding, whaling, and coastal trade. Congress appropriated $5,000 on March 3, 1837, for a lighthouse at Neds Point, at the north side of the entrance to Mattapoisett's harbor. The lighthouse was first lighted in March 1838.
Neds Point Lighthouse. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
The Coast Guard decommissioned the lighthouse in 1952. In 1958 the site, except the tower itself, was sold to the Town of Mattapoisett. The lighthouse became the centerpiece of a beautiful park that was developed at Neds Point. The light became active again, with a new acrylic optic, in 1961. In 1993, the local Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla adopted the lighthouse.
Antique postcard of Neds Point Light Station, from the collection of Jeremy D'Entremont.
Recently, four Auxiliarists founded the Friends of Neds Point Lighthouse this year as a way to raise funds to restore the lighthouse. Sal Giglia and Bill Cody are two of the Auxiliarists who started Friends of Neds Point Lighthouse.
Courtesy of Graham Fire and Rescue
Graham, Washington, is about 15 miles southeast of Tacoma. In 2002, a 25-foot-tall faux lighthouse was built on the property of Arnie Andrews and his wife, Velta. Arnie had health setbacks, and climbing to the top of his lighthouse to change the light bulb became impossible. This past July 15, a medical alert was triggered at the Andrews home, and a crew from Graham Fire and Rescue immediately showed up.
It turned out that there was no medical emergency, but what happened next is pretty special. One of the responders was Andy Faubion, who is interviewed in this episode.
Round Island Lighthouse, in the Straits of Mackinac, is one of the most photographed lighthouses in Michigan. Thousands of people see it each year from the ferries that pass from Mackinac Island to Mackinaw City and St. Ignace. Round Island itself is about 378 acres and is uninhabited. It’s part of the Hiawatha National Forest. The lighthouse was constructed in 1895. It was decommissioned and abandoned in 1947. The abandoned lighthouse fell victim to the weather and vandals.
Round Island Lighthouse. U.S. Lighthouse Society photo.
The Round Island Lighthouse Preservation Society was formed in 2009 as a non-profit organization to aid the preservation and restoration efforts for the lighthouse. Today, the lighthouse is threatened by historically high water levels in the Mackinac Straits, where Lake Michigan and Lake Huron converge, and there is a pressing need to install more protective rocks around the building.
Round Island Lighthouse in 1974, during its abandoned years. U.S. Lighthouse Society photo.
Matt McMullen
Matt McMullen first fell in love with Round Island Lighthouse when he did a Boy Scout work project 25 years ago. He has been working at the lighthouse each summer since 1996 and is now chairperson of the Round Island Lighthouse Preservation Society.
Ralph Krugler
Ralph Krugler is the historian for the Hillsboro Lighthouse Preservation Society in Florida. He has spent several years researching the history of the light station, its keepers, and related subjects, and he’s put together an extensive book on the subject. He’s also on the board of directors of both the Hillsboro Lighthouse Preservation Society and the Florida Keys Reef Lights Foundation. In this first installment of a series on Florida lighthouse history, he tells the story of Judge B. Isler, one of Hillsboro Inlet's most interesting keepers.
Note: My apologies to native Michiganders for mispronouncing "Mackinac" in this episode. I know now that Mackinac and Mackinaw are pronounced the same way -- "Mack-i-naw." Who woulda thunk it? - Jeremy D'Entremont
In 1825, an act of Congress authorized the building of a breakwater off of Cape Henlopen in Delaware to create a protected harbor. The new harbor that was created was called the National Harbor of Refuge. In 1907 a lighthouse at the southern end of the outer breakwater went into service. The original structure was replaced by a 76-foot-tall cast-iron lighthouse in 1926 and automated in 1973.
Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse under construction (National Archives).
Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse, Delaware; USLHS photo by J. Candace Clifford.
The Delaware River and Bay Lighthouse Foundation was founded in 1998 and became the steward for Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse when a lease was signed with the Coast Guard in 2002. The foundation began offering seasonal tours, and in September 2004, ownership of the lighthouse was transferred to the organization.
Rick Ziegler with the DCB-36 optic on display at Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse. Photo by Ron MacArthur of Cape Gazette
About $3 million in repairs to the breakwater was carried out in 2011. In recent years the breakwater has continued to deteriorate, and major repairs are needed. Rick Ziegler is the president of the Delaware River and Bay Lighthouse Foundation. He’s had a long fascination with lighthouses, and he got his first tour of Harbor of Refuge Light in 2004.
A ribbon cutting event for a new dock at Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse in June 2017, with Delaware River and Bay Lighthouse Foundation board directors and members.
Mike Leonard lives in Yarmouth, Maine. His photography is frequently seen in books and magazines, and in television segments. His work has been seen nationally on the Weather Channel and on the National Geographic Wild program. In this second installment of "Photo Tips with Mike Leonard," he discusses the use of memory cards in digital photography.
Annamaria Mariotti was born in Camogli, in northern Italy, and she still lives and works there. She is the author of many books, articles, and stories related to the sea. Her passion for lighthouses began with the Capo Sandalo Lighthouse on the Italian island of San Pietro and with the Lighthouse of Genoa. She’s visited many lighthouses in Italy, on the Atlantic coast of the United States, in Canada, and in the Caribbean.
Annamaria Mariotti inside the Lanterna di Genoa
Her lighthouse-related books include: Tales of lighthouses and other sea stories, The evolution of lighthouses from the origins to the Kingdom of Italy, and The Lighthouses of Tuscany. Most of her writing has been in Italian, but in 2005 she published The World’s Greatest Lighthouses in English, as well as in other languages. The World’s Greatest Lighthouses, which was reprinted in 2011 and 2018, features photographs of the most picturesque lighthouses in the world along with text that describes each structure's location, architecture, construction, history, technology, and stories of lighthouse keepers.
In 2006, the General Command of the Harbor Offices, Coast Guard, and the Mediaset Group awarded her the NAVIGARE INFORMATI Award “For her constant commitment to the dissemination of maritime culture in our country.” She’s also the founder and former president of an Italian lighthouse organization, and she’s lectured frequently in Italy and the United States.
Light Hearted host Jeremy D'Entremont with Annamaria Mariotti in 2010 at Cape Elizabeth Lighthouse in Maine
Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse, located offshore from the southern tip of the peninsula where Annapolis, Maryland, is located, is the last surviving screw-pile lighthouse in Chesapeake Bay. The light station was established in 1838 and the current lighthouse was built in 1875. Today, the City of Annapolis owns the lighthouse. The City leases it to the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.
Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse, Maryland. 2015 U.S. Lighthouse Society photo by John J Young.
A lifelong Chesapeake Bay sailor, David Gendell is the cofounder of SpinSheet, an Annapolis-based Chesapeake Bay sailing magazine. He’s a U.S. Coast Guard–licensed captain, an accomplished racing sailor, and an earnest fisherman. David’s new book Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse: A Chesapeake Bay Icon, published by The History Press, comes out on October 12.
David Gendell
In addition to covering the history of Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse, the book covers the history of the point, the shoal, and the previous stone lighthouse, as well as the Port of Baltimore. The final section of book is devoted to the ongoing preservation efforts at the lighthouse. A portion of the proceeds from the book will be donated to the Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse preservation efforts.
Greens Ledge is one of several treacherous formations near Norwalk Harbor in Connecticut. Congress appropriated $60,000 for the establishment of a light and fog signal at Greens Ledge in 1899, and the 52-foot lighthouse was finished in 1902. Greens Ledge is a cast-iron tower on a cylindrical cast-iron concrete-filled foundation, typical of offshore "sparkplug" lights built in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Male keepers lived inside the lighthouse tower.
Greens Ledge Lighthouse in 2016. Sheffield Island Lighthouse can be seen in the background. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Over the years, especially after the hurricane of September 1938, Greens Ledge Light developed a slight tilt. The lighthouse was automated in 1972 and the last Coast Guard keepers were reassigned. Under the provisions of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act, the lighthouse was auctioned in 2016.
Early 1900s postcard of Greens Ledge Lighthouse
Tim Pettee
The high bid was placed by a group of local residents that included Tim Pettee, Alex Pettee, Brendan McGee, and Shannon Holloway. They formed a 501 (c)3 organization, the Greens Ledge Light Preservation Society. The Greens Ledge Light Preservation Society launched a fundraising campaign that’s raised over $1.7 million through private donations for restoration.
Alex Pettee
Upon completion of restoration, the Greens Ledge Light Preservation Society plans to host educational tours, and plans have been developed for improved boat access.
Tim Pettee is the president of the Greens Ledge Light Preservation Society and his son, Alex, is the treasurer.
Shona Riddell
Shona Riddell, who lives in New Zealand, has been writing for as long as she can remember. Both of her parents were writers, and Shona’s first article was published in 2000 in the New Zealand Herald. She was hooked, and in 2002 she completed a Graduate Diploma in Journalism from the Auckland University of Technology. Since then she’s worked as a magazine writer, web writer and editor, and as content marketer for several companies.
Shona Riddell at Pencarrow Lighthouse in Wellington, New Zealand. Mary Jane Bennett became the keeper of this lighthouse in 1855, and she was the only woman lighthouse keeper in New Zealand history.
Shona’s latest book, Guiding Lights, shares the stories of lighthouse women from around the world and through the centuries, including heroic female keepers, isolated families, dedicated caretakers – and the lingering ‘ghosts’ of old lighthouses. The book includes more than 100 photos, paintings, and portraits, and also extracts from poems, books, and old newspaper clippings. The book is published by Exisle Publishing and is being released in October.
Shona spoke from her home in Wellington, New Zealand, to Light Hearted host Jeremy D'Entremont in late August for this interview.
Mary Jane Bennett and her children in 1859
From the mid-1700s to the mid-1800s, Nantucket was the world’s leading whaling port. But the island’s east and south coasts remained devoid of lighthouses well into the 1800s, in spite of the high volume of shipping traffic passing the island and the presence of dangerous shoals offshore. Finally, in the late 1840s, a bluff at Sankaty Head in the village of 'Sconset on the island's southeast coast was chosen as a lighthouse site. A 53-foot brick lighthouse was built and a second-order Fresnel lens was installed. The station was automated and destaffed in 1965. In 1990, the Army Corps of Engineers estimated that Sankaty Head Light would be in danger of falling over the eroding bluff within ten years. A move was completed in the fall of 2007. The ’Sconset Trust is responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the lighthouse and its grounds.
Sankaty Head Lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont
Rob Benchley is now the modern-day keeper of Sankaty Head Lighthouse. Rob is an accomplished photojournalist who has been the staff photographer for three island newspapers, and his photography has also been featured in the New York Times and the Boston Globe. His books include Scallop Season, a Nantucket Chronicle, co-written with Jim Patrick; Sconset, co-written with Richard Trust; and Keeping the Light, about the historic move of Sankaty Head Lighthouse in 2007. Rob and his wife, Carol, a retired Nantucket schoolteacher, live in a house they built together in ‘Sconset with a view of Sankaty Head Lighthouse.
Rob Benchley, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont
Hilton Head Island, part of South Carolina’s Lowcountry region, is widely known for its twelve miles of pristine beaches and its golf courses. The Hilton Head Rear Range Lighthouse overlooks the award-winning Arthur Hills Golf Course at the Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort. The range light station was decommissioned in 1932. In the mid-1980s, the lighthouse was incorporated into the new golf course.
Hilton Head Rear Range Lighthouse. USLHS photo by Mike and Carol McKinney
Clark Sinclair
In 1985, the lighthouse was restored along with an oil house and cistern, and the grounds were opened to the public. Greenwood Communities and Resorts has completed a new renovation, which included repainting and the replacement of doors and windows. Clark Sinclair has been a member of the Palmetto Dunes staff since 1983 and has been teaching golf since 1986. He’s also a point person for the lighthouse.
Mike Leonard lives in Yarmouth, Maine. His work is frequently seen in books, magazines, annual reports, brochures, textbooks, in television segments, and nationally on the Weather Channel. Mike offers workshops on digital photography, which you can read about on his website at phototourismbymike.com
Mike Leonard
In this first installment of Photo Tips with Mike Leonard, Mike gives some helpful hints for better digital photography of lighthouses -- or any other subject.
Light Hearted Index of Episodes
With its long coastline and about 790 islands, Scotland has been home to a large number of lighthouses. The Northern Lighthouse Board, founded in 1786, currently operates and maintains 206 lighthouses across Scotland and the Isle of Man. Automation of lighthouses began in Scotland as early as 1894, when the Oxcars Light in the River Forth had its two lightkeepers withdrawn. Fair Isle South was the last of Scotland’s manned lighthouses to be automated, on March 31 1998.
Ian Duff at St. Abb's Head Lighthouse in Scotland in July 2017. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Ian Duff and Bill Bremner (also a lighthouse keeper) during Ian's active career (ALK)
Ian Duff worked as a keeper at 13 Scottish lighthouses between 1976 and 1992. He spent about five years at Skerryvore, a remote station off the west coast of Scotland. Skerryvore is the tallest lighthouse in Scotland at about 156 feet. It was designed by Alan Stevenson and was completed in 1844. Ian also spent about five years at Duncansby Head Light Station at the most northeasterly point of the British mainland.
Ian has remained involved with lighthouses since his retirement as a keeper. Today he is the president of the Association of Light Keepers, or the ALK, an organization that provides a forum for everyone interested in lighthouses, lightships, and maritime aids to navigation.
Skerryvore Lighthouse (USLHS archives)
Light Hearted Index of Episodes
The U.S. Lighthouse Service constructed the Staten Island Lighthouse Depot on the former site of the New York Marine Hospital. The depot, which began operation in 1864, was the key manufacturing, storage, supply, and maintenance center for the Lighthouse Service’s Third District. Activity at the depot included experimentation on lamps, illuminants, and Fresnel lenses. Under the Coast Guard in the 1960s, budget cuts led to much of the workload being transferred elsewhere. By 1965, the Staten Island Depot was closed.
Linda Dianto
In 1998, the former site of the U.S. Lighthouse Service Depot was selected as the location of a National Lighthouse Center and Museum. After a number of years of inactivity, a new Board of Trustees and a group of Museum Advisors and Friends revived the museum. Linda Dianto has served as president and is currently the Executive Director of the museum. For more than a decade, Linda has devoted her energies to the cause of developing the National Lighthouse Museum.
Inside the National Lighthouse Museum
Split Rock Lighthouse, one of the most picturesque lighthouses in the United States, is located on a 127-foot-high cliff on the northwest shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota. By the late 1960s, the Coast Guard deemed the lighthouse obsolete and it was discontinued as an official aid.
Split Rock Light Station, USLHS archives
Today the light station is the centerpiece of Split Rock Lighthouse State Park, operated by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. The Minnesota Historical Society administers the 25-acre historic lighthouse site. The station has been restored to its early 1920s appearance, and the site is operated as a living museum.
Lee Radzak
Don Terras (L) and Lee Radzak. Don is the resident "keeper" at Grosse Point Light Station in Illinois. Don and Lee are the two longest serving modern day keepers in the U.S.
Hayes Scriven
Hayes Scriven doing some cleanup with his children
Lee Radzak became the lighthouse site manager in November 1982. Lee and his family ended up spending almost 37 years living at the light station —one of the longest stints for any modern-day keeper anywhere in the United States. When he retired, an extensive search for a new site manager led to the hiring of Hayes Scriven, who moved to the site with his wife, Jenny, and their two children in late 2019. In this interview, Lee and Hayes compare notes on life at one of America's most iconic light stations.
Photo by Hayes Scriven
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The Aleutian Islands are a chain of 14 large volcanic islands and 55 smaller islands that form a dividing line between the Bering Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. Scotch Cap Lighthouse was established at the southwest corner of Unimak Island, the largest of the Aleutians, in 1903. It was the first station established on Alaska’s outside coast.
Scotch Cap in the 1940s (courtesy of Peter Kaufman)
In 1940, a new concrete-reinforced lighthouse and combined fog signal building replaced the original structure. On April 1, 1946, a massive earthquake struck the North Pacific, spawning a tsunami that traveled north to the Aleutian Islands. The lighthouse was destroyed, and five Coast Guard keepers were killed.
Painting of the Scotch Cap disaster by Darrell Millsap
Peter Kaufman
For the past two and a half years, author Peter Kaufman has been researching and writing about the 1946 Scotch Cap disaster. His work will be published as a book. He talks about the disaster and his research in this interview.
Toledo Harbor Lighthouse was established in 1904 in the western end of Lake Erie, marking the entrance to the Toledo Shipping Channel and the approach to the Port of Toledo on the Maumee River. The buff-colored brick tower has a steel framework, and the total height of the lighthouse is 85 feet. There’s also an attached one-story fog signal building. The building’s distinctive Romanesque architecture has led some to liken it to a gingerbread house. Resident keepers staffed the lighthouse until its 1966 automation.
Toledo Harbor Lighthouse. U.S. Lighthouse Society photo.
Sandy Bihn (Great Lakes Echo)
Circa 1910 postcard; USLHS archives.
Today the lighthouse is in the care of the Toledo Harbor Lighthouse Preservation Society, an all-volunteer nonprofit organization with more than 500 members. Under the provisions of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act, ownership of the lighthouse was conveyed to the Society in 2007. Sandy Bihn is the founder and president of the Toledo Harbor Lighthouse Preservation Society. She was recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Ohio Environmental Council in 2017.
On this date in 1789, the first Congress approved an act for the establishment of lighthouses, beacons, buoys, and public piers. Two hundred years later, Congress passed an act that designated August 7, 1989, as National Lighthouse Day. This day is observed at many lighthouses, although Congress has not designated National Lighthouse Day in perpetuity.
Boston Light Station, the first in North America, was established in 1716. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
For this special edition of the podcast, host Jeremy D'Entremont plays some clips from the interviews in past episodes. Topics include, "What do you love about your lighthouse work?" and "What makes lighthouses so special?
Eldred Rock is at the north end of Alaska's Lynn Canal, 55 miles north of the port of Juneau and about 35 miles south of Skagway. Eldred Rock Lighthouse was first lighted on June 1, 1906, as one of four lighthouses in the Lynn Canal. It’s the only remaining example of the wood-frame lighthouses that were built in the state between 1902 and 1906.
Eldred Rock, Alaska. USLHS photo
The light station was automated and destaffed in 1973. The Eldred Rock Lighthouse Preservation Association was organized to restore, maintain, and preserve the light station. The organization entered into a lease agreement with the U.S. Coast Guard on April 1, 2020.
Some of the volunteers of the Eldred Rock Lighthouse Preservation Association
Sue York is the organization's executive director. After graduating from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 1995, Sue served as Operations Officer aboard the Coast Guard buoy tender Papaw, followed by a tour as Operations Officer at Vessel Traffic Service Houston/Galveston. She then enjoyed 14 years as an educator after moving to Juneau, Alaska, with her husband Matt and three daughters in 2003. Apart from three years in Valdez, Alaska, serving as Coast Guard Ombudsman, Sue has made Juneau her home.
Sue York, executive director of the The Eldred Rock Lighthouse Preservation Association
In 2016, combining her love for outdoor athletics and her interest in southeast Alaska history, Sue became a pedicab tour guide, providing service to cruise ship visitors along the docks and streets of historic downtown Juneau.
Aerial view of Cape Beale, BC
With local maritime commerce in the area growing, the high cliffs of Cape Beale on the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada, were surveyed for a lighthouse in the early 1870s. A 31-foot-tall wooden tower was constructed with a powerful second-order lens in the lantern, and the station began service in 1874. The original wooden lighthouse at Cape Beale was replaced by a modern 32-foot skeletal tower in 1958.
Kash the Lighthouse Cat
Today, Cape Beale is one of 27 lightstations that remain staffed on the coast of British Columbia. A resident keeper maintains the navigation equipment and buildings, monitors weather and sea conditions, and watches for emergency situations.
For more than a dozen years, the keeper has been Karen Zacharuk. (Photos courtesy of Karen Zacharuk.)
Many thanks to the Canadian Coast Guard and Fisheries and Oceans Canada for granting permission for this interview.
Karen Zacharuk and friend at Cape Beale
More than 20 miles from the nearest port at Mount Desert Island in Maine, low-lying, wave-swept Mount Desert Rock is only about 17 feet above sea level at its highest point. Congress appropriated $5,000 for a lighthouse on Mount Desert Rock on March 2, 1829, to aid mariners heading to Frenchman and Blue Hill Bays from the south. The light went into operation on August 25, 1830. The structure weathered many storms before being replaced by a new 58-foot granite tower in 1847. The new tower was designed by the noted architect Alexander Parris.
Mount Desert Rock Light Station in 2002. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
The station was automated in late 1977. The light station was then leased to Bar Harbor's College of the Atlantic for use as a whale watching station. Under the Maine Lights Program, Mount Desert Rock Light Station, along with Great Duck Island Light Station, became the property of the College of the Atlantic in 1998. Allied Whale is the marine mammal research division of College of the Atlantic.
The light keepers' house at MDR (College of the Atlantic)
The 2019 Marine Mammal class pictured at Mount Desert Rock. In this class, in addition to performing marine mammal research, students learn to run the station. (College of the Atlantic)
Sean Todd (College of the Atlantic)
Sean Todd is the Steven K. Katona Chair in Marine Sciences at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine, and he also directs Allied Whale, the college’s marine mammal research program. He spent ten years in Newfoundland as part of the Whale Disentanglement team, a group that releases large entangled whales from fishing gear.
Starscape over the MDR boat house (COA)
In Maine he is trained as part of a first response team that performs a similar function. Sean also acts as a professional guide, including 14 seasons in the Antarctic and 11 seasons in the Canadian sub-Arctic and Arctic.
He created, wrote, and stars in the award-winningLife in the World’s Oceans, a 30-part DVD series available from TheGreatCourses.com.
Damage to the generator shed on MDR from Hurricane Bill in 2009
This is the first of two episodes focusing on light stations that are owned by the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine. Great Duck Island is more than 200 acres in size and about nine miles south of the much larger Mount Desert Island. The Lighthouse Board recommended a light station on the island in 1885, and funds were appropriated in 1889. The light was established on December 31, 1890, with a 42-foot-tall cylindrical brick tower, three keepers’ dwellings, a fog signal building, and other outbuildings.
Early photo of Great Duck Island Lighthouse; fog signal building to the right. National Archives image 26-LG-2-32F.
The light was automated in 1986 and the fourth-order Fresnel lens was replaced by a modern optic. The light remains an active aid to navigation, while most of the rest of the island was purchased by the Maine Chapter of the Nature Conservancy in 1984.
A student bands a gull chick at Great Duck Island in 2002. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
In 1998 Great Duck Island Light Station, along with Mount Desert Rock Light Station, became the property of Bar Harbor's College of the Atlantic under the Maine Lights Program. College of the Atlantic owns approximately 12 acres on Great Duck Island, consisting of the one remaining keeper’s house, two boathouses, and the lighthouse. Students and staff from the college now live in the former keeper's dwelling much of the year. The College of the Atlantic's ongoing research projects on the island include the monitoring of the large nesting gull population, as well as detailed study of black guillemots and the nocturnal Leach's storm petrel.
John Anderson and daughter Clare in 2002. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
John Anderson (COA)
John Anderson has been a professor at College of the Atlantic for more than 30 years. He teaches zoology, ecology, and animal behavior, and he’s a W.H. Drury Professor of Ecology and Natural History. He’s a New Zealander by nationality, British by upbringing, and has spent time in the UK, Europe, and the western U.S. His field research centers around Great Duck Island. He says that he’s interested in the intersection between natural history and human history in relation to long-term ecological processes.
Pomham Rocks is a tiny island in the Providence River, about 800 feet from the east shore of the Riverside section of East Providence, Rhode Island. With increased shipping traffic heading toward Providence in the 1800s, Pomham Rocks was an obvious place to establish a navigational aid, and funds were appropriated in 1870. A wooden dwelling with a mansard roof was built on a granite foundation with a hexagonal lighthouse tower on the front center of the building. It was first lighted on December 1, 1871.
Pomham Rocks Lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont
The lighthouse was discontinued in 1974 and was replaced by an automatic light on a skeleton tower. In 1980 the General Services Administration sold the property to the Mobil Oil Company, now Exxon Mobil, which has a large refinery and terminal near the lighthouse. Exxon Mobil eventually leased the historic structure at no cost to the American Lighthouse Foundation. A new chapter of the Foundation, the Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse, was announced.
Pomham Rocks Light Station from an old postcard
A restoration of the exterior of the building was completed in early 2006, and the navigational light was returned to the lighthouse. Then, in the spring of 2010, Exxon Mobil donated the lighthouse to the American Lighthouse Foundation. Recent work has included the construction of new docking facilities, restoration of the oil house, installation of new fencing, restoration of the lighthouse windows, and restoration of the interior.
Dennis Tardiff (left) was the last USCG officer in charge at Pomham Rocks Light Station. (Photo courtesy of Dennis Tardiff)
American Lighthouse Foundation Executive Director Bob Trapani, Jr. (left) and Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse Chairman Joe Estrella (right) present Dennis Tardiff with an ALF Len Hadley Volunteer Award during a gala in April 2018. (Photo by Dominic Trapani)
Dennis Tardiff arrived at Pomham Rocks in April 1971 as a 19-year-old Coast Guard fireman. He left Pomham at the age of 22 as a third class Petty Officer. As one of the last Coast Guard keepers at the station, Dennis lowered the flag on June 5, 1974, when the light was decommissioned. More than four decades after he left Pomham Rocks, Dennis became reacquainted with the lighthouse when he became involved with the restoration project in 2016. Dennis is now the chairperson of the Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse. He was recognized for his efforts with a 2018 volunteerism award from the American Lighthouse Foundation. In this interview, Dennis talks about his days as a Coast Guard light keeper and about the preservation of this jewel among New England lighthouses.
This is part two of a two-part interview with Ralph Krugler, historian for the Hillsboro Lighthouse Preservation Society. Ralph is not only one of the most knowledgeable people about Florida lighthouses, but he also has been helping with the ongoing creation of the J. Candace Clifford Lighthouse Research Catalog for the U.S. Lighthouse Society.
Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse; USLHS photo
Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse is on the southeast coast of Florida. The property is now cared for by the Hillsboro Lighthouse Preservation Society, and public tours access the light station by boat. You can learn more about the organization and tours at hillsborolighthouse.org. In this part of the interview, Ralph talks about the very colorful history of the light station and its keepers, about the book he’s written about it and his research sources, and about the work he’s done on the U.S. Lighthouse Society’s research catalog.
Hillsboro Inlet Light Station in 1920. National Archives photo 26-LG-28-17
Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse is about halfway between Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton on the southeast coast of Florida, marking the northern limit of the Florida Reef, the third largest coral barrier reef system in the world. The skeletal lighthouse was constructed in 1907, with a second-order Fresnel lens.
1946 postcard of Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse. U.S. Lighthouse Society archives.
The Fresnel lens was taken out of operation in 1992 and a modern optic was mounted on the gallery railing. Local citizens mounted a restoration campaign, and the Hillsboro Lighthouse Preservation Society was formed in 1997. The Hillsboro Lighthouse Preservation Society opened a museum and information center in 2012.
Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse at sunrise; photo by Ralph Krugler.
Ralph Krugler
Ralph Krugler is the historian for the Hillsboro Lighthouse Preservation Society. He has spent several years researching the history of the light station, its keepers, and related subjects, and he’s put together an extensive book on the subject. He’s also on the board of directors of both the Hillsboro Lighthouse Preservation Society and the Florida Keys Reef Lights Foundation. This is part one of a two-part interview; part two will posted on Wednesday, July 1.
Hillsboro Lighthouse Preservation Society
The lighthouse on Maine's Seguin Island was approved by President George Washington in May 1793. The tower had to be rebuilt in 1819, and then again in 1857. Also in 1857, a new nine-foot-tall first-order Fresnel lens was installed, and that lens remains in operation today.
Over a period of 31 years, the station was foggy 15 percent of the time. A 10-inch steam fog whistle was installed by 1873, replacing a fog bell. In 1907, the island set an all-time Maine mark for fogginess—2,374 hours, or about 31 percent of the year.
Seguin Island Light Station; photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Cyndy Carney in front of the keeper's house on Seguin Island.
After automation in 1985, the future of the station was uncertain. Concerned local citizens founded the Friends of Seguin Island Light Station in 1986. Since 1990, caretakers have lived at Seguin in the summer. In recent years, public access to the island has mainly been via the Seguin Island ferry from Fort Popham. There are hiking trails on the island, and there’s a museum and gift shop in the keeper’s house.
Cyndy Carney has been with Friends of Seguin Island Light Station for over 20 years. She has served in many capacities and now serves in the role of Executive Director.
Friends of Seguin Island Light Station
Some additional history
Kinnaird Head Lighthouse is in Fraserburgh, a town in Aberdeenshire in northeastern Scotland. The original navigational light at Kinnaird Head was a simple lantern placed in a tower of a sixteenth century castle in 1787, installed by Thomas Smith of Edinburgh. The engineer Robert Stevenson—Thomas Smith’s son-in-law and the grandfather of the famous writer Robert Louis Stevenson—improved the lighthouse in 1822 and 1823, and there were further improvements in the early 1850s by Robert’s son, Alan Stevenson.
Kinnaird Head Lighthouse (U.S. Lighthouse Society archives)
The old lighthouse keeper’s house and other buildings are now home to the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses. The museum tells the story of the Northern Lighthouse Board, the engineers who built the lights and the keepers who tended them.
Lynda McGuigan
Lynda McGuigan is the museum manager with overall responsibility for the whole site including the staff, the lighthouse, the castle, and of course the museum itself.
Michael Strachan
Michael Strachan is the collections manager and also a published historian. He is responsible for displaying and taking care of the museum’s nationally recognized lighthouse collection, and he is the author of three books including Scottish Lighthouses: An Illustrated History and Kinnaird Head Lighthouse: An Illustrated History.
Museum of Scottish Lighthouses
Museum Shop
This is the first of two episodes dealing with Scottish topics. Episode 66 will be posted on Wednesday, June 18, and will feature the Museum of Scottish Lighthouses.
The North Carr Lightship is the last remaining light vessel in Scotland. The first light vessel stationed near the North Carr rocks on the SE coast went on station in 1887. Only two years later it was replaced by a more substantial vessel. The third and final North Carr Lightship was built in Glasgow for the Northern Lighthouse Board in 1933. After its retirement in 1975, the lightship was sold to the North East Fife District Council.
The North Carr Lightship in 1988 at Anstruther, Scotland. Wikimedia Commons, photo by Timwether
In January 2002 it was moved to Victoria Dock in Dundee. In 2010, Taymara, a Dundee-based maritime charity, stepped in and took ownership. The work to stabilize the vessel is well underway, as the ravages of time and salt water continue to affect the integrity of the 86-year-old structure. Sam McKillop is the Project Administrator and Engineering Lead for the lightship restoration.
The North Carr Lightship at Dundee in 2007. Wikimedia CommonsBy Laerol - Own work, CC BY 3.0
Also featured in this episode is a conversation with Dwight Berry of Maryland, a lighthouse enthusiast who discusses the lighthouses that can be visited in the vicinity of Baltimore.
Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse, Baltimore, MD. U.S. Lighthouse Society archive.
Click here to learn more about Taymara and the lightship.
Point Betsie Light Station is on the northeast side of Lake Michigan, north of the city of Frankfort. The lighthouse, built of cream city brick from Milwaukee, began service in 1858. The station was greatly enlarged in 1894 to about triple its original size. Point Betsie and Sherwood Point became the last light stations on Lake Michigan to be fully automated and de-staffed in 1983. In 2004, ownership of the property was transferred to Benzie County. Friends of Point Betsie Lighthouse has cared for the property under a partnership agreement.
Point Betsie Light Station (courtesy of Friends of Point Betsie Lighthouse)
In addition to a small number of paid staff, Point Betsie Lighthouse has around twenty-five volunteers working as tour guides and in the gift shop, making it possible for the station to be open to the public for an extensive schedule from late May to late October. Visitors get to climb the tower for a view of the Lake Michigan shoreline. Chuck Clarke is the treasurer on the board of directors of the Friends of Point Betsie Lighthouse, and he has been involved with the lighthouse since before the Friends group was founded.
Courtesy of Friends of Point Betsie Lighthouse
The Trinity Buoy Wharf Lighthouse (Wikimedia Commons photo by Grim23)
James Dougass(U.S. Lighthouse Society)
In an area of London known as the Docklands, where the River Lea meets the River Thames, is a part of the waterfront known as the Trinity Buoy Wharf. And on the wharf is London’s only lighthouse. The lighthouse at the Trinity Buoy Wharf was never used for navigation. The wharf itself was also used by Trinity House, the English lighthouse authority, for the manufacture of chains, buoys, and light buoys. The first lighthouse on the wharf, designed by Trinity House engineer James Walker and built in 1852, was demolished in the late 1920s. The lighthouse that still stands—also known as the Bow Creek Lighthouse, Blackwall’s Experimental Lighthouse, or simply the Experimental Lighthouse—was completed in 1866. It was designed by engineer James Douglass. Both of the lighthouses were used by Trinity House, the English lighthouse authority, for the training of prospective lighthouse keepers. The scientist Michael Faraday also carried out experiments there.
Jem Finer
The Trinity Buoy Wharf was closed in 1988. The site has been developed as a center for the arts and cultural activities. A lightship at the wharf was converted into a recording studio, and there are art and dance studios at the site. Musician and composer Jem Finer has repurposed the lighthouse in a unique way. Since 2001, the lighthouse has been looked after by the Longplayer Trust. Jem Finer’s ambient sound piece called Longplayer started playing in the lighthouse at the stroke of midnight just as the year 2000 began. It’s been playing ever since, and the intention is that won’t repeat until midnight on December 31, 2999. Longplayer is composed for singing bowls, a type of ancient bell. Longplayer is based at the lighthouse, but it can also be heard at several listening posts worldwide and is also streaming online here.
The ancient bowls used in Longplayer (photo by James Whitaker)
Longplayer was developed and composed by Jem Finer with the support and collaboration of Artangel, an organization that has been commissioning and producing ambitious projects by contemporary artists for the last two decades. Since studying computer science in the 1970s, Jem Finer has worked in a variety of fields, including photography, film, music, and art installation. He was also a founding member of the Pogues, the popular English Celtic punk band. This interview with Jem Finer was conducted on May 22, 2020, by Light Hearted host Jeremy D'Entremont.
Click here to listen to the podcast:
White Shoal Lighthouse, USLHS photo by Chad Kaiser.
White Shoal Lighthouse is twenty miles west of the Mackinac Bridge and Mackinaw City at the northeast end of Lake Michigan. Work on the lighthouse began in the spring of 1908. The crib foundation was built using 400,000 square feet of timber, 3700 cubic yards of concrete, and 4000 tons of rock. The lantern originally held a bivalve second-order Fresnel lens, which rotated on mercury. The light is 125 feet above the mean surface of the lake. In 1954 the tower was given its distinctive red and white spiral bands.
Brent Tompkins and Mike Lynch, owners of White Shoal Lighthouse. (White Shoal Light Historical Preservation Society)
The lighthouse was sold via online auction in 2016. Five bidders participated in the auction, which ended in September 2016 with a high bid of $110,009. The new owners, Brent Tompkins and Mike Lynch, founded the White Shoal Light Historical Preservation Society. The mission of the organization is to fully restore White Shoal Light to the mid-1950s era and make it accessible to the public. Tompkins and Lynch are both licensed contractors and they’re using their skills and training as they restore the lighthouse.
On March 3, 1821, Congress appropriated $10,500 for three lighthouses on the Maine coast, one of them on five-acre Burnt Island at the west side of the entrance to Boothbay Harbor. In 1988, the station was automated and destaffed. A decade later, Burnt Island Light Station was transferred to the Maine Department of Marine Resources. Elaine Jones, education director for the department since 1991, was named the director of the facility.
Elaine Jones painting Burnt Island Lighthouse (courtesy of Elaine Jones)
Burnt Island in 2016; U.S. Lighthouse Society photo by Scott Walbert
It was Elaine's vision to transform the island into an educational and recreational facility for Maine’s residents and its visitors. She has been honored with a 2019 Keeper of the Light Award by the American Lighthouse Foundation and a 2016 Visionary Award by the by the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment. Also interviewed in this episode is Russ Katje, a U.S. Lighthouse Society Hall of Fame Lighthouse Passport Program stamp collector.
Russ Katje with sons Jon and Chris at New Presque Isle Lighthouse, Michigan
Burnt Island Light Station
Graves Lighthouse; photo by Jeremy D'Entremont
This is the second part of a two-part interview with Dave and Lynn Waller, owners of Graves Lighthouse in outer Boston Harbor, a classic wave-swept granite tower on a barren, rocky ledge. One of the subjects discussed is the "Franklens" created by Dave Waller and friends -- a first-order Fresnel lens made of spare panels from various Chance Brothers lenses.
Dave Waller
Also discussed is the observation of wildlife near Graves Ledge, the experience of changing weather and storms at such a dramatic location, the conversion of the oil house into living space, the many challenges of restoration in a place that's often inaccessible, and the Wallers' partnership with well-known Boston philanthropist Bobby Sager.
Taking part in the interview along with Light Hearted host Jeremy D'Entremont is Bob Trapani, Jr., executive director of the American Lighthouse Foundation.
More information: graveslightstation.com
Early photo of Graves Light Station; image 26-LG-6-80A from the National Archives.
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Graves Lighthouse is a classic, granite, wave-swept offshore lighthouse tower on a barren ledge in outer Boston Harbor. It went into service in 1905 with a huge first-order Fresnel lens from Paris, rotating on 400 pounds of mercury, produced a light that was later upgraded to 3.2 million candlepower-- it was for many years the most powerful light in New England. It was staffed with resident keepers until its 1976 automation.
Graves Lighthouse; photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
The lighthouse was sold in a government auction in September 2013 to businessman David Waller. He and his wife, Lynn, a graphic designer, live in a restored fire station in the Boston suburb of Malden. Since buying Graves Light, the Wallers have completed a great deal of restoration, and you can follow their progress on the website graveslightstation.com. Dave and Lynn Waller were honored with the American Lighthouse Foundation’s Keeper of the Light Award in May 2018. Bob Trapani, Jr. executive director of the American Lighthouse Foundation, took part in this interview along with Light Hearted host Jeremy D'Entremont. This is part one of a two-part interview.
L to R: Bob Trapani Jr., Dave Waller, Jeremy D'Entremont
The video below shows Alex Karnes, Dave Waller, and Phil Christopher with Dave Waller's "Frankenlens," a first-order Fresnel lens created from spare parts from Chance Brothers lenses. You can read more about the lens here.
The Massachusetts island of Martha's Vineyard is a great destination for anyone who’s interested in lighthouses. There are five lighthouses on the island, including Cape Poge Light on Chappaquiddick, an island that’s connected to Martha’s Vineyard. And the Martha’s Vineyard Museum in Vineyard Haven has the first-order Fresnel lens from Gay Head Lighthouse on display.
Richard Skidmore talking with visitors at the lighthouse
Richard Skidmore has been the modern day keeper of Gay Head Lighthouse for the past 30 years. Richard is a former book reviewer for the New York Times, and he’s also an award-winning experimental filmmaker whose work has been seen on television and in many festivals. His wife, Joan LeLacheur, a jewelry maker, also helps with the lighthouse duties.
Above: Gay Head Light Artifact Recovery 2020 from Richard Skidmore on Vimeo.
Early 1900s postcard of Gay Head Lighthouse (USLHS archives)
In this entertaining interview, Richard talks about being the longest serving keeper in Gay Head history, about life in the unique community of Aquinnah, about his background as a filmmaker, and what it was like being very much involved (to the point of personal peril) in the historic 2015 move of the lighthouse.
Gay Head Lighthouse stands in one of the most picturesque locations in New England, on top of the 130-foot-tall multicolored clay cliffs at the western edge of the island of Martha's Vineyard, just south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. The Town of Aquinnah took ownership of the lighthouse in February 2015. As of that month, the Save the Gay Head Light Committee had raised $2.5 million toward its goal of the $3 million needed to finance a move of the lighthouse away from the edge of the rapidly eroding cliff. The move to safer ground was completed in June 2015.
Liz Witham and Ken Wentworth
Liz Witham and Ken Wentworth of Martha’s Vineyard founded Film-Truth Productions in 2003. Their work has won many awards. Their film Keepers of the Light, about the history of Gay Head Lighthouse leading up to its historic move, was years in the making.
It will be shown on public television stations around the country starting this month. In this interview, Liz and Ken talk about the making of the film, about their lives in the community of Aquinnah, and about the unique history of Gay Head Lighthouse in a community that is largely populated by Wampanoag Indians.
In last week’s episode of Light Hearted we spoke with Skip Sherwood, the director of the U.S. Lighthouse Society's lighthouse passport program, and with Scott Walbert, who is one of the volunteers who coordinates the program. In this episode we meet four of the Hall of Fame Lighthouse Passport stamp collectors.
First is James Hill of Winter Park, Florida, a deputy sheriff with the Seminole County Sheriff's Office. Next is Sharon Mills of Kittery, Maine, who has been a volunteer and chapter leadership committee member for Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses. After that is Al King. Al has lived in Florida and has been a volunteer for the Florida Lighthouse Association, and he now lives in Georgia. The fourth and final guest is John MacFarland of Pennsylvania, a retired educator who’s better known to his friends in the lighthouse world as Mac.
James Hill
Sharon Mills
Al King
John MacFarland
The U.S. Lighthouse Society's Lighthouse Passport Program provides enthusiasts the opportunity to help preserve lighthouses as well as a wonderful way to keep a pictorial history of their lighthouse adventures. Small donations are made by passport holders for the stamps. The lighthouse passports can be bought through the U.S. Lighthouse Society website and at many participating locations.
Skip and Mary Lee Sherwood
Skip Sherwood, a retired college professor, and his wife, Mary Lee, have led many of the U.S. Lighthouse Society’s domestic and international tours. Skip is also the director of the Lighthouse Passport Program. Scott Walbert lives in Pennsylvania and is one of the hall of fame lighthouse passport stamp collectors, and he and his wife Diane also volunteer and do a lot of the behind the scenes work to keep the passport program going.
Scott and Diane Walbert
Oak Island Lighthouse went into service in 1958 near the mouth of the Cape Fear River in southeastern North Carolina. It’s been owned by the Town of Caswell Beach since 2004, and it’s managed by the nonprofit Friends of Oak Island Lighthouse. From 1958 to 1962, Oak Island Lighthouse had the brightest navigational light in the United States. It was the next to last lighthouse constructed in the United States.
Oak Island Lighthouse, U.S. Lighthouse Society photo
E. Gifford Stack
In 2014, E. Gifford Stack was honored by the Outer Banks Lighthouse Society with a Fresnel Prism Award for his contributions to lighthouses and their history. He has been a longtime tour guide at the lighthouse and serves as the tour coordinator. He has escorted more than 400 tours to the top of the tower over the past nine years.
He also serves as a board member on the Brunswick Civil War Round Table and volunteers with the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office. He is also an avid motorcycle rider.
Inside Oak Island Lighthouse, USLHS photo by Russell Crane
Friends of Oak Island Lighthouse
Tawas Point Lighthouse, located in Tawas Point State Park in Baldwin Township in Northern Michigan, is an attraction for maritime buffs and also a destination for birdwatchers, with spectacular views over Lake Huron and Tawas Bay.
Visitors enjoy the view from Tawas Point Lighthouse. Courtesy of Tyler Leipprandt and Michigan Sky Media.
The brick tower is 70 feet tall. The State of Michigan acquired Tawas Point Light Station from the Coast Guard in 2002. In 2008, the upper floor of the keeper’s house was converted into an apartment where modern day keepers can pay to live for a week or two.
Tawas Point Lighthouse, courtesy of Tyler Leipprandt and Michigan Sky Media.
Laurie Perkins
Tawas Point Lighthouse is one of twelve sites that comprise the Michigan History Center. Laurie Perkins is the Southern Lower Peninsula Historian for the Michigan History Center, which means she is the historian for the Mann House, Tawas Point Lighthouse, and Walker Tavern, and she coordinates the keeper program at Tawas Point Lighthouse.
J. Candace Clifford
From the time it was founded in 1984, the United States Lighthouse Society has maintained an Archive of lighthouse data including photos, documents, and many other items pertaining to lighthouses, lightships, and related subjects. Starting in 2016, J. Candace Clifford, the Society’s Historian, and Tom Tag, the Society’s Technical Advisor, began researching ways of making the Archive more easily accessible to the public. Their work culminated in a database that is now on the U.S. Lighthouse Society’s website as the J. Candace Clifford Lighthouse Research Catalog.
The National Archives
Among the major components of the lighthouse research catalog is the lighthouse-related collection of the National Archives. Many of the photos and other items from the National Archives have been added to the Society’s research catalog. The National Archives and Records Administration is the primary repository in our country for lighthouse records.
Jack Del Nunzio
The interview for this special edition is Jack Del Nunzio. Jack is 22 years old and a full-time Master of Arts student in public history. He currently lives just outside of Baltimore. He has several part-time jobs. He’s a graduate ambassador at American University in Washington, D.C., a digital editor with the journal Law & History Review, and a crossfit coach. He’s also been a researcher & cataloger for the U.S. Lighthouse Society since February 2019.
Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse is the last screwpile cottage-style light station in its original location in Chesapeake Bay. It’s located about a mile and a half offshore from the nearest point of land in Annapolis, Maryland. The City of Annapolis owns the lighthouse, and the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society manages it. The Annapolis Maritime Museum serves as the departure point for boat tours to the lighthouse.
Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse; U.S. Lighthouse Society photo by Mike & Carol McKinney.
Bob Stevenson
This episode features an interview with Bob Stevenson, one of the key coordinators of the public tour program at the lighthouse. He is also the docent training coordinator and has been with the preservation program at Thomas Point Shoal since the very beginning.
Gary Riemenschneider visiting Eldred Rock Lighthouse, Alaska. USLHS photo..
Also featured is an interview with Gary Riemenschneider, who has developed much of the helpful and interesting educational material on the U.S. Lighthouse Society website. For anyone who has used the published Light Lists for research, you know how tedious it can be. Gary has added historical light list data to the USLHS website, and it’s available to researchers. It’s also integrated with the J. Candace Clifford Lighthouse Research Catalog on the site. USLHS Executive Director Jeff Gales also took part in this interview.
Lighthouse tenders were ships that were specifically designed to maintain, support, or tend to lighthouses or lightships by providing supplies, fuel, mail, and transportation. The tender Lilac was launched in Wilmington, Delaware, in 1933.
Lilac in 1939. U.S. Lighthouse Society archives
Nearly 175 feet long, Lilac was equipped with a steam-powered boom that could lift buoys weighing 14 tons or more. Lilac was assigned to the Fourth Lighthouse District covering Delaware Bay and its approaches, north to Trenton, New Jersey.
Lilac was a Coast Guard cutter 1939-72. Courtesy of the Lilac Preservation Project.
Mary Habstritt
Today, Lilac is a museum ship at Pier 25 in the Tribeca section of Hudson River Park in New York City. The ship is now open to the public on a regular basis. Mary Habstritt is the museum director and president for the Lilac Preservation Project. She also works as a freelance historical consultant, interpreting and telling the stories of America’s manufacturing and engineering past.
Lilac Preservation Project
Peter Gellatly
Peter Gellatly is a lecturer in accounting and administration at the Coatbridge campus of New College Lanarkshire in Scotland. About 25 years ago he saw a lighthouse on his way to the Isle of Man, and he was mesmerized.
He has photographed many lighthouses on his travels over the years, and more recently he has built up a lighthouse memorabilia collection ranging from uniforms to a 19th-century oil painting, presentation salver, and embossed crockery reserved for the visits of lighthouse commissioners.
Bell Rock Lighthouse, Scotland. Photo by Peter Gellatly.
Some of Peter Gellatly's artifacts on exhibit (courtesy of Peter Gellatly)
He has been loaning his collection of artifacts and photos to lighthouses around the U.K. for display, and he has also published a book called Following the Lights, a guide to visiting and staying at lighthouses in Scotland and the Isle of Man.
You can read more about Peter’s traveling exhibit and his book at www.followingthelights.com. Peter’s love for visiting, photographing, and researching lighthouses, and collecting memorabilia, is infectious, as you'll hear in this interview.
The United States Lighthouse podcast Light Hearted was launched in June 2019 as the only podcast completely devoted to lighthouses and their history, preservation, and lore. This marks the fiftieth episode, not counting a few "special editions." To mark this milestone, this episode is different than most. Rather than featuring an interview with a guest from the lighthouse world, this episode features a free-wheeling discussion with hosts Jeremy D'Entremont, Cindy Johnson, and Michelle Jewell-Shaw.
Michelle Jewell Shaw at Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse
Michelle, Cindy, and Jeremy reveal how their interest in lighthouses began and how all three of them became involved with Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses on the New Hampshire Seacoast. They discuss what they love most about their work at Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, and what they think are the biggest challenges facing lighthouse organizations today.
Cindy Johnson at Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse
They also look back on the first eight months of Light Hearted and what they've enjoyed the most, what they'd like to see in the future, and what they think is the value of a podcast devoted to lighthouses. We hope you'll enjoy this episode as much as Jeremy, Michelle, and Cindy enjoyed making it.
Jeremy D'Entremont at Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse (photo by Jim Wilton)
Katie Brydon greeting visitors at Burnt Island. Courtesy of Maine Department of Marine Resources.
Katie Brydon and husband Jesse Gauthier at Burnt Island. Courtesy of Maine Department of Marine Resources.
Living history performances are utilized at many museums and lighthouses, but few light stations have utilized the concept of living history to the extent that Burnt Island Light Station in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, does. The Maine Department of Marine Resources acquired the Burnt Island Light Station in 1998 as part of the Maine Lights Program. Burnt Island’s restored light station buildings and grounds have been transformed into a living history museum where interpreters in period costume portray a historic lighthouse family.
Visitors arrive by tour boat from Boothbay Harbor and disembark at the island, where they learn about life on the island from Keeper Joseph Muise, his wife Annie, and their children as they recount their daily activities and share their stories of joy, sorrow, dedication, and survival.
Katie Brydon,courtesy of Maine Department of Marine Resources.
Katie Brydon started playing the role of one of the daughters of Keeper Joseph Muise at Burnt Island while she was a drama major at Emerson College in Boston. A few years later, she and her husband played the keeper and his wife for a while. In this interview, she talks about the experience and the value of living history programs at historic sites.
Today, Katie is the national director of programs for Best Buddies International, a nonprofit organization that consists of volunteers who create opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Burnt Island Light Station
Keepers of Burnt Island Light
Best Buddies International
Ida Lewis; U.S. Lighthouse Society archive
February 25 is the birthday of a woman who is arguably the most famous lighthouse keeper in American history -- Ida Lewis of Lime Rock in Newport Harbor, Rhode Island. She was born in Newport on February 25, 1842. And to celebrate Ida Lewis’s birthday, the guest in this episode of Light Hearted is Lenore Skomal, author of one of the best books ever written about Ida Lewis, The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter.
The Ida Lewis Yacht Club in Newport, Rhode Island. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Officially, Ida Lewis is credited with 18 lives saved, but the number was possibly as high as 35; the modest Ida kept no records of her lifesaving exploits. She became the official keeper at Lime Rock in 1879 and held the position for 32 years. She became a celebrated national heroine. The former Lime Rock Lighthouse is now the Ida Lewis Yacht Club, and in 1995 a Coast Guard buoy tender was named in her honor.
Lenore Skomal
Lenore Skomal is the winner of multiple awards for literature, biography, and humor, with over 30 years of professional writing experience as a journalist, columnist, author, and playwright, and 17 books published to date. You can read more about her books, plays, and other works at lenoreskomal.org.
Lenore’s book on Ida Lewis, The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter, was originally published in 2002. Booklist called it "[a] sensitive biography. . . . A remarkable story of an ordinary woman who did some extraordinary things," and the Oakland Press wrote: “Fascinating. A lively, fast moving account to hold the reader’s interest. Spellbinding.” The book has now been optioned to be adapted into a motion picture.
Moose Peak Lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont
This episode of Light Hearted featured an interview with the owners of one of the most rugged and remote lighthouses in New England. Congress authorized the building of a lighthouse on the east point of 30-acre Mistake Island, about five miles offshore from Jonesport, Maine, in March 1825. The station was established in October 1826. A 24-foot-tall round rubblestone tower and dwelling were originally constructed; the 57-foot brick tower that stands today was built in 1851. A new two-family house was completed in 1903. In 1982, a decade after the station was automated and de-staffed, a military team blew up the keeper's house as a training exercise.
Moose Peak Light Station on Mistake Island circa 1975. U.S. Coast Guard photo.
Under the guidelines of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act, the lighthouse was sold via online auction in 2012. It was later sold to Jeremey Richardson and Miriam Davidson. Jeremey was born in Bangor, Maine, and has lived in the state his entire life. Miriam was born and raised in Colorado, but has spent time in New England throughout her life. She says she is drawn to the region’s history and cold weather.
Jeremey Richardson and friends
Miriam moved to Maine full-time in 2013 and currently works for the Maine Department of Corrections as a Forensic Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. Jeremey enjoys varying occupations and claims to be impartial to the days of the week. Together, with their five dogs, the couple enjoys outdoor adventures and is excited for the opportunities Moose Peak Lighthouse and Mistake Island present.
GoFundMe Page for Moose Peak
Instagram for Moose Peak Lighthouse
Article by Bob Trapani Jr.
(Use the player at the bottom of the page to hear the podcast)
There are many creative ways to raise money for lighthouse preservation, and the two interview subjects in this episode of Light Hearted have found one of the most creative. Alison Richardson, a summer resident of Isle au Haut in Maine, and Molly Siegel, an Island Institute fellow on the island, decided to do something special to help raise funds for the island's lighthouse – they swam all the way around the island in the summer of 2019. The island is 18 miles around, and they raised more than $33,000.
Molly Siegel and Alison Richardson at Isle Au Haut Lighthouse
GoFundMe page for Isle Au Haut Lighthouse
Friends of the Isle Au Haut Lighthouse
Gary Sredzienski
Gary Sredzienski, in addition to being an amazing swimmer, is an accomplished musician and composer who has been playing the piano accordion for more than 40 years. Always an avid swimmer, Gary started experimenting with special gear so that he could swim in winter. In January 2008 he swam about six miles to the island group known as the Isles of Shoals, raising $17,000 for the Krempels Brain Injury Foundation and Stepping Stones of Portsmouth.
Since then, he has completed several more winter swims for various charities, raising more than $80,000, including three swims to raise funds for lighthouse preservation. His first swim for lighthouses was in February 2011, and it raised about $10,000 for Whaleback Lighthouse in Kittery, Maine. The air temperature was about 27F, and the water was about 38F.
This 2012 solo CD by Gary Sredzienski was recorded inside Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, New Hampshire. Click here for more info.
Gary Sredzienski's web site
Gary's radio show, "Polka Party," on WUNH-FM
Listen here:
Windmill Point Lighthouse, Vermont. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Lake Champlain, bordering New York, Vermont and Quebec, was once a bustling waterway. More than ten lighthouses were built on the lake in the nineteenth century, on the New York and Vermont sides. A light was established at Isle La Motte, at the northern end of the lake, about 1829 - actually a lantern placed in an upper window of a house. The present 25-foot cast iron lighthouse was built in 1880 along with a wooden keeper's dwelling. A skeleton tower with an automatic beacon replaced the lighthouse in 1933. The station was sold into private hands, and the lighthouse remained dark for nearly 70 years. In 1949 the property was bought by the Clark family.
Isle La Motte Lighthouse, Vermont. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Rob and Lucky Clark at the top of Windmill Point Lighthouse in September 2003. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Meanwhile, a handsome 40-foot stone lighthouse tower was built in 1858 at Windmill Point in Alburg, Vermont, about six miles north of Isle La Motte. In 1931, the light was removed from the lighthouse at Windmill Point, and it was relocated to a nearly steel skeleton tower. The lighthouse and keeper's house passed into private hands. In 1963, Lockwood Clark, better known as Lucky Clark, purchased the property, making two lighthouses in the family.
In 2001 the Coast Guard began looking at the possibility of reactivating some of Lake Champlain's lighthouses. On August 7, 2002, National Lighthouse Day, over 300 onlookers cheered as the lighthouse was relighted at Windmill Point. For the first time in almost seven decades, Lake Champlain had a working lighthouse. Then, on the evening of October 5, 2002, the Isle la Motte Lighthouse returned to service at dusk.
Rob Clark, son of Lucky Clark and the longtime owner of these two lighthouses, is the interview subject in this episode of Light Hearted.
Joseph Smith as Augustin Fresnel at Montauk Lighthouse, New York, in 2018. Photo by Donna Dimino.
Joseph Smith has been a theatrical performer based in New York City since 1995. He decided to take his love of acting and his love of history and to bring them together as a performing artist of living history. His passion is to create excitement and curiosity about history by giving voice to stories that celebrate the human spirit.
Joseph Smith as Augustin Fresnel (Photo courtesy Of Leon Gurinsky, Fire Island Lighthouse)
In recent years he has written and performed a portrayal of Augustin Fresnel, the inventor of the Fresnel lens that revolutionized lighthouse lighting. It is a portrayal of one man’s fascination with “finding the solution to the many questions in the inexhaustible range of science."
He has performed the program, entitled Augustin Fresnel: Through a New Lens in a number of venues, including: 2019 Florida Lighthouse Association Fall Meeting; 2019 Michigan Lighthouse Festival; 2019 American Lighthouse Foundation Annual Gala; 2017 and 2018 Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society; 2018 Montauk Lighthouse; 2018 Michigan Lighthouse Alliance; Horton Point Lighthouse (Southold Historical Society); New London Maritime Society; and the National Lighthouse Museum, Staten Island, NY.
Augustin Fresnel
Of his Augustin Fresnel portrayal, Marge Ellenberger, director of the Michigan Lighthouse Festival, said, “Joseph Smith is a magical artist who gives his portrayals in such a unique manner that he makes the audience feel that they have gone back in time! He leaves the audience in awe and they want to hear more!”
Joseph Smith: Raising History website
Fred Mikkelsen speaking at a symposium in Kittery, Maine, in 2016..
Frederick Mikkelsen was a Coast Guard light keeper at Conimicut Lighthouse in Rhode Island circa 1958 to 1961. The cast-iron "sparkplug" style lighthouse was built at the mouth of the Providence River in 1883. Conimicut was the one of the last lighthouses in the nation to be converted to electricity. The light was automated and the resident keepers were reassigned in 1963. On September 29, 2004, a ceremony was held to announce the transfer of the lighthouse to the City of Warwick under the guidelines of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act.
Conimicut Lighthouse in 2018. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
One of Fred Mikkelsen’s most memorable experiences in his three years at the lighthouse was a 1960 hurricane. Fred still lives in Rhode Island, and he sometimes gives presentations on his lighthouse keeping days entitled “Checked Main Light – Lighthouse Life in the 1950s.” His family calls Conimicut Light Station “Grandpa’s Lighthouse.”
Fred Mikkelsen painted this seascape when he was a Coast Guard keeper at Conimicut Lighthouse in 1958.
Living quarters inside Conimicut Lighthouse, circa late 1950s. Courtesy of Fred Mikkelsen.
The galley inside Conimicut Lighthouse, circa late 1950s. Courtesy of Fred Mikkelsen.
East Point Lighthouse, U.S. Lighthouse Society archive
East Point Lighthouse began service in September 1849. It’s a type of building known as a Cape Cod-style lighthouse, because a number of them were build on Cape Cod in the early 1800s. It consists of a lantern on the roof of a two-story keeper’s dwelling. The light was automated in 1911 with the use of an acetylene gas system. The light was darkened due to World War II, and it was subsequently discontinued. Then, in the 1950s, the property was transferred to the State of New Jersey. The building was boarded up and fell into disrepair.
The Maurice River Historical Society was working to save the lighthouse when an accidental fire started by trespassers nearly destroyed the building in July 1971. The historical society was able to raise funds to have the lantern and roof rebuilt and the Coast Guard relighted the lighthouse as a navigational aid on July 2, 1980. Five rooms in the restored lighthouse are now furnished with period antiques. In 2017, two pump stations were installed in the building’s basement to push out encroaching floodwaters.
There has been great community support for the protection of East Point Lighthouse. (Courtesy of Maurice River Historical Society)
Nancy Patterson (Courtesy Nancy Patterson)
A dune system that was protecting the lighthouse was breached by a storm in March 2019, putting the site in grave danger. In May 2019, the nonprofit Preservation New Jersey chose the East Point Lighthouse as one of the 10 most endangered historic sites in the state. Click here for a recent series of photos showing the battle with a erosion near the East Point Lighthouse
Nancy Patterson, guest on this episode of Light Hearted, is president of the Maurice River Historical Society, and she manages the East Point Lighthouse. Nancy is also an artist and has written and illustrated two children’s books. Click here for her website.
Special guest co-host with Jeremy D'Entremont for this episode is Charlotte Raczkowski, a volunteer for Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses. Also featured is commentary from Judianne Point, a volunteer for Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse in East Providence, Rhode Island, who explains what she loves about volunteering.
Pomham Rocks Lighthouse. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont
Ernie DeRaps at Monhegan Lighthouse in 2007. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
This is a special edition of Light Hearted, featuring an extended interview with a former lighthouse keeper. Ernie DeRaps, a native Mainer, spent several years in the 1950s and ‘60s as a Coast Guard lighthouse keeper at four Maine lighthouses – Monhegan, Fort Point, Heron Neck, and Browns Head. After retirement he took up painting at the age of 80. Ernie is now in his early 90s, and he has completed portraits of all 65 lighthouses on the Maine coast.
A book by Ernie DeRaps and his wife, Pauline, was published by Foghorn Publishing in 2006. Ernie’s half of the book was called Lighthouse Keeping. If you turn the book over and upside down, the other half of the book, by Pauline Fitzgerald DeRaps, was called Light Housekeeping.
Ernie and Pauline were married for 64 years and had six children. Pauline passed away in 2015 and is, of course, greatly missed, but Ernie is staying busy with his painting, as well as his children, nine grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. Ernie celebrates his 92nd birthday this month.
L to R: Jeremy D'Entremont, Ernie DeRaps, Bob Trapani, Jr., in February 2019
Ernie's painting of Pemaquid Point Lighthouse
The book Lighthouse Keeping / Light Housekeeping by Ernie and Pauline DeRaps is available from Foghorn Publishing. You can see some of Ernie’s paintings of Maine lighthouses at pigmentartstudio.com. You’ll see his Lighthouses of the Maine Coast series as well as some nature paintings and seascapes.
Note from producer/host Jeremy D'Entremont: I visited Ernie DeRaps at his home in Richmond, Maine, last February. With me was my friend Bob Trapani, Jr., executive director of the American Lighthouse Foundation. Bob took part in the conversation with Ernie. The reason I waited until now to post this interview is that there was a problem with the sound. We recorded the conversation at Ernie’s kitchen table. As we spoke, Ernie kept tapping his fingers on the table. I was aware of it at the time, but I didn’t ask him to stop because I was afraid it might interrupt his thought process. I didn’t think the sound the tapping was making was very significant. It wasn’t until I listened to the recording later that I realized the tapping went right to the microphone stands and was recorded as a loud “boing” every time. For that reason, I shelved the interview for almost a year. But I recently listened to it again and I decided that it would be best to release it in spite of the problem. You can hear everything that’s said clearly, and Ernie’s great to listen to and I hated the thought of not using it because of a few little “boings.”
St. Marks Light Station in April 2018; U.S. Lighthouse Society photo by Jeff Gales.
St. Marks is a small city on Florida’s gulf coast that’s part of the Tallahassee metropolitan area. It was founded by the Spanish in the 1600s. St. Marks became an important port of entry for the prosperous planting region of Middle Florida and South Georgia. A light station at St, Marks, Florida's second, began service in 1831.
The light was automated in 1960. In the year 2000, although the Fresnel lens remained in the lantern room of the lighthouse, the navigational light was relocated to a modern solar-powered optic mounted outside the lantern. Today, St. Marks Light Station is located within the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. The lighthouse has recently undergone a major renovation. As part of the culmination of that work, a replica Fresnel lens was installed and illuminated as an active aid to navigation on October 31, 2019.
Inside the restored interior at St. Marks Light Station, courtesy of Craig Kittendorf.
Friends of St. Marks Wildlife Refuge is a non-profit volunteer organization that supports the conservation, education, and preservation work of the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. The Friends work closely with U.S. Fish and Wildlife and were very involved in the recent restoration project.
Tom Baird and friend at a historical marker at St. Marks Lighthouse. Courtesy of Tom Baird.
Tom Baird is the chairman of the Friends of St. Marks Wildlife Refuge Lighthouse Committee and fundraising committee chair. At the October 31 relighting event, Tom was honored for his dedication.
St. Marks Wildlife Refuge website
St. Marks Wildlife Refuge phone (850) 925-6121 Email: saintmarks@fws.gov
Don Terras, seen through the Fresnel lens in the Grosse Point Lighthouse. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Grosse Point Lighthouse, located at the southern end of Lake Michigan in Evanston, Illinois, was established in 1873 as the primary lighthouse marking the approach to Chicago. The lighthouse tower stands 113 feet tall and is constructed of Cream City brick encased in concrete. Still in use in the lantern is the original second-order Fresnel lens, manufactured by the Henry-Lepaute Company of Paris. In 1935, after the station was automated and destaffed, the federal government turned over the property, except for the lighthouse tower and light, to the City of Evanston.
Grosse Point Lighthouse and keeper's house. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Donald J. Terras is the director of the Lighthouse Park District in Evanston, and he manages the Grosse Point Light Station Museum. He is also the author of the books Grosse Point Lighthouse: Landmark to Maritime History and Culture and Lighthouses of Chicago Harbor: Their History, Architecture and Lore. Mr. Terras served on the steering committee to establish a National Lighthouse Museum and is a past president of the American Lighthouse Council. He is also a recipient of the American Lighthouse Council’s F. Ross Holland Distinguished Service Award.
In this interview, Don Terras looks back on nearly four decades of work at Grosse Point Light Station and in the broader world of lighthouse preservation.
A U.S. Lighthouse Society meeting in the keeper's quarters at Grosse Point Light Station on November 8, 2019. Left to right: Jeff Gales, Tom Tag, Don Terras, Chad Kaiser, and Gary Riemenschneider. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse, U.S. Lighthouse Society photo.
Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse is probably the best-known lighthouse in Maryland, and it has many distinctions. It’s the last surviving screwpile lighthouse in Chesapeake Bay, and it’s one of the few lighthouses in the United States to be designated a National Historic Landmark. It’s weathered many storms but it’s now in need of help.
John Potvin, left, presents a check for $20,000 for the preservation of Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse to Henry Gonzalez of the U.S. Lighthouse Society (courtesy of John Potvin)
John Potvin is a member of the Chesapeake Chapter of the United States Lighthouse Society. He has been a volunteer at Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse for several years. As the preservation foreman, he is actively involved in the bidding and specification preparation for the rehabilitation of the lighthouse, as well as coordinating volunteer schedules and tasks.
John Potvin at work at Thomas Point Shoal (courtesy of John Potvin).
In this episode of Light Hearted, host Jeremy D'Entremont and co-host Michelle Jewell Shaw also look at the origins and history of screwpile lighthouses, which were developed by the Irish engineer Alexander Mitchell.
Maplin Sands Lighthouse in England, the first (1841) screwpile lighthouse in the world. (Flickr Commons, British Library)
Anyone interested in volunteering at Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse can email John Potvin at jpotvin48@gmail.com
GoFundMe page for Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse
U.S. Lighthouse Society site for Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse
Sakonnet Point Lighthouse under restoration; photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Featured in this episode of Light Hearted is an interview with Scott Brown, president of Friends of Sakonnet Lighthouse. In 1882, Congress appropriated $20,000 for a lighthouse on Little Cormorant Rock at the entrance to Rhode Island's Sakonnet River, near Little Compton. Sakonnet Point Lighthouse is a typical offshore "sparkplug" lighthouse of its period. The hurricanes of 1938 and 1954 damaged the structure, and the last Coast Guard keepers were removed. Coast Guard officials decided to discontinue the light.
Restoration project Foreman Russ Klein (L) and Friends of Sakonnet Lighthouse President Scott Brown (R). Courtesy Friends of Sakonnet Lighthouse.
Before restoration. (Friends of Sakonnet Lighthouse)
The General Services Administration sold the property at auction in September 1961. A preservation effort began when the Friends of Sakonnet Lighthouse was formed in 1984.
With funding from the federal Transportation Enhancement Program combined with privately raised funds, a thorough restoration was completed in 2012.
The restored lighthouse. Courtesy Friends of Sakonnet Lighthouse.
Also in this episode, hosts Jeremy D'Entremont and Cindy Johnson detail the dramatic story of what happened at Sakonnet in the hurricane of September 21, 1938--the worst hurricane in recorded New England history. Keeper William Durfee, one of two men trapped in the lighthouse during the storm, wrote, "We gave up and wrapped ourselves in blankets . . . wondering when the wind would shift and quiet the sea down so we could get outside to look around. . . . And we were surprised when we looked to the point and saw that everything had been washed away."
Sakonnet Point Lighthouse in 1944 (U.S. Coast Guard)
Black Rock Harbor (Fayerweather Island) Lighthouse in September 2019. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
With its harbor at the mouth of the Pequonnock River, Bridgeport, Connecticut, became a center of trade, shipbuilding, and whaling. This episode of Light Hearted features two interviews related to the history of lighthouses in the vicinity of Bridgeport, with Bruce Williams and Phil Blagys.
Bridgeport Harbor Lighthouse, destroyed by fire in 1953. National Archives image 26-LG-11-22.
Captain’s Cove Seaport is a major attraction in Bridgeport, with a marina, restaurant, bar, fishing charters, and more. Bruce Williams is the son of Kaye Williams, founder of Captain’s Cove Seaport. Bruce is also a historian of the local area and the co-author of the book Bridgeport on the Sound.
Light Hearted host Jeremy D'Entremont with Phil Blagys on Fayerweather Island in September 2019.
Bridgeport's Black Rock Harbor is sheltered by Fayerweather Island, which made the island an ideal place for a lighthouse to mark the harbor entrance. The island's longtime nineteenth century keeper, Kate Moore, was credited with saving at least 21 lives. The lighthouse received a recent facelift thanks to the efforts of the City of Bridgeport and the Black Rock Community Council. Phil Blagys is a past president of the Black Rock Community Council and chair of the Black Rock Community Council History Program.
In 1864 the Elbow Reef Light Station went into service at Hope Town, a small settlement on Elbow Cay, one of the barrier islands off Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas. The lens and rotation equipment, made in the early 1900s by Chance Brothers of Birmingham, England, is still in place today. The fuel is kerosene and the lens rotates on a mercury float. The keeper on duty has to wind up the weights that rotate the lens every two hours.
Bahamian Lighthouses have been operated by the Port Department of The Bahamas since independence from Great Britain in 1973. The traditional hand-powered technology in the Elbow Reef Lighthouse is maintained by the Elbow Reef Lighthouse Society. The buildings at the Elbow Reef Light Station, as well as the surrounding Hope Town community, were devastated by Hurricane Dorian at the beginning of September.
Some views after Hurricane Dorian, courtesy of the Elbow Reef Lighthouse Society.
Annie Potts is the U.S.-based member of the Elbow Reef Lighthouse Society team. She is also the author of the book Last Lights: The Hand-Wound Lighthouses of The Bahama Islands. As the U.S. liaison for the society, Annie helps with the historical and structural restoration aspects of the Elbow Reef Light Station.
Annie Potts cleaning the lens at Elbow Reef Lighthouse (courtesy Elbow Reef Lighthouse Society)
To donate to the Elbow Reef Lighthouse Society and to help with their recovery from Hurricane Dorian, you can send a donation to:
Elbow Reef Lighthouse Society
c/o Annie Potts
700 SW 31st Street
Palm City, FL 34990
Or you can donate $250 or more to PERC -- let them you know you want the donation to go to the Elbow Reef Lighthouse Society.
The Flying Santa passes Boston Light, 1947 (Friends of Flying Santa)
Capt. William Wincapaw(Friends of Flying Santa)
The Flying Santa tradition goes back to December 25, 1929, when a floatplane pilot, William Wincapaw of Friendship, Maine, loaded his plane with a dozen packages. He flew to lighthouses around the Midcoast Maine area and dropped the modest gifts for lighthouse families as a way of showing his appreciation for the work they were doing. In the mid-1930s, Edward Rowe Snow, a schoolteacher, maritime historian, and author in Winthrop, Massachusetts, became involved in the flights. Snow would eventually become the sole Flying Santa, and he kept the flights going through 1980, flying to as many as 176 lighthouses.
Edward Rowe Snow (Friends of Flying Santa)
The Hull Lifesaving Museum on Boston’s South Shore kept the tradition alive for a while, and then the Friends of Flying Santa was formed as a separate nonprofit organization in 1997. The Friends’ mission remains dedicated to Captain William Wincapaw and Edward Rowe Snow's philosophy that lighthouse keepers and Coast Guard crews were true lifesavers and deserved to be recognized for their efforts.
Brian Tague, left, with Seamond Ponsart Roberts, center, and Dolly Snow Bicknell, right. Seamond was the daughter of a lighthouse keeper and figured in one of the most famous Flying Santa stories ever. Dolly is the daughter of the longtime Flying Santa, Edward Rowe Snow.
Friends of Flying Santa strives to continue this tradition of appreciation by carrying on the annual Christmas helicopter flights to lighthouses and Coast Guard stations. Today’s helicopter visits and gifts for the children are small tokens of appreciation for the outstanding work of the United States Coast Guard and their supportive families.
Brian Tague received an award from the Coast Guard in 2011 for his volunteer work on behalf of Friends of Flying Santa, at Coast Guard Station Portsmouth Harbor, NH. L to R: Santa Claus, Brian Tague, Chief John Roberts, Capt. Jim McPherson
Brian Tague has been involved with the Flying Santa program since the late 1980s, and he serves as the president of Friends of Flying Santa. Brian is also an accomplished photographer who specializes in wildlife, aerials, and scenic work.
Jim Pope
The jagged ledge known as Whaleback lurks menacingly on the northeast side of the entrance to the Piscataqua River. Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on the Piscataqua, was established as an important port for shipbuilding and trade before the American Revolution, and wrecks occurred around the ledges at mouth of the river with sickening regularity. The first lighthouse built on the ledge in 1830 was poorly built, but it lasted 42 years and has been cited as the first successful wave-swept lighthouse in the United States.
Whaleback Lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont
The granite tower that still stands on the ledge today was completed in 1872. The light was automated and the station was destaffed in early 1963. Among the last Coast Guard keepers was Jim Pope, a local Maine native who was one of the crew from 1960 to 1962. He went on to a long career as a tugboat captain.
Whaleback Lighthouse in 1957, showing the 1878 cast-iron fog signal tower adjacent to the granite lighthouse tower. The fog signal tower was dismantled in 1969. (Collection of Jeremy D'Entremont)
Jim is a bit of a local legend who has made a number of appearances at events for Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses. Most of this episode is an interview recorded with Jim at the Kittery Historical and Naval Museum a few months ago, with special thanks to Kim Sanborn and videographer Jim White.
L to R: Light Hearted host Jeremy D'Entremont, Jim Pope, and videographer Jim White.
A Keeper's Letter from Whaleback Lighthouse, 1957
Pigeon Point Light Station in April 2015. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Pigeon Point Lighthouse is tied for the tallest lighthouse tower in California at 115 feet, and it’s a favorite of sightseers and photographers. In September of this year, California State Parks officials announced that more than $9 million in state funding will go to the lighthouse for a major renovation that will take place over the next two years.
Joe Rogers (courtesy of Joe Rogers, Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park)
Light Hearted host Jeremy D'Entremont recently spoke with Linda Hitchcock and Joe Rogers of the California Department of Parks and Recreation. Linda is managing the restoration project at the district level. Joe is the lead person for the Pigeon Point Interpretive Program, and he is responsible for coordinating the volunteer program at the park. The conversations with Linda and Joe detail the upcoming restoration work as well as what visitors to this spectacular site can expect now and during the planned work projects.
The prison and lighthouse at Alcatraz. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Also featured is a segment with Jeremy and co-host Michelle Jewell Shaw chronicling the history of the first lighthouse on the West Coast, on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay. In recent years the U.S. Lighthouse Society has been working with the National Park Service and the U.S. Coast Guard for the restoration of Alcatraz Lighthouse.
This is a special edition of Light Hearted, devoted to a discussion of the movie The Lighthouse.
The Lighthouse is directed and produced by Robert Eggers, who co-wrote the screenplay with his brother Max Eggers. Shot in black-and-white, the film follows two lighthouse keepers (portrayed by Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson) who start to lose their sanity when a storm hits the remote island on which they are stationed. Although the exact setting and time period is not specified, it is apparently an island on the Maine coast in the late 1800s. The film was shot on Cape Forchu on the south coast of Nova Scotia.
The first part of this podcast episode is a discussion between hosts Michelle Jewell Shaw, Cindy Johnson, and Jeremy D'Entremont. This second part is a discussion between Jeremy D'Entremont and former lighthouse keeper Chris Mills.
Chris Mills (courtesy of Chris Mills)
Chris Mills is a former lighthouse keeper at 11 different light stations in three provinces on both the east and west coasts of Canada. He was a founding member of the Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society, and he has authored two books: Vanishing Lights and Lighthouse Legacies: Stories of Nova Scotia’s Lightkeeping Families. Chris lives in Ketch Harbour, Nova Scotia. He works for the Canadian Coast Guard as a deckhand on a lifeboat. He’s also had a career as a radio DJ and news announcer.
Sam Reid at the Wood Island Lifesaving Station (courtesy of Sam Reid)
This podcast is devoted to lighthouses and lightships, but today's episode takes a slight detour to a related subject. The U.S. Lifesaving Service is sometimes referred to as a sister service to the Lighthouse Service.
Wood Island is a small island about a quarter of a mile inside the mouth of the Piscataqua River in Kittery, Maine. In the late 1800s, a quarantine hospital was located on the island. A lifesaving station was built on the island in late 1907. The architectural style of the station on Wood Island was the “Duluth Style.” Following World War II, the Coast Guard relocated their operations for Portsmouth Harbor to a new station in New Castle, New Hampshire.
Wood Island Life Saving Station in its operating days. Courtesy of the Wood Island Life Saving Station Association.
The property on Wood Island languished for six decades and demolition was seriously considered. But in recent years a nonprofit organization, the Wood Island Life Saving Station Association, has been working on a miraculous restoration. Restoration of the exterior of the building and grounds is almost finished and restoration of the interior is progressing quickly. The ultimate plan is for the site to be open to the public as a maritime museum.
The building in 2011, before restoration started. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
"Light Hearted" host Jeremy D'Entremont recently had an in-depth conversation with Sam Reid, Kittery resident and president of the Wood Island Life Saving Station Association. Sam has been the spearhead of the amazing restoration on Wood Island. The interview makes up most of the content of this episode of Light Hearted.
Lightship Chesapeake (U.S. Lighthouse Society photo)
The first lightship in the United States was established at Chesapeake Bay in 1820, and the total number in the U.S. peaked in 1909 with 56 locations marked. From 1820 until 1983, there were 179 lightships built for the U.S. government. The official use of lightships for navigation in the United States ended in 1985. It’s estimated that there are 15 United States lightships left in existence today. Some are in museums and others are in private hands.
Greg Krawczyk in the engine room of the Lightship Chesapeake
The Lightship Chesapeake is a museum ship owned by the National Park Service and operated by Historic Ships in Baltimore. Greg Krawczyk, lead maintenance volunteer for the Lightship Chesapeake since 2006 and program coordinator for the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society, is the featured interview in this episode of Light Hearted.
Penfield Reef Lighthouse, Connecticut (Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont)
In a special segment in honor of Halloween, hosts Jeremy D'Entremont and Michelle Jewell Shaw tell the tragic tale of Keeper Fred Jordan of Penfield Reef Lighthouse in Fairfield, Connecticut. Jordan drowned on December 22, 1916, as he tried to go ashore in rough seas to visit his family for Christmas. Since then, other keepers at the lighthouse and visitors have witnessed much unusual activity. "Something comes here, that we are positive," said Keeper Rudolph Iten. "There is an old saying, ‘What the Reef takes, the Reef will give back.’"
Sally Snowman in her early days in the Coast Guard Auxilary next to the second-order Fresnel lens at Boston Light. Photo by Jay Thomson.
In part two of Jeremy D'Entremont's two-part interview with Sally Snowman, keeper of Boston Light Station on Little Brewster Island in Boston Harbor, Sally discusses Sammy the Boston Light Dog, subject of a children's book that Sally wrote. Sally and Jeremy then share some of the ghost stories of America's oldest light station.
Boston Light Station, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont
Sally tells what it's like on Little Brewster Island in bad storms, and talks about her favorite parts of island life. The recent storm damage and the future of public tours on the island is discussed.
Children of Keeper Ralph Norwood on the fog cannon, circa 1930s.Courtesy of Willie Emerson.
Jeremy and co-host Cindy Johnson also review the history of fog signals on Little Brewster Island, beginning with the 1719 fog cannon -- the first fog signal on the North American continent.
Sally Snowman (U.S. Postal Service photo by Dan Afzal)
In 1989, the U.S. Coast Guard was planning for Boston Light on Little Brewster Island in Boston Harbor to be the last light station in the United States to be automated and destaffed. Instead, Congress mandated that the station be operated and staffed permanently by the Coast Guard.
In 2003, the active duty Coast Guard personnel that had been assigned to the island were relocated to meet the needs of Homeland Security, and Sally Snowman was named the new keeper. She became the first civilian keeper since 1941, and the first woman keeper in Boston Light’s long history, which stretches back to 1716. She is the only official light keeper in the U.S. still employed by the Coast Guard.
Boston Light Station. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
In this episode of Light Hearted, we hear part one of a two-part interview with Sally Snowman. With host Jeremy D'Entremont, she discusses how she came to be the keeper of America's oldest light station. She also talks about the recent 300th anniversary celebrations and about life on an island in Boston Harbor. She and her husband, Jay Thomson, discuss their 1994 wedding on Little Brewster Island. Sally also tells the story of being with some of the children of a Boston Light keeper in a boat in Boston Harbor on a memorable day -- September 11, 2001.
1729 illustration of Boston Light
Also featured is a segment with Jeremy and co-host Michelle Jewell Shaw about the "Lighthouse Tragedy" of 1718 that took the lives of Boston Light's first keeper, George Worthylake, and five other people. Benjamin Franklin, 12 years old at the time, was urged by his brother to write a poem based on the disaster. The young Franklin wrote a poem called The Lighthouse Tragedy and sold copies on the streets of Boston. No copy of the poem was known to exist until 1940, when a copy was discovered on a nearby island by Maurice Babcock Jr., son of the principal keeper of Boston Light.
Point San Luis Lighthouse; photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Jack San Filippo
In this episode, host Jeremy D'Entremont interviews Jack San Filippo, program manager for the Point San Luis Lighthouse on the central California coast. The Point San Luis Lighthouse Keepers, a dedicated group of preservationists established in 1995, have brought the building back to life as one of the prettiest lighthouses on California’s central coast.
Emily Maitland Fish (USLHS archives)
Jeremy and co-host Cindy Johnson tell the story of Emily Maitland Fish of the Point Pinos Light Station at the southern entrance to Monterey Bay, California. She earned the “Socialite Keeper” nickname because of her regard for fashion and style as well as her habit of entertaining artists, writers and other guests at the lighthouse.
Courtesy Heceta Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast
Misty Anderson
Next, Jeremy interviews Misty Anderson, General Manager and Events Coordinator for the Heceta Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast. Heceta Head, about halfway up the Oregon coast, is one of the iconic light stations of the Pacific Northwest. The former keepers' house has been a B&B since 1995. That seven-course breakfast sounds amazing.
Burnt Coat Harbor Light Station, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont
In this episode host Jeremy D'Entremont interviews Eric and Fran Chetwynd of the Swans Island Lighthouse Committee in Maine about the restoration of the 1872 Burnt Coat Harbor Lighthouse. The still-active automated light is still maintained by Coast Guard aids to navigation personnel, while the light station became the property of the Town of Swans Island in 1994. The second floor of the keeper's house is available for rent. The island is about six miles south of Mount Desert Island and is accessible by ferry from Bass Harbor.
Eric Chetwynd on the porch of the keeper's house at Burnt Coat Harbor Light Station
Jeremy also interviews Kim Sanborn, director of the Kittery Historical and Naval Museum -- a gem of a small museum packed with fascinating artifacts, including a number of items related to lighthouses. Kittery is the oldest town in Maine (1647).
The second-order Fresnel lens from Boon Island Lighthouse at the Kittery Historical and Naval Museum
In the history segment, Jeremy and co-host Michelle Jewell Shaw relate the saga of longtime Rhode Island light keeper Horace Arnold. In 1875, Arnold was at the dwelling at Conimicut Lighthouse with his young son when drifting ice smashed into the structure. The Arnolds were lucky to escape with their lives as the house broke apart.
Eric Jay Dolin
This episode is hosted by Jeremy D'Entremont and Cindy Johnson, and the featured interview is the award-winning maritime historian Eric Jay Dolin.
Eric has written thirteen books and more than 60 articles on American history. His books include Leviathan: The History of Whaling in America, which won a number of awards and was selected as one of the best nonfiction books of 2007 by the Los Angeles Times, the Boston Globe, and the Providence Journal; Fur, Fortune, and Empire: The Epic History of the Fur Trade in America, which was selected by the Seattle Times as one the top nonfiction books of 2010; When America First Met China: An Exotic History of Tea, Drugs, and Money in the Age of Sail, which was chosen by Kirkus Reviews as one of the top ten non fiction books of Fall 2012. His newest book is Black Flags, Blue Waters: The Epic History of America’s Most Notorious Pirates, published in 2018.
But the book that's discussed at length in the Light Hearted interview is Brilliant Beacons: A History of the American Lighthouse, published in 2016.
C. Douglas Kroll, Sea History Magazine, wrote of Brilliant Beacons: “A must-read for anyone interested in lighthouses or America’s maritime history…This history of American lighthouses is both engaging and enjoyable, whether for academics, who will not be disappointed in the thoroughness of the author’s research, or for lighthouse history buffs who will enjoy its compelling narrative.”
Click here for Eric Jay Dolin's website.
Eric Jay Dolin on Wikipedia
Terry Rowden (photo by Jeremy D'Entremont)
The featured interview in this episode is Terry Rowden, a native of Michigan. Bob Trapani, Jr., executive director of the American Lighthouse Foundation, joined Light Hearted host Jeremy D'Entremont to take part in this interview, which was recorded inside the keeper's house at Little River Light Station.
Terry Rowden served as a keeper at Little River Light Station in Cutler, Maine, for the U.S. Coast Guard from 1968 to 1970. It was then that he met a young Cutler native named Cynthia, and Terry and Cynthia eventually married.
Bob Trapani, Jr., Terry Rowden, and Jeremy D'Entremont with the VRB-25 optic from Little River Lighthouse in July 2019. Photo by Dominic Trapani.
When the Friends of Little River Lighthouse was founded as a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation in 2008, Terry became a volunteer. For the past few years, Terry has been the resident caretaker on the island. His wife Cynthia is also a valuable volunteer. At the American Lighthouse Foundation annual gala in 2016, Terry was awarded a President’s Award for his exemplary commitment to the organization’s historic lighthouse preservation mission.
Little River Light Station in July 2019. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont
In the history segment, hosts Jeremy D'Entremont and Michelle Jewell Shaw tell the tale of William S. Moore, who became the first keeper of Bird Island Light in Marion, Massachusetts, when the station went into operation in 1819.
Circa 1859 view of Bird Island Light Station, Marion, Massachusetts. National Archives image 26-LG-5-19
Persistent local legend claims that Moore was a pirate who was banished to Bird Island as punishment. Some accounts also claim that Moore murdered his wife, and there are those who say the island has been haunted or cursed ever since.
Tom Tag (left) accepting a Holland Award from American Lighthouse Council president Don Terras in 2011. The award is named for the historian Francis Ross Holland, Jr., who received the initial Distinguished Service Award that was to henceforth carry his name.
The featured interview in this episode is with Tom Tag, who is the technical advisor for the U.S. Lighthouse Society. Tom's passion for the history of lighthouse optics has made him the premier American authority on the history and technology of lamps and lenses. He formerly served on the U.S. Lighthouse Society's Board of Directors, along with lead roles in several other lighthouse organizations.
Tom Tag was born in Chicago but grew up in Laporte, Indiana. After retiring from a career in management of computer programmers, he was looking for something different to do. Tom has written many articles on lighthouse technology for the U.S. Lighthouse Society’s journal The Keeper’s Log.
His work as a lighthouse researcher earned Tom an F. Ross Holland Award from the American Lighthouse Council. He also has had a major hand in the development of what is now the J. Candace Clifford Lighthouse Research Catalog, and he has developed many other historical resources on the U.S. Lighthouse Society website.
Theed "Crazy" Judson
In the history segment, hosts Jeremy D'Entremont and Cindy Johnson recount the story of Theodore "Crazy" Judson, longtime light keeper and raconteur of Stratford Point, Connecticut. Judson's interviews with newspaper reporters described sightings of mermaids and a 200-foot sea serpent.
Chris Mills
In this episode, host Jeremy D'Entremont interviews Canadian author and former lighthouse keeper Chris Mills. Chris is originally from Ontario, but he has lived most of his life in Nova Scotia. He built his first lighthouse when he was six years old, and landed his first three-week job as a relief assistant on Cross Island, near Lunenberg, Nova Scotia, at the age of 24. Between 1989 and 1997, Chris worked as a light keeper at 11 different light stations in three provinces on both the east and west coasts of Canada.
Chris with the "lighthouse" he built when he was six years old.(Photo courtesy of Chris Mills)
Chris was a founding member of the Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society. For years, he has recorded the oral histories of light keepers and their families. Chris has authored two books: Vanishing Lights and Lighthouse Legacies: Stories of Nova Scotia’s Lightkeeping Families.
Chris Mills served as a lighthouse keeper in Canada for 9 years at 11 light stations (Photo courtesy of Chris Mills)
Chris lives in Ketch Harbour, Nova Scotia. He works for the Canadian Coast Guard as a deckhand on a lifeboat. He’s also had a career as a radio DJ and news announcer. His observational skills as a writer and radio commentator, combined with his experience as a light keeper and preservationist, give him a unique and very special perspective on lighthouses.
Mark Kuehn
Join Jeremy D'Entremont and co-host Cindy Johnson for an interview with Mark Kuehn of the North Point Lighthouse Museum in Wisconsin.
North Point Lighthouse is in Lake Park on the East Side of Milwaukee. The lighthouse and the Queen Anne-style keeper’s house have been restored to their early twentieth century charm through the determined efforts of a group of volunteers, the North Point Lighthouse Friends, Inc., formed in 2002. Since completion of restoration in the fall of 2007, the historic site is open to the public for tours. The original keepers’ quarters now serves as a museum.
North Point Light Station, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. USLHS photo by Tom Tag.
Mark Kuehn is the curator of the North Point Lighthouse Museum. He’s been on the board of directors for seven years and he’s been the curator for six years. Mark is also creative director for an advertising and marketing firm called Anthologie in Milwaukee, and he serves on the board of directors for All Hands Boatworks, an organization that teaches young people wooden boat building skills. He is also an artist who works in watercolor, graphite, and collage, and he is a graduate of the Portland School of Art and Design in Portland, Maine. Mark is a maritime history buff and has worked as a lobster fisherman in Maine. He gives lectures about the maritime history of Milwaukee and the North Point Lighthouse. You can catch his talks on the tall ship Denis Sullivan dressed in a Lighthouse Service keeper’s uniform.
Saddleback Ledge Lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont
Also featured in this episode of Light Hearted is the incredibly harrowing story of the first keeper of Maine's Saddleback Ledge Lighthouse, Watson Y. Hopkins. Hopkins and his family (seven children!) lived in three rooms inside the granite tower on a remote, wave-swept ledge for a decade.
The episode closes with the poem "A Lightkeeper's Dream" by Forest Wilcox of Gannet Rock Lighthouse in New Brunswick, Canada.
Listen to the podcast here:
Ford Reiche at Halfway Rock. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Join hosts Jeremy D'Entremont and Michelle Jewell Shaw for an interview with Ford Reiche, the award-winning owner of remote Halfway Rock Lighthouse in Casco Bay in Maine.
Ford Reiche has been an attorney and an entrepreneur; in 2008 he was named the Maine Small Businessperson of the Year and the Mainebiz Business Leader of the Year. He is also a trustee of Maine Preservation.
Ford has acquired and restored several buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, including his most recent project, a railroad station in Yarmouth. The subject of the interview in this episode of Light Hearted is his amazing restoration of Halfway Rock Lighthouse, far out in Casco Bay, 10 miles from Portland.
Halfway Rock Lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont
The granite lighthouse, which was built in 1871, gets its name because it’s halfway between Cape Elizabeth to the south and Cape Small to the north. Ford Reiche bought the lighthouse at auction from the federal government in 2014.
The Maine Preservation Association recognized the project with its 2016 Preservation Award, and the American Lighthouse Foundation presented Ford Reiche a 2017 “Keeper of the Light” award honoring his “contribution to the preservation of America’s lighthouses and their rich tradition.”
Chad Kaiser
Join hosts Jeremy D'Entremont and Cindy Johnson. First up is part two of an interview with Chad Kaiser, general manager of the New Dungeness Light Station in Sequim, Washington. Chad is also a lighthouse preservationist and one of only a handful of qualified lampists in the country who are approved by the U.S. Coast Guard to work on historic Fresnel lighthouses lenses. It’s Chad’s work as a lampist and preservationist that is discussed in today's interview.
In the history segment we learn more about William Converse Williams, longtime keeper of bleak and isolated Boon Island Lighthouse off the southern Maine coast in the late 1800s and early 1900s. When he retired, author Robert Thayer Sterling observed of Williams, “To walk about his front yard without risk of being washed into the sea is a pleasure, and with that comes contentment.”
William C. WIlliams
Next we travel down the East Coast to South Carolina, where for the past two years, Friends of Hunting Island State Park have been hosting tours of the Hunting Island Lighthouse and the other light station buildings at Hunting Island State Park in Beaufort. Ted Panayotoff runs the public tours at Hunting Island Lighthouse, and they are discussed in today's interview.
Hunting Island Lighthouse, USLHS photo by Ralph Eshelman
Russ Rowlett (Univ. of North Carolina)
Host Jeremy D'Entremont is joined by co-host Michelle Jewell Shaw. When Russ Rowlett was growing up in Richmond, Virginia, his only exposure to lighthouses was climbing the Old Cape Henry Lighthouse when his family vacationed at Virginia Beach.
Russ started his web site, The Lighthouse Directory, in 1999, and it kept growing until, by 2009, it covered the whole world. It's one of the most useful lighthouse information sites on the Internet, and Russ is the first guest on this episode of Light Hearted.
Bob Muller
Bob Muller was the founding president of the Long Island Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society in New York. He has been involved in lighthouse research, education, lecturing, and preservation for twenty years. In this first installment of The (non-political) Muller Report, Bob updates us on the restoration efforts for Stepping Stones Lighthouse, the westernmost lighthouse in Long Island Sound, a project in which Bob has been personally involved.
In a history segment, Michelle and Jeremy relate the story of Willie Williams, longtime (1883-1911) keeper of Maine's remote Boon Island Light Station, who said in retirement: “There were days when I first went on the station that I could not get away from the idea that I was the same as locked up in a cell."
William C. Williams, courtesy of Jim Claflin
Jeff Zappen
The next interview is Jeff Zappen, who retired in December 2018 after 28 years as a Chief Warrant Officer in the U.S. Coast Guard. Jeff is still working for the Coast Guard as a Waterways Management Specialist in Port Orchard, Washington. Jeremy interviewed Jeff during a visit to the U.S. Lighthouse Society’s headquarters in Hansville, Washington, last January. The conversation involves the evolving nature of the Coast Guard’s role with America’s lighthouses and other aids to navigation.
The Nantucket Lightship LV112 was offshore during the August 7, 1989, celebration at Maine's Portland Head Lighthouse. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
This is a special edition of Light Hearted in honor of National Lighthouse Day, August 7. It was on this date in 1789 that the first Congress approved an act for the establishment and support of lighthouses, beacons, buoys, and public piers.
In celebration of the 200th anniversary of the signing of that act and the commissioning of the first federal lighthouse, Congress passed a resolution that designated August 7, 1989, as National Lighthouse Day.
During the August 7, 1989, celebration at Portland Head Lighthouse. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
On that day in 1989, Light Hearted host Jeremy D'Entremont attended and recorded a celebration at Portland Head Light Station in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. Not only was that gathering an observance of National Lighthouse Day, it also marked the automation of Portland Head Lighthouse and the transfer of the last two Coast Guard light keepers in the state of Maine, as well as the leasing of the light station property to the Town of Cape Elizabeth.
F. Ross Holland
This special edition includes audio excerpts from that 1989 celebration: Rear Admiral Richard Rybacki of the Coast Guard, Senator George Mitchell of Maine, and lighthouse historian F. Ross Holland. Also featured is an audio clip of Connie Small, author of the classic book The Lighthouse Keeper's Wife.
Kathryn Onos DiPhilippo at the Cushing's Point Museum
The city of South Portland, with a bit over 25,000 people, is the fourth-largest city in Maine. It is situated on Portland Harbor and looks out onto the islands of Casco Bay. South Portland is home to two lighthouses and is close to several others. The Cushing’s Point Museum, adjacent to Bug Light Park, the location of Portland Breakwater Lighthouse, has been home to the South Portland Historical Society since 2009. Just down the street is Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse, a "sparkplug light" that is sometimes open for public tours.
Art Greene of the Spring Point Ledge Light Trust
In this episode of "Light Hearted," host Jeremy D'Entremont interviews Kathryn Onos DiPhilippo, executive director of the South Portland Historical Society and curator of the Cushing’s Point Museum; Art Greene, chairman of the Spring Point Ledge Light Trust; and Jack Roberts of the Rotary Club of South Portland and Cape Elizabeth. Jack has spearheaded the preservation of Portland Breakwater Lighthouse for nearly 30 years.
Jack Roberts in the lantern room at Portland Breakwater "Bug" Light
Jeremy is joined by a special guest co-host, filmmaker Rob Apse.
Aerial view of Nubble Lighthouse; photo by Jeremy D'Entremont
The U.S. Lighthouse Society's domestic and international group tours are developed to maximize lighthouse touring, but also to help provide better understanding of the culture and communities in which the lighthouses are located. The proceeds from each trip are directed to supporting the society’s mission of lighthouse preservation and education. In this episode, host Jeremy D'Entremont interviews Chris Brookes, a volunteer tour planner and leader.
The Nubble in winter, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont
Built in 1879, the Cape Neddick Light Station in York, Maine, is on a small rocky island known as the Nubble and is best known to the public as the Nubble Light. Visitors drive to Sohier Park in York to view the lighthouse and other buildings across a narrow channel of water. Close to half a million people come to see it each year. Matt Rosenberg is an English teacher and also the seasonal caretaker for Sohier Park and the Nubble Lighthouse. Matt is also the supervisor of a student organization known as the York Youth Lighthouse Preservation Association, or YYLPA.
"Light Hearted" host Jeremy D'Entremont interviewed Matt Rosenberg and YYLPA President Rachel Carr for this episode.
Jeremy and his special guest co-host, filmmaker Rob Apse, introduce a special offer in the U.S. Lighthouse Society's online gift shop. And Rob and Jeremy discuss ways of getting young people interested in lighthouse preservation.
Josh Liller at the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Museum
In the third and final episode for "Florida Week," Jeremy D'Entremont interviews Josh Liller, Historian and Collections Manager for the Loxahatchee River Historical Society and Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse & Museum. Josh gives numerous presentations related to local history in the Jupiter area throughout the year.
Jupiter Inlet LighthousePhoto by Jeremy D'Entremont
Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse is in Jupiter, Florida, on Florida’s east coast. The 108-foot brick tower was designed by Lieutenant George Meade of the Bureau of Topographical Engineers and went into service in 1860. Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse & Museum, operated by the nonprofit Loxahatchee River Historical Society, offers climbing tours of the tower, and the museum features 5000 years of local history.
In the history segment, Jeremy and co-host Cindy Johnson discuss the vital 1843 report to Congress by the civil engineer I. W. P. Lewis that led to the restructuring of the nation’s lighthouse administration. And there's another trivia contest with prizes to be given away.
John Mann and Felipe De Paula at the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse Museum
Ponce Inlet Lighthouse. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont
Join hosts Jeremy D'Entremont and Cindy Johnson for the second of three "Florida Week" episodes. At 175 feet tall, Ponce Inlet Lighthouse is the tallest lighthouse in the state and the third tallest in the United States. It became a national historic landmark in 1998. John Mann is the Lead Docent for on-site tours and community outreach, and educational programs advisor for the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse and Museum. Felipe De Paula is the registrar and assistant curator. Jeremy interviewed them both during a recent visit.
The lens exhibit at the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse Museum. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont
In the history segment, Cindy and Jeremy discuss Augustin-Jean Fresnel, the brilliant French civil engineer and physicist who is best remembered for the invention in the 1820s of a type of lens that increased the visibility of lighthouses and saved countless lives. There's also another trivia contest with a chance to win prizes.
The view from St. Augustine Lighthouse. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Join hosts Jeremy D'Entremont and Cindy Johnson for the first of three episodes for Florida Week! In 1824, the first lighthouse in Florida was built at St. Augustine, at the site of an earlier watchtower. Today's 165-foot-tall brick tower, built in 1874, is a major attraction on Florida's east coast.
The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum has a mission to “discover, preserve, present, and keep alive the stories of the nation’s oldest port.” Rick Cain is Director of Museum Services, and Jay Smith is Office Manager and Executive and Governance Support Manager. Jeremy interviewed Rick and Jay during a visit to St. Augustine in May.
St. Augustine Lighthouse. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
The lighthouse history segment focuses on Winslow Lewis and his monopoly on American lighthouse lighting equipment from 1810 into the 1840s. And there's another trivia contest and a chance to win prizes. There will be two more "Florida Week" episodes this week.
Race Point Light Station, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Jeremy D'Entremont and Michelle Jewell Shaw co-host the third and final episode for Cape Cod week. Jeremy interviews Gary Childs, chairman of the Cape Cod Chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation. The chapter manages three lighthouses in Provincetown, at the tip of the Cape. The focus of the interview is Race Point Light Station, which was the subject of an amazing restoration in the 1990s and is open for overnight stays.
Early brazier light at North Foreland, England.USLHS archives.
Michelle and Jeremy discuss early lighthouse technology—specifically, the various kinds of illuminants and apparatus that were used in the early days of lighthouses, before the important invention of the Fresnel lens in the 1820s.
And there's another trivia question with a chance for listeners to win prizes.
Nauset Lighthouse in Eastham, Massachusetts. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont
Join host Jeremy D'Entremont and co-host Michelle Jewell Shaw for the second of three "Cape Cod Week" episodes. Jeremy interviews Betsy Richards, president of the Nauset Light Preservation Society, and Hawkins Conrad, who was the group's first president in its formative days in the 1990s.
Early illustration of Boston Light Station, USLHS archives.
Michelle and Jeremy discuss more of the early history of the oldest lighthouse on the North American continent, Boston Light in Boston Harbor, including the 1719 fog cannon.
And there's a trivia contest; the first two listeners to get the right answers will win prizes. Congratulations to Dwight Berry and Olivia Bell, winners of the trivia contest in the last episode. The question was -- "What was the name of the male slave who lived at Boston Light with the first keeper?" And the answer was Shadwell.
John Geurtsen in the lantern room at Chatham Light
It's Cape Cod Week on Light Hearted! In this episode, host Jeremy D'Entremont interviews John Geurtsen, vice commander of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 11-1, which serves the Cape Cod area. John is involved with the public tours of Chatham Lighthouse, and that is what he discussed with Jeremy.
Jeremy and co-host Michelle Jewell Shaw travel a bit north of the Cape for the history segment, which covers the early history of the first lighthouse on the North American continent, Boston Light.
1729 illustration of the first (1716) Boston Light
Listen for the trivia question for a chance to win the book Lighthouses of America or a Lighthouse Passport. Later this week there will be episodes featuring representatives of the Cape Cod lighthouses at Race Point in Provincetown and Nauset Light Beach in Eastham.
Straitsmouth Island Lighthouse with the twin towers of Thacher Island in the background; photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Paul St. Germain
In this episode, host Jeremy D'Entremont interviews Paul St. Germain, author/historian and president of the nonprofit Thacher Island Association, about recent progress at Straitsmouth Island Light Station off Rockport on Cape Ann, Massachusetts. Tremendous strides have been made in the restoration of the property, which will soon be accessible to the public. Jeremy and co-host Cindy Johnson continue the exploration of the history of England's famous Eddystone Light, with a look at the construction of the present (1882) tower, designed by James Douglass. There's also a discussion of the origins of the famous song The Eddystone Light, with a rendition by the Irish/folk duo Shannachie. And there's a trivia question with prizes to the first two correct people to answer correctly.
Nineteenth century illustration of the 1882 Eddystone lighthouse, USLHS archives
Bakers Island Lighthouse, Salem, Massachusetts. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Host Jeremy D'Entremont interviews Annie C. Harris, director of Essex Heritage. The non-profit organization promotes the cultural heritage of Essex County, Massachusetts, and owns the Bakers Island Light Station in Salem. The station consists of an 1820 lighthouse tower, two keepers’ houses, and outbuildings. Through Essex Heritage, tours of the historic light station are available, and also overnight stays.
Smeaton's tower (USLHS archives)
In the history segment, Jeremy and co-host Cindy Johnson continue the saga of the lighthouses on the Eddystone Rocks off Plymouth, England, with the story of Rudyard's 1709 tower and Smeaton's 1759 tower, which represented a major step forward in the construction of wave-swept lighthouses.
From The Monster of Piedras Blancas
Jeremy and Cindy then discuss the 1959 horror film The Monster of Piedras Blancas, which was shot largely at California's Point Conception Light Station. Jeremy recalls a phone interview with one of the movie's stars, Jeanne Carmen.
Larissa and Casey, innkeepers at Braddock Point Lighthouse
In the latest episode, host Jeremy D'Entremont and co-host Michelle Jewell Shaw discuss the first tower on the Eddystone Rocks off Plymouth, England, designed by the colorful showman Henry Winstanley and completed in 1698.
Winstanley's tower after 1699 modifications
The feature interview is with Casey Moulton of the Braddock Point Lighthouse on the south shore of Lake Ontario, in Hilton, New York, a few miles northwest of Rochester. The magnificent Victorian keeper’s house is operated as a bed and breakfast inn.
There's also a trivia question with prizes to the first two people to get the correct answer.
Nick Korstad
Jeremy D'Entremont and Michelle Jewell Shaw come to you from the Portsmouth Public Library. The feature interview is with Nick Korstad, owner of the Big Bay Point Lighthouse B&B in Michigan. Prior to purchasing Big Bay Point Lighthouse, Nick bought and restored Borden Flats Lighthouse in Fall River, Massachusetts, a project for which he was featured on several national TV shows and received a “Keeper of the Light” award from the American Lighthouse Foundation.
Big Bay Point Lighthouse, USLHS photo by Mike & Carol McKinney
The history segment is all about the Cordouan Lighthouse in France, which was built between 1584 and 1611. Not only is it the oldest lighthouse in France and one of the oldest in the world, but it’s the tenth tallest masonry lighthouse in the world at 223 feet. It’s been called the Lighthouse of Kings and the Versailles of the Sea.
Lime Kiln Lighthouse, USLHS archives
Also featured is an interview with Erin Corra, founder and executive director of the Friends of Lime Kiln Society. The organization manages Washington's Lime Kiln Lighthouse, which is about to celebrate its 100th anniversary with a big event on June 30.
Early illustration of Cordouan Lighthouse; USLHS archives
Join host jeremy D'Entremont and co-host Cindy Johnson at New Hampshire's Exeter Inn as they discuss the Kõpu Lighthouse on the Estonian Island of Hiiumaa, originally built in 1531. It’s the third oldest operating lighthouse in the world.
Kõpu Lighthouse on a Soviet stamp
The featured interview is with Anne E. Witsenburg of Monumentsfund Aruba, the organization that manages the California Lighthouse near the northern tip of the island. The recently restored lighthouse, which is more than 100 years old, is open to the public all year.
There's another trivia question with prizes going to the first two people to answer correctly.
There will be two or three episodes of "Light Hearted" released per week for a few more weeks. Beginning the week of July 22, there will be one episode per week (on Mondays), with occasional special additional episodes.
California Lighthouse, Aruba. (Monumentsfund Aruba)
In episode five of Light Hearted, host Jeremy D'Entremont and co-host Cindy Johnson discuss the Hook Lighthouse in Ireland in the history segment. There's also the usual trivia question with prizes.
Bob Trapani, Jr., with one of the interpretive displays in the keeper's house at Owls Head.
The featured interview is with Bob Trapani, Jr. Since 2005, Bob has served as the executive director of the American Lighthouse Foundation, a nonprofit organization with its headquarters in the historic keeper’s house of the Owls Head Lighthouse in Maine. Bob and Jeremy had the chance to sit down for a chat in the keeper’s house at Owls Head this past December, and the conversation ranged from the challenges of preservation to the technology of modern aids to navigation.
Hook Lighthouse, Ireland. USLHS archives
In this installment of Light Hearted, we meet Ben Swan and Gigi Lirot of Whitehead Light Station, on an 80-acre island in Midcoast Maine. Whitehead offers three-to-five-day programs that focus on a variety of subjects and activities taught by an instructor. Ben Swan is the executive director, and Gigi Lirot is the island manager for Whitehead Light Station.
Gigi Lirot and friend at Whitehead Island
Host Jeremy D'Entremont also interviews Catherine Bumpus, a lifelong sailor who is the executive director of the Friends of Nobska Light in Woods Hole on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The Friends are working to complete restoration and to open a museum on the site. Nobska is one of the iconic lighthouses of Cape Cod.
USLHS archives
In the history segment, Jeremy and co-host Michelle Jewell Shaw discuss the Tower of Hercules, also known as La Coruña Lighthouse, in Spain. It is considered the oldest functioning lighthouse in the world.
As usual, there's also a trivia question with prizes going out to the first two people to answer correctly.
Catherine Bumpus
Eric S. Martin
The entire content of this special edition of Light Hearted is an interview with Eric S. Martin, who is president of the Florida Keys Reef Lights Foundation and a board member of the Florida Lighthouse Association.
The conversation ranges from the history of the Florida Reef lights and the difficulties involved with their preservation, to the current auction that holds the fate of Sand Key Lighthouse in the balance. Eric, who lives far inland in Orlando, Florida, also talks about how he got so involved in lighthouse preservation.
Sand Key Lighthouse, Florida; 1996 photo by Ralph Eshelman, U.S. Lighthouse Society.
This special edition serves as kind of a preview for a week of three Florida-related episodes that will be released the week of July 15. The lighthouses focused on that week will be St. Augustine, Ponce Inlet, and Jupiter Inlet.
Dolly Bicknell at Scituate Lighthouse
In this episode, host Jeremy D'Entremont is joined by co-host Michelle Jewell Shaw of Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses , recent winner of a volunteerism award from the American Lighthouse Foundation. The lighthouse history segment focuses on the ancient Roman lighthouse in Dover, England, and the ruins of the Roman lighthouse at Leptis Magna in Libya. And once again, there's a trivia question with prizes going out to the first two listeners who get the answer right.
The Roman lighthouse at Dover, England. U.S. Lighthouse Society archives.
Co-host Michelle Jewell Shaw
The feature interview is with Dolly Bicknell, president of Project Gurnet and Bug Lights, the organization that cares for Plymouth (Gurnet) Lighthouse and Duxbury Pier (Bug) Lighthouse in Massachusetts. Dolly is also the daughter of the famed historian Edward Rowe Snow, and she was recently the recipient of a "Keeper of the Light" award from the American Lighthouse Foundation.
Chad Kaiser (New Dungeness Light Station Association)
In episode 2 of the podcast, host Jeremy D'Entremont interviews Chad Kaiser, general manager of the New Dungeness Light Station in Sequim, Washington. Chad is also a lampist (Fresnel lens expert) and preservationist, and a "part two" of this interview will be heard in a future episode.
Chad and Jeremy (why does that sound familiar?) talk about the remoteness of New Dungeness, which is at the end of a five mile sand spit, and about the "keeper" program that offers individuals, families, and groups an opportunity to spend a week at the station while performing maintenance duties and providing tours.
Jeremy and co-host Cindy Johnson tell the story of the Pharos of Alexandria, the world's first great lighthouse, and a model for many lighthouses that followed.
Jeremy and Cindy discuss a 1971 movie, The Light at the Edge of the World, starring Kirk Douglas and Yul Brynner. The film was based on a novel by Jules Verne. It’s one of the rare adventure movies ever made where a lighthouse keeper is the hero.
There's another trivia question and a chance to win prizes. Congratulations to Nancy McDowell and Jen Lewis, winners of the trivia contest in episode 1. The correct answer was that Hannah Thomas of Plymouth Lighthouse in Massachusetts was the first woman keeper in America in 1776.
This premiere episode of the new U.S. Lighthouse Society podcast, with host Jeremy D’Entremont and co-host Cindy Johnson, was recorded at the Exeter Inn in Exeter, New Hampshire. In the first episode, Jeremy and Cindy talk about the origins of navigation in early society, and there's a trivia question with prizes to be sent to the first two listeners with the correct answer. Entries should be emailed to jeremy@uslhs.org, and it should be specified that the entry is answering the trivia question in Light Hearted episode 1.
The featured interview is with Sophie Blackall, the award winning author and illustrator of the children's book "Hello Lighthouse." The charming book, winner of the 2019 Caldecott Medal as the most distinguished American picture book of the year for children, opens with the lines, "On the highest rock of a tiny island at the edge of the world stands a lighthouse. It is built to last forever."
Co-host Cindy Johnson, operations manager of Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses
We hope you enjoy this new podcast. There will be new episodes every Monday, with extra episodes some weeks. Future episodes will include interviews with lighthouse preservationists, historians, and authors from around the U.S., and even from other countries.
If you have ideas for features, you can email Jeremy at jeremy@uslhs.org.