Written by Celia Thaxter, the daughter of a lighthouse keeper, this poem reflects on the challenges and triumphs of a keeper and his family in a remote location.
We’ll share historical details about American keepers and their families next week, but for today, enjoy a poetic piece. Continue reading
We’ve spent the last few weeks talking about lighthouses along the U.S. coasts – New England, Middle Atlantic, Southern and Gulf, West, and Great Lakes. While we talked about architecture features, we didn’t focus on the absolute most important part of a lighthouse. In fact, take this factor away and you’d just have a building, just a house.
I’m talking about light. What produced the light and sent warning beams blazing into the darkness to warn or guide passing ships? That is today’s topic. Continue reading
Where are the majority of lighthouses located in the United States? What region? It’s surprising to many people that the majority of American lighthouses were built along the shores of the Great Lakes.
Today’s blog post explores the lakes, commerce, lake lighthouse design, a few iconic structures, and leaves you with a story to remember. Continue reading
Lighthouses might not be the first thing you think of when talking about California, Oregon, Washington, or Alaska, but the west coast of the U.S.A. has some beautiful, historic lighthouses. The story of their construction and service is linked to the territory and early statehood days of these coastal states, the maritime history, and the Lighthouse Board.
Today, we’ll take an overview glance at the lighthouses in this region and their unique piece in maritime and national history.
Continuing our “journey” along the American coastlines, we’ve reached the Southern and Gulf Coasts. If you imagine lighthouses with tall towers reaching high toward the clouds, you’re probably remembering these aids to navigation found in tonight’s focus region.
With coastline and necessity dictating the style of the lighthouses and history leaving its mark, lighthouses along the Southern and Gulf Coasts are memorable structures, former homes, and aids to navigation. Continue reading
We’re continuing our overview journey and looking at different types of lighthouse styles found along different regions of the American coastlines. Last week we discussed New England, and today we’ll journey a little farther south and explore some of the lighthouses in the Middle Atlantic region.
There are beautiful “traditional” lighthouses in this area and also some unique screw-pile lighthouses, designed to withstand weather and ice. Read on to learn more about the regional challenges and a memorable story about lightkeeping in the Middle Atlantic region.
Gazette665 