Lighthouse Collectibles

One of my favorite things about visiting lighthouses is stopping by the gift shop and buying a few lighthouse collectibles. Our favorites are the "Little Lights of Mine" by Harbor Lights because they take up such a small amount of room. I can put about 20 Little Lights on a single shelf of our bookshelf. We have a single regular size Harbor Lights of the Presque Isle Lighthouse in Erie, PA for obvious reasons. We also collect some Lefton and Scaasis. We have two main criteria for the lighthouses we collect. First is realism and quality (okay, so maybe that's two). This is why we stick to the Harbor Lights, Lefton and Scaasis. Other knockoffs just down look as real and often have been poorly painted. The second is that we have to have visited the lighthouse. Occasionally we will receive a lighthouse collectible as a gift that we have not visited. It then becomes our priority to visit that particular lighthouse.

Here is a list of our favorite lighthouse collectible shops.

1. The Lighthouse Depot - The world's largest lighthouse collectible store located in Wells, Maine. Although you can order through their catalog or online, you haven't seen a lighthouse collectible store until you have actually visited their physical location.

2. Lighthouse Gallery and Gifts - Located in Gallery Row between the main highway and the beach road of Nags Head, North Carolina, this collectible shop packs a lot of punch in its small space. The building looks like a Great Lakes or River Lighthouse, but without the light. The store occupies the first floor, while the owners live upstairs. Although it is small, you can find almost anything you could want in this neat little hideaway.

3. Top of the Lighthouse Shop - The shop is very small and very cramped because as the name implies, it is at the top of a lighthouse. The Top of the Lighthouse Shop is in the Harbour Town /Sea Pines Lighthouse on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. Like the previous shop, this store packs a lot of merchandise in a very tiny space. You may decide not to buy anything here, but at least you can say you have climbed to the top of a lighthouse.

4. Bodie Island Lighthouse Gift Shop - Another Outer Banks favorite. This shop is located in the old Lighouse keeper's quarters and is more inline with the National Park gift shops than lighthouse collectible stores. The gift shop does include a small museum type exhibit on one half allowing visitors a self-guided learning experience.

5. Portland Head Lighthouse Gift Shop - Located in Cape Elizabeth (Portland), Maine this gift shop was rather small considering how famous the Portland Head Lighthouse is. The shop is located to the left of the lighthouse and may be housed in an old supply building where wicks and oil were stored.

If you have a favorite Lighthouse gift and collectible shop, please let us know. We'll be sure to check it out when we are in the area.

Where it all started

Well, I have to apologize for missing this post on Tuesday. It seems while we were out of town this past weekend (sorry, no lighthouses viewed), our cat Socks decided to attack all the wires and cables connected to the computer. She completely destoryed the cable between the computer and printer and the cable for our internet access. So please accept my apologies for the lateness of this post.

I was inspired by one of my reader's posts on their blog, about where their love of lighthouses started and decided to post a similar story on my blog.

Although I can remember visiting lighthouses in Georgia and Florida when I was a kid, I can't really say I took much interest in them at the time. Mom and Dad always vacationed in Florida and we stopped to see the lighthouse in St. Augustine (pictured left) and Jupiter Inlet on the Atlantic coast. We also stopped to see Tybee Island in Savannah because my uncle lived on Tybee Island for a while. On the Gulf side of Florida, I remember stopping near Carabelle. I believe we saw the lighthouse at Crooked River and St. George Island. (The lighthouse at St. George Island collapsed into the Gulf in October 2005.)

It wasn't until much later, when I became an adult that I first realized my love of lighthouses. I remember visiting family and friends in South Haven, MI and visiting the lighthouse there. I am not sure what sparked my interest, but from there I went to see the light in St. Joseph / Benton Harbor, MI. Later I would visit the lighthouses in Michigan City, IN. With each lighthouse, my interest grew and I began buying books about lighthouses and their locations. A few summers later, I took a trip up the west coast of Michigan and saw every lighthouse from St. Joseph / Benton Harbor, to Point Betsie. I attempted to make it as far as the Grand Traverse Light, but for some reason which I now don't remember, turned back before reaching it. Of Michigan's west coast lighthouses, the one I remember the most was Big Sable Point. I remember this lighthouse most because after parking in Ludington State Park, you have to walk 1.5 miles over a sand dune trail to see the light. It was well worth the trip, but come prepared. Walking 1.5 miles isn't that bad, until it includes walking over sand dunes.

After that, the rest is history. I have now visited Lighthouses in 18 states and 2 Canadian provinces. Some day I hope to make it out to the Pacific Coast and Hawaii, but for now, I still have a lot to see on this side of the world.

Passport to the Coast

Yesterday while purging some items in preparation for our move later this summer, (Yes, we have accumulated a lot of junk in our eight years in Morgantown and I don't intend to pay for moving it.) I "found" my lighthouse passport. It was never really lost. I knew it was with our vacation brochures from last year's trip to Hilton Head Island, SC, I just happened to come across it again and it inspired me to write this post.

The United States Lighthouse Society has a Passport book, similar to the National Parks Passport Book, but smaller. The book has four spaces per page for lighthouse visitors to get a stamp of each lighthouse they visit. When the book is filled up, it can be mailed to the United States Lighthouse Society for a special gift. At last check, the gift was a patch that said "I've Seen the Light". THe completed passport is returned to the owner with the special gift.

To get a stamp, the United States Lighthouse Society asks that visitors make a $1.00 donation to the lighthouse before the lighthouse staff will stamp the passport. This helps staff maintain the lighthouses for others to enjoy.

Although the Passport is printed by the United States Lighthouse Society, non-member lighthouses may still stamp the passport. This happened to us at the Dunkirk Lighthouse in Dunkirk, NY. At the time, Dunkirk was a member of the American Lighthouse Foundation, a competing organization. Lighthouse keeper Dick Lawson stamped our passport while explaining the chief differences between the two organizations. He indicated at the time that Dunkirk would not be renewing its membership in either organization because he personally felt the competition between the two hindered the efforts of each organization to carry out its goals.

Anyway, the passport book can be purchased as USLS member lighthouses which have a gift shop. I believe we picked ours up at the Tybee Island Light in Savannah, GA. We have had it for about 5 years and hopefully will have the book filled up soon.

Looking Back: My Most Memorable Lighthouse Experience

My most memorable lighthouse experience came over Memorial Day weekend in 2001. I was at a low point in my life because of my divorce a year and a half earlier. I was trying to sell my house and move on, but I wasn't having much luck. My stress level had gotten to the point that I told my boss to take a hike (in more unpleasant terms) and lost my job. The only thing I had going for me was the support of my best friend Lori, whom I had known since high school some 15 years earlier. I decided to spend some time with Lori and we took a little weekend trip to Lake Erie in Pennsylvania. (Lori is originally from Pittsburgh.)


While we were in Erie, Pennsylvania, we saw three lighthouses. Presque Isle was the most interesting. It sits right on the beach, in Presque Isle State Park, but it is a private residence and not open to the public. At the time of our visit, it was also overgrown and not well cared for.

While sitting on the beach, Lori closed her eyes to enjoy the warmth of the sunshine. I began reading a poem I had written for Lori to thank her for her support and the many years of her friendship. When I finished reading the poem, I asked Lori to marry me.

My proposal took her completely off-guard, mostly because of the timing. She knew I was having a difficult time financially with selling my house and putting my divorce behind me. She didn't know that I had bought the ring before things got really tough and that I just hadn't found the right time to proposal. The experience became my most memorable when she said YES!(The poem was later printed in a book of poems we gave away as our wedding favors.)

What is a lighthouse?

With today's automated navigation aids, the definition of a lighthouse has blurred a bit. GPS Point of Interest (POI) files include several "lighthouses" that are not really lighthouses, but rather automated pier lights or navigation lights. (See my post dated November 18, 2008.) Even some of the older "lighthouses" fall into this distinction. For instance, would you consider the Calumet Harbor Light in Indiana to be a lighthouse? Calumet Harbor Light Photo. Would you want to spend all day driving around trying to find this "lighthouse" only to find out it can barely be called a structure, let alone a "lighthouse"? Sure it "houses" a light, but let's really stop and think about this for a moment.

Accroding to Merriam-Webster, a "lighthouse" is defined as "a structure with a powerful light for guiding sailors."(1) What kind of definition is that? A "lighthouse" was suppose to designate an actual residence that provided a home for the lighthouse keeper. The house and light did not have to be part of the same structure, but they had to be relatively close to each other. This makes even some skeleton tower lighthouses suspect to the definition of a "lighthouse".

For me, lights like Calumet Harbor, Indiana Harbor (Photo), and Bluffington Harbor (Photo) are hard to define as lighthouses. (Sorry, Indiana - I am not picking on you. You'll always be my home, no matter where I go).

So, for my readers, what actually does consitute a "lighthouse"? In your opinion, how would you define a "lighthouse"?

Notes:
1. Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Merriam-Webster: Springfield. 1997. p.430.

More Pictures

A Couple I forgot.



Price Creek Lighthouse ruins (2006) - Entrance to Price Creek near Southport, North Carolina
Destroyed during the Civil War and never rebuilt. Not accessible. Only viewable by taking the Southport-Fort Fisher Ferry.



Oak Island Lighthouse (2006) - Oak Island, North Carolina

The Economic Impact of Lighthouses

We all know that lighthouses were built to prevent shipwrecks and save lives, but few of us have stopped to realize the economic impact of a lighthouse. Today, the impact of a lighthouse is strictly tourism, but when lighthouses were first built, they impacted the local economy through construction and later through increased traffic. A study of the economic impact that lighthouses had on the colonial and early American cities is what I intend to research for my PhD dissertation in maritime history. I am sure after I get started, my topic will expand beyond lighthouses and probably focus more on port infrastructure, but we will see how that works out. I start graduate school in the fall and my PhD will take roughly 5 - 6 years. After that, my dissertation will be reworked and published as a book (as required by most universities to obtain tenure as a professor).

I am interested in hearing thoughts on this topic and whether it would be of interest to anyone outside of the discipline of history.

Pictures

Okay, here are SOME pictures of the lighthouses I have visited. I try to get the most interesting point of view with my shots. For instance, the Whaleback Light photograph was taking while standing in a battery (for cannon fire) at Fort Constitution in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. I also always try to get some sort of foliage in the picture to add interest. I have taken all of these pictures myself. Although some may look similar to pictures taken by others (Cape Neddick, Bass Harbor) it is because there are limited angles from which these lights can be photographed.



New London Light (2005) - New London, CT.
I am not 100% positive on the indentification of this lighthouse. It could be Avery Point. In either case, it sits on private property, but it sits right next to the road, so it is easily viewable.



East Tower of the Cape Elizabeth Light (2005) - Cape Elizabeth (Portland), ME
The West Tower has been deactivated. Picture was taken at dusk while dining at the Lobster Shack (a must if you are ever in the area - a Rachel Ray $40/day spot).



Cape Neddick Light (2005) - York, ME
One of Maine's most recognizable lighthouses. Sits on an island just off the mainland. This is really the only photo angle available unless you charter a boat.



Bass Harbor (2005) - Sits inside Acadia National Park in Maine
Closed to the public. Best viewed from the water. Photo angles are limited. This was taken after taking a short trail down to the rocky ledge and then going out on the rocks.



Pemaquid Point Lighthouse (2005) - Bristol, ME
Best known as the lighthouse on the back of the Maine quarter, this lighthouse is off the beaten path, but well worth the trip. I went inside the lighthouse, but did not climb it because it was fairly crowded and the lighthouse was not that large.



Cape Forchu (2005) - Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
The second foreign lighthouse I have visited. Foggy 90% of the time.



Whaleback Light (2005) - Kittery, ME
Actually viewed from Portsmouth, New Hampshire while standing in a battery at Fort Constitution.



Holland Harbor Lighthouse (approx. 1994) - Holland, MI
One of the first lighthouses I ever visited.



Portsmouth Light (2005) - Portsmouth, NH
New Hampshire only has a few miles of coast, but its enough for two lighthouses. Portsmouth Light sits on the grounds of Fort Constitution.



Niagara River Rear Range Light (2005) - Ontario, Canada between Niagara Falls and Niagara-On-The-Lake
A second identical (Front Range) light sits a few hundred yards away, but is 15 feet shorter. One of two foreign lighthouses I have visited.





Fairport Habor (2006) - Fairport, OH
I have a picture of the complete lighthouse, but because of the lighthouse's proximity to the street, it is not a very good picture. The picture captured the telephones lines and a stop sign.





Barcelona Light (2004) - Lake Erie Shore, NY between Dunkirk, NY and Erie, PA
Not one of the prettiest or one of my favorite, but it was still an interesting find.











Fort Niagara Light (2004) - Fort Niagara north of Buffalo and Niagara Falls, NY on the Niagara River
I have gone inside this lighthouse, but it was not open for climbing the day I went because of the wind.

Visiting Lighthouses

As 2009 begins to get underway, we have begun making plans to see which lighthouses we will visit this year. Since 2000, we have visited 81 lighthouses along the Atlantic Coast, Chesapeake Bay and Great Lakes region. Last year, to my dismay, we only visited one lighthouse - Leamington Rear Range Light on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. In 2007, we did not get to visit any new lighthouses as Lori was pregnant with our son James. So after two years of not visiting but one new lighthouse, we hope that 2009 will be a much better year.

We are currently planning a trip in April of May and hope to see several at that time. We haven't decided exactly where we will head off to, but after six years earning my BA degree in history, we deserve a little relaxation. Right now, we am considering either traveling to the South Carolina / Georgia Coast; Key West, Florida, or eastern Michigan. Eastern Michigan would allow us to visit more lighthouses than the others, but we are also looking to enjoy some warmer weather.

Of the lighthouses we have visited over the last 8 years, here are some of my favorites.

Presque Isle, Erie, Pennsylvania - Not open to the public, but it has an interesting character to it. It also holds a special place in my heart as the place I proposed to my wife Lori in 2001.

Cape Hatteras, Buxton, North Carolina - What list wouldn't be complete without including America's tallest lighthouse. Actually all of the lighthouses along the Outer Banks of North Carolina are really nice. We signed a petition at the Currituck Beach Lighthouse in 2002 to help a non-profit organization get ownership of the lighthouse. They finally succeeded in 2006 after a long court battle with Currituck County.

Chicago Harbor Light, Chicago, Illinois - There is just something about the atmosphere of Navy Pier in Chicago that makes this lighthouse special. It's unique structure is is interesting as well.

Seven Foot Knoll, Baltimore, Maryland - This is the first screwpile lighthouse We visited. Although it has been moved inland, the architecture and design are quite interesting.


Portland Head Light, Cape Elizabeth (Portland), Maine - Like the lighthouses of the Outer Banks in North Carolina, all of Maine's lighthouses are among my favorites. If you count the two towers of the Cape Elizabeth Light, Portland has six lighthouses.

Assateague Island, Chincoteague, Virginia - The red and white stripes of Assateague are unmistakeable. The lighthouse is not open to the public (or wasn't when we were there), but the National Seashore and Wildlife Refugeee are a wonderful place to spend a weekend. If your lucky, you will see the wild horses running along the shore.

I plan to post pictures of the lighthouses we have visited over the last eight years real soon. Hopefully, that will dress up this blog a bit and maybe get a few more followers.