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.

Lighthouse Trivia

Since I missed posting for several weeks, I feel I owe everyone a few extra posts. Today, I will test your knowledge of lighthouses with a little trivia. Most lighthouse enthusiasts will find this quiz to be fairly easy, but let's give it a try. Answers follow at the end of this post, so don't peek.

1. Who personally selected the site for the lighthouse at Montauk Point on Long Island?
2. Which state has more lighthouses than any other in the United States?
3. What object served as the first fog signal installed on a United States lighthouse at Little Brewsters Island?
4. What was the first Pacific coast lighthouse in the United States?
5. What is the oldest active lighthouse in America?
6. What is the newest lighthouse in the United States?
7. In 1929, the lighthouse in Vermilion, Ohio was dismantled and unbeknownst to the town's residents, rebuilt where?
8. What was the name given to lighthouse keepers in the days before electricity?
9. Who created the Argand Lamp system, a predecessor to the Fresnel Lens?
10. What was the first U.S. Lighthouse to use electricity?


1. George Washington while he was serving as Commander of the Continental Army thought the location of Montauk Point would make a good site for a lighthouse. As President, he signed the legislation establishing the Montauk Point Lighthouse.
2. Michigan
3. A cannon was installed as a fog signal in 1719.
4. Alcatraz Light in 1854
5. Sandy Hook, NJ was lit for the first time in 1764.
6. Sullivan's Island Lighthouse in Charleston, SC was completed in 1962.
7. The entrance to the St. Lawrence River seaway in New York. The lighthouse is now known as the East Charity Shoals Light.
8. Wickies
9. Aime Argand, a Swiss physicist
10. The Statue of Liberty

New Jersey Light to Celebrate 150th year

Well, I have to apologize for not keeping up on this blog. With finals, graduation and the holidays, I just couldn't find the time to write about the current happenings with lighthouses. But all of that is behind me now, so I hope to rededicate myself to this blog once a week as promised in my welcome messsage.

I am happy to report that my blog has picked up its first follower - christyzee. Thank you Christy. I hope that you enjoy following this blog as much as I enjoy writing it.

For this week's story, I would like to highlight the upcoming 150th anniversary of the lighting of the Barnegat Lighthouse in New Jeresy. Barnegat was first lit on January 1, 1859. It was designed by Lt. George G. Meade (the same General George Meade of the Union Army won fought victoriously at the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863 during the Civil War) three years prior to its lighting. The sixteen story, 162 foot lighthouse has 217 steps and is commonly known to local residents as "Ol' Barney". 675,000 bricks were used in the construction of the lighthouse. Ol' Barney's light flashed once every 10 seconds.

In 1927, Barnegat was decommissioned as a lighthouse and the Barnegat Lightship installed to replace it. The lighthouse was turned over to the state and now resides in Barnegat Lighthouse State Park.

What will make the 150th anniversary of the Barnegat Lighthouse's inaugural lighting is that local residents have recently completed the installation of a new light and new windows. On January 1, 2009, Ol' Barney will be relit. Refurbishing the lighthouse with new windows and a new light came at a cost of more than $35,000. Money for the project has been raised by local non-profit organizations.

More information on the community's resotration efforts can be found in the December 19, 2008 edition of the New York Times. The story, Refurbished Barnegat Lighthouse to Shine Out Once Again was written by Coleen Dee Berry.