20070531

Rumelihisarı

"istanbul
rumelihisarı ve boğaz köprüsü ve deniz keyfi yapanlar" by Şafo

"ışığımsın"

by Şafo
"Mavi ile Çınar'ın feneri"

Deniz feneri (Alıntı)


Deniz feneri (Alıntı)
Originally uploaded by interpreter.
Sen istinyede bekle ben burdayım
İçimde köpek gibi havlayan yalnızlığım
Çünkü ben buradayım karanlıktayım
Belki gelmem gelemem beş dakika bekle git
Çünkü elimi kestim beni kan tutuyor
Şarabım bütün ekşi suyum soğuk
Yanımda olmadın mı seni daha bir çok seviyorum
Belki gelmem gelemem beş dakika bekle git
Yüzünü ıslatmadan ağlayabilir misin
Yarı geceden sonra telefon ettin mi hiç
Karanlık adamlar hüvviyetini sordu mu
Ben senin olmadığını arıyorum
Belki gelmem gelemem beş dakika bekle git
Bana ait ne varsa hepsi seni korkutuyor
sana ait ne varsa
Hiçbiri benim değil
Belki ölmek hakkımı kullanıyorum
Belki gelmem gelemem beş dakika bekle git
...

Deniz Feneri


Deniz Feneri
Originally uploaded by interpreter.
"Yitirmiş tılsımını ilk sevmelerin,
Yitirmiş öpücükleri,
Payı yok, apansız inen akşamdan,
Bir kadeh, bir cigara, dalıp gidene,
Seni anlatabilsem seni...
Yokluğun, Cehennemin öbür adıdır
Üşüyorum, kapama gözlerini..."

Cannes2005


Cannes2005
Originally uploaded by sam_samantha.
Here's a picture I took of Cannes last summer with my point and shoot camera. I was on a boat heading out to Isle of Sainte-Marguerite to see Fort Royal where The Man Behind the Iron Mask was held captive.

Bandırma feneri


Bandırma feneri
Originally uploaded by hasoguz.
Mendirek

20070529

Faro di Capo Testa


Faro di Capo Testa
Originally uploaded by simply lory.
Gallura - Sardegna

20070525

Karaburun (Sarpıncık) Feneri

Fener / Sinyal Adı : KARABURUN (SARPINCIK) FENERİ
Kuruluş Tarihi : 10.01.1938
Bölge : Ege
İl : İzmir
İlçe : Karaburun
Yer : ADANIN BURNU ÜZERİNDE
Karakter : W.FI. (4) 20.0sn
Karakter Açıklama : 3 (0.5+2.0)+0.5+12.0
Görünme Mesafesi : 12
Yükseklik : 13
Denizden Yükseklik : 97
Fener Tipi : TIDELAND ML 300mm
Fener Sistemi : ÇAKAR
Flasher Tipi : TIDELAND TF- 3B
Ampul Cinsi : 36 WATT
Ampul Tipi : 12 VOLT HALOJEN
Şamandıra Tipi :
Enerji : GÜNEŞ ENERJİLİ
Kuzey : 38 39 54N
Doğu : 26 21 42E

Amasra Feneri

Fener / Sinyal Adı : AMASRA FENERİ
Kuruluş Tarihi : 01.01.1863
Bölge : Karadeniz
İl : Kastamonu
İlçe : Amasra
Yer : YARIMADANIN TEPESİNDE
Karakter : WFL.10.0Sn
Karakter Açıklama : 1.0+9.0
Görünme Mesafesi : 20
Yükseklik : 3.5
Denizden Yükseklik : 77
Fener Tipi : AGA 375mm
Fener Sistemi : ÇAKAR
Flasher Tipi :
Ampul Cinsi : 220V / 300W
Ampul Tipi : SÜNGÜLÜ AVRUPA
Şamandıra Tipi :
Enerji : DEVVAR ELEKTRİK
Kuzey : 41 45 48N
Doğu : 32 23 00E

Champlain Memorial Lighthouse

The Champlain Memorial Lighthouse rises from a small point of land just south of the Champlain Bridge. In July of 1609, Champlain and two of his men were guided down Lake Champlain from the north by Algonquin Indians from the St. Lawrence River region to help battle their enemies. The Iroquois. A battle took place (perhaps on or near the present-day site of the lighthouse); the firearms of the Frenchmen proved decisive and the Algonquins returned north in triumph. Thus Champlain was the first European to record seeing the lake which he named for himself.


The construction of the lighthouse memorial was a joint effort of the States of New York and Vermont (two small memorials flanking the lighthouse are inscribed with the names of the members of the tow commissioners) as part of the 300th anniversary celebration of Champlain’s “discovery” of the lake. Many sites on Lake Champlain – including Cumberland Head, Plattsburgh, Isle La Motte, Bluff Point, Split Rock, Rock Dunder, Ticonderoga, Mount Defiance, and Juniper Island- were considered for the memorial before the two commissions finally agreed on Crown Point.

Incorporating the memorial with a lighthouse seemed a fitting way to commemorate an explorer and navigator of Champlain’s stature. The architectural style chosen was popular during Champlain’s time and reflects the style employed in parts of royal hunting lodges in France, such as Fontainebleau. The 1946 edition of the WPA’s A Guide to the Empire State, describes the light house as follows: “The memorial is classical and French Renaissance in style, with heavy stone Roman Doric columns, entablature, ornamental frieze and setbacks.”

The outer stone is Fox Island granite from Maine. The statue of Champlain, flanked by a Native American and a French Voyageur, was sculpted by American Carl Auguste Heber (1875-1956). Champlain stands in the center above the prow of a canoe which appears to be filled with furs or other goods. Champlain and the soldier are fully uniformed and the soldier wears a helmet. The soldier crouches to his proper left.

Below the figures is the bust “LaFrance”, an exquisite bronze bust sculpted by the famous Frenchman, Auguste Rodin and spontaneously presented by athe French government in May 1912. Rodin created this bronze cast from his 1904 plaster statue “France”. The following was taken from an excerpt of Congressman John Lindsay’s address at the 1959 rededication ceremonies, “Rodin’s ‘LaFrance’ was the spontaneous gift of the French people to American on the celebration fifty years ago of the 300th anniversary of Champlain’s discovery. It is a magnificent creation, done in bronze and permanently set in the base of the monument, facing the water. This monument, therefore, is a noble testimony to the friendship of tow great nations and their abiding respect for enduring traditions. When it was dedicated May 3, 1912, the president of the French delegation remarked in two short sentences: ‘The United States is raising a monument to a Frenchman, and France sends you, through us, her tribute of gratitude. Once more, the two great democracies are thinking and acting in unison.”

On each side of the monument are three coats of arms: on the southeast, starting from the lakeside, New France (Canada at the time of the French occupation), Vermont and France at the time of Louis XIII; on the northwest, the United States, New York, and Brouage, France, Champlain’s birthplace.

The interior brick, cylindrical shaft, holding the spiral staircase, is a remnant of an earlier limestone lighthouse (as is part of the foundation). This shaft is approximately a foot out of plumb, which complicated the 1912 construction. The original lighthouse was torn down in 1926 when the lighthouse was decommissioned.

The lighthouse was taken out of active service in 1926 and deeded to the State of New York. Today it is part of the Crown Point Reservation Campground and is open to the public.

The Site

The site of the Champlain Memorial Lighthouse has a rich historic past. It was originally occupied by a windmill built by the French in about 1737 during the construction of Fort St. Frederic. The windmill ground grain for the fort garrison and the inhabitants of the nearby village and served as an outer defensive structure. The French blew it up, along with the fort, in 1759 as they relinquished the area to the English.

In late 1759, when the British decided to build Fort Crown Point as their primary defensive fortification on Lake Champlain, the lighthouse site was chosen of one of the outer forts, the Grenadier Redoubt. A part of the redoubt in the form of the ditch just south of the lighthouse, remains today.





Gelibolu Feneri

Fener / Sinyal Adı : GELİBOLU FENERİ
Kuruluş Tarihi : 01.01.1856
Bölge : Çanakkale Boğazı
İl : Çanakkale
İlçe : Gelibolu
Yer : ŞEHRİN DOĞU YAKASINDA
Karakter : W. FI. 5.0sn
Karakter Açıklama : 0.5+4.5
Görünme Mesafesi : 15 MİL
Yükseklik : 9
Denizden Yükseklik : 34
Fener Tipi : AGA LBUA 375mm
Fener Sistemi : DEVVAR
Flasher Tipi :
Ampul Cinsi : 500 WATT
Ampul Tipi : 220 VOLT
Şamandıra Tipi :
Enerji : ELEKTRİKLİ
Kuzey : 40 24 42N
Doğu : 26 40 54E

Fenerbaçe Feneri

Fener / Sinyal Adı : FENERBAHÇE FENERİ
Kuruluş Tarihi : 01.01.1856
Bölge : Marmara
İl : İstanbul
İlçe : Kadıköy
Yer : BURUN ÜZERİNDE
Karakter : W. Fl. (2) 12 Sn.
Karakter Açıklama : 1,5 + 2,0 + 1,5 + 7,0
Görünme Mesafesi : 15
Yükseklik : 20
Denizden Yükseklik : 25
Fener Tipi : Billur 500mm.
Fener Sistemi : ÇAKAR
Flasher Tipi : KMBD 130
Ampul Cinsi : 500 W.
Ampul Tipi : 220 V.
Şamandıra Tipi :
Enerji : Elektrik asetilen
Kuzey : 40 58 08N
Doğu : 29 01 57E

Fener Adası (2) Feneri


Fener / Sinyal Adı:FENER ADASI FENERİ
Kuruluş Tarihi:01.01.1910
Bölge:Marmara
İl:Balıkesir
İlçe:Bandırma
Yer:FENER ADASININ BATI KUZEYİNİN 10 MT GERİSİNDE.
Karakter:W. Fl. 5.0 Sn.
Karakter Açıklama:0,5+4,5
Görünme Mesafesi:10 MİL
Yükseklik:12 Mt.
Denizden Yükseklik:43 Mt.
Fener Tipi:TIDELAND ML 300 mm.
Fener Sistemi:ÇAKAR
Flasher Tipi:TIDELAND TF-3B
Ampul Cinsi:36 W.
Ampul Tipi:12 V.
Şamandıra Tipi:
Enerji:GÜNEŞ ENERJİLİ
Kuzey:40 27 42N
Doğu:28 04 12E

Salıpazarı Feneri

Fener / Sinyal Adı : SALIPAZARI FENERİ
Kuruluş Tarihi : 26.04.1982
Bölge : İstanbul Boğazı
İl : İstanbul
İlçe : Beşiktaş
Yer : SALIPAZARINDA
Karakter : G Fl. (3) 10,0 Sn.
Karakter Açıklama : 1,0+1,5+1,0+1,5+1,0+4,0
Görünme Mesafesi : 10 mil
Yükseklik : 10 mt
Denizden Yükseklik : 13 mt
Fener Tipi : TIDELAND ML 300 mm.
Fener Sistemi : ÇAKAR
Flasher Tipi : ENİMAK
Ampul Cinsi : 40 W.
Ampul Tipi : 24 V. RADIUM MARINE P 28
Şamandıra Tipi :
Enerji : ELEKTRİK - AKÜLÜ
Kuzey : 41 01 47 N
Doğu : 28 59 21 E

MARMARA EREĞLİSİ SIĞLIK FENERİ

Fener / Sinyal Adı : MARMARA EREĞLİSİ SIĞLIK FENERİ
Kuruluş Tarihi : 01.01.1953
Bölge : Marmara
İl : Tekirdağ
İlçe : Merkez
Yer : DÖKÜNTÜ UCUNDA
Karakter : W. Fl. (3) 10.0 Sn.
Karakter Açıklama : 0.3+0.7+0.3+0.7+0.3+7.7
Görünme Mesafesi : 8 MİL
Yükseklik : 6 Mt.
Denizden Yükseklik : 6 Mt.
Fener Tipi : LA MAQUNISTA BDA 305 mm
Fener Sistemi : ÇAKAR
Flasher Tipi : DES 33
Ampul Cinsi : 35 W.
Ampul Tipi : 12 V. Halojen
Şamandıra Tipi :
Enerji : GÜNEŞ ENERJİLİ
Kuzey : 40 58 06 N
Doğu : 27 58 36 E

MOLA BANKI IŞIKLI ŞAMANDIRA FENERİ

Fener / Sinyal Adı : MOLA BANKI IŞIKLI ŞAMANDIRA FENERİ
Kuruluş Tarihi : 14.09.2004
Bölge : Marmara
İl : Marmara Denizi
İlçe : Bandırma
Yer : BANDIRMA MOLA BANKI ÜZERİNDE
Karakter : W.Q.(6)Fl 15 SN
Karakter Açıklama : 6.(0.35+0.65)+1.05+7.95
Görünme Mesafesi : 5 MİL
Yükseklik : 4
Denizden Yükseklik : 4
Fener Tipi : PİNTSCH-BAMAG 155MM
Fener Sistemi : ÇAKAR
Flasher Tipi : TİDELAND OMNİBUS II TF -3B
Ampul Cinsi : 20 WAAT
Ampul Tipi : 12 VOLT HALOJEN
Şamandıra Tipi : 1.60 CM
Enerji : GÜNEŞENERJİLİ
Kuzey : 40 26 23 N
Doğu : 28 06 28 E

Ahırkapı Feneri

Fener / Sinyal Adı : AHIRKAPI FENERİ
Kuruluş Tarihi : 01.01.1857
Bölge : İstanbul Boğazı
İl : İstanbul
İlçe : Eminönü
Yer : RIHTIM ÜZERİNDE
Karakter : W. Fl. 6.0 Sn.
Karakter Açıklama : 0,5 + 5,5
Görünme Mesafesi : 16
Yükseklik : 26
Denizden Yükseklik : 36
Fener Tipi : BBT 500 mm.
Fener Sistemi : DEVVAR
Flasher Tipi : BBT
Ampul Cinsi : 1500 W.
Ampul Tipi : 220 V. SÜNGÜLÜ
Şamandıra Tipi :
Enerji : ELEKTRİK
Kuzey : 41 00 25
Doğu : 28 59 10

D e n i z F e n e r l e r i - SihirliTUR

Haluk Özözlü'den Deniz Fenerleri

Lighthouse Friends

Cape St. George, FL

Description: In the 1830s, Apalachicola was Florida’s largest port, and cotton was the reason why. From the city, the Apalachicola river winds inland for over three hundred miles to Columbus, Georgia. Some fifteen steamboats once plied the river, transporting the fluffy white gold grown in eastern Alabama and western Georgia to the Gulf. Once it reached Apalachicola, the cotton was compressed into bales and then lightered across shallow Apalachicola Bay to West Pass, located between St. Vincent and St. George Islands. The cotton bales were then transferred to three-masted ships, which transported the crop to mills located in New England and Europe. In 1836, 50,000 bales were shipped from Apalachicola, which by that time was the third largest cotton port on the Gulf Coast, behind New Orleans and Mobile.

A lighthouse was obviously needed to mark Apalachicola Bay, and the efforts of the Florida Territorial Legislature to obtain one were awarded with an $11,800 Congressional appropriation in 1831. A site was selected on the extreme west end of St. George Island to mark West Pass, the main entrance to Apalachicola Bay. Constructed in 1833 under the guidance of Winslow Lewis, the lighthouse stood 75-feet-tall and exhibited eleven lamps.

St. George Island was shaped something like a giant check mark. From West Pass, the island extended southeast almost four miles before it reached its southernmost point, from where it bent northeast for twenty-five miles. It was soon noted that as vessels approached from the east, they would encounter the southern extreme of the island, before they could see the light on its west end. To remedy this situation, a local, Edward Bowden, was awarded a contract to build a new lighthouse at the southern extreme of the island.

The contract actually covered the construction of a lighthouse on Cape San Blas as well. The Cape San Blas Lighthouse was to be built using material from the discontinued St. Joseph Point Lighthouse, and Bowden was instructed to cannibalize the 1833 lighthouse on the western end of St. George Island to build the new Cape St. George Lighthouse. Keeper Francis Lee first lit the lamps in St. George’s second tower on November 16, 1848. The lighthouse didn’t survive even three years, as it was flattened in August of 1851 by a powerful gale that also toppled Bowden’s tower at Cape San Blas, along with a lighthouse on Dog Island.

Click to view enlarged image A new contract was awarded on December 10, 1851 to Emerson and Adams to build a replacement. The site for the island’s third lighthouse was 250 yards inland from the previous site. Instead of building directly on the sand, a ring of pine pilings driven into the sand served as a foundation for the tower. Material salvaged from the destroyed lighthouse was used during the construction of the new station.

Following the outbreak of the Civil War, the lens and other valuables were removed from the station by order of the Confederate superintendent of lights. Keeper Braddock Williams was retained as keeper, until it became obvious that the conflict would prevent him from performing his duties for quite some time. The lighthouse survived the war in remarkable shape, and was quickly returned to service after peace returned to the area. A new keeper, James Reilly, reactivated the light on August 1, 1865. Keeper Williams was given responsibility for the light at Cape San Blas, but he would return to St. George and serve as an assistant under his son Arad. Tragically, in 1875, the younger Williams suffered a fall while painting the lighthouse and died four hours later.

In 1888, a “dark angle”, found in the tower’s lens and attributed to damage it received during the war, led to the installation of a new lens. Over the next several decades, the lighthouse withstood numerous storms and required only routine repairs. Perhaps surprisingly, the lighthouse witnessed action during a second deadly conflict: World War II. Part of St. George Island, along with Dog Island and a large area on the mainland, was used to train troops for the eventual invasion of Europe. A lookout tower was also built just west of the lighthouse to spot enemy activity offshore.

In the mid 1900’s, the St. George Lighthouse had separate dwellings for the keeper and his assistant, but the assistant’s dwelling was lost to fire in the 1940’s. The station was automated in 1949, leaving the keeper’s dwelling vacant.

The Army Corps of Engineers dug a channel, known as Bob Sikes Cut, through St. George Island in 1954 to provide ships a direct route between Apalachicola and the Gulf. The smaller of the two islands formed by the cut was named Little St. George Island or Cape St. George, while the larger island retained the name of St. George Island. The lighthouse is located on Cape St. George. In 1965, a bridge and causeway was constructed to connect St. George Island to the mainland. The state of Florida purchased Cape St. George in 1977, and created the Cape St. George Preserve.

Click to view enlarged imageBarrier islands tend to migrate, losing sand in some areas while gaining it in others. The 1852 lighthouse originally stood over 500 yards from the Gulf, but by 1990 the beach erosion on the Gulf side of the island threatened the lighthouse. Hurricane Andrew removed most of the remaining buffer zone in 1992. The Coast Guard, realizing that the lighthouse might be lost, deactivated the light in 1994. The St. George Island Yacht Club, a tax-exempt, charitable organization without yachts or a club, attempted to halt the decommissioning of the light. When that failed, the group tried to raise money to keep the light operating. Local fishermen and shrimpers supported the effort, but the project was unsuccessful.

Before the beach could build back up following Hurricane Andrew, Hurricane Opal struck in 1995. The resulting tidal surge swept around the lighthouse, forcing it off its piling foundation. As the lighthouse settled into the sand, the circular staircase was torn from the interior walls, and the tower developed a pronounced lean. The oil house and keeper’s dwelling were also heavily damaged by the storm, however, the dwelling apparently had suffered significant damage already at the hands of a group of Coast Guardsmen who found it made good firewood.

Many thought the lighthouse was certainly lost, but a local campaign called “Save the Light” was started by the Apalachicola Times. The Cape St George Lighthouse Society was soon formed, and over the next couple of years the group managed to raise over $250,000. In June of 1999, contractor Bill Grimes, hired by the association, arrived on the island to save the lighthouse. Armed with a backhoe, Grimes took a low-tech approach towards saving the tower. He slowly excavated sand from beneath one side of the tower, and after many days the lighthouse started to settle back to vertical. With the tower level, several drillings were made through the four-foot thick walls at the base of the tower. A ring of corrugated metal was then formed around the bottom of the tower, and a 10-foot base of cement was poured in the mold. The concrete flowed through the cutouts made in the base of the tower, securing the lighthouse to the cement block. The hollow tower now stands securely anchored in its own cement island, permitting it to remain upright, even as water occasionally encircles the tower.

In 2000, the Cape St. George Lighthouse Society was dissolved, leaving the lighthouse without an active caretaker until a new group, the St. George Lighthouse Association, was formed on December 6, 2004. The lighthouse now stands in shallow water, and the concrete foundation that was attached to the base of the lighthouse has started to succumb to the constant wave action. The new organization has plans to move the tower inland before it is lost in the surf.

Hurricane Dennis struck the Florida Panhandle on July 10, 2005 as a Category 3 hurricane. As the storm was compact and fast-moving, damage was less than had been predicted. Cape St. George Lighthouse, located roughly 100 miles from where Dennis made landfall, survived the storm intact as shown in this photograph taken on July 11 by Debbie Hooper from Port St. Joe, Florida. 2005 was a record year for hurricanes, but as no other hurricanes came close to the Cape St. George Lighthouse, it seemed the tower would survive another hurricane season. However, on October 21, years of stress on the leaning tower apparently became too much, as the lighthouse toppled into the gulf at 11:45 a.m. This dramatic photograph, taken the following morning by Debbie Hooper, shows the partially submerged tower.

The St. George Lighthouse Association quickly launched an effort to salvage the remains of the lighthouse. Roughly six months after the tower toppled, excavation equipment was used to recover the pieces of the lighthouse and load them on a barge so they could be transported to Eastpoint, where a local radio station had provided a storage area. Volunteers have since spent numerous hours cleaning the recovered bricks so they can eventually be used to reconstruct the lighthouse. On December 1, 2006, a replica of the Cape St. George Lighthouse's lantern was completed atop a custom-made platform in the County Park on St. George Island. The current plan is to rebuild the masonry lighthouse on a nearby site and top it off with the new lantern room. Funds for the move and rebuilding are being generated through fund raisers and matching grants from the State of Florida.

References

  1. Lighthouses, Lightships, and the Gulf of Mexico, Cipra, 1997.
  2. "Shoreline Stand", Kevin Begos, News Herald, July 4, 1999.

Location: Located on Little Saint George Island, approximately nine miles south of Apalachicola.
Latitude: 29.5878
Longitude: -85.04685

by James Ellsworth

Southern Lighthouse



"Southern Lighthouse"

Biloxi Lighthouse with a magnolia for magnolila lovers. The magnolia tree on the lawn of the Danzler House is probably gone now, along with the house.

Why Preserve Lighthouses?

Why Preserve Lighthouses?

Figure 1. Drum Point Lighthouse at Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons, Maryland.

What is a Lighthouse?

There is no standard definition of a "lighthouse." Webster's dictionary defines lighthouse as "a tower or other lofty structure with a powerful light at the top, erected at some place important or dangerous to navigation to serve as a guide or warning to ships at night."1 Samuel Johnson, author of the first modern dictionary in the English language, in 1755, defined a lighthouse as "a high building at the top of which lights are hung to guide ships at sea." Lighthouses, however, are not restricted to guiding ships at sea, but are located on any body of water where vessels are assisted by their presence. The U.S. Lighthouse Service in 1915 regarded lighthouses as "lights where resident keepers were employed."2

Today, under this last definition, very few lights would be classified as lighthouses: all but one are automated and do not require keepers. A lighted buoy, while an aid to navigation, is not considered a lighthouse, whereas all lighthouses serve or once served as aids to navigation. The U.S. Coast Guard maintains about 50,000 aids to navigation but less than 500 lighthouses (the official Coast Guard count as of July 1992 was 481;3 the Initiative's light station database reported 425 Coast Guard-owned light stations in September 1996).

"Lighthouse" and "light" are often used synonymously, but in fact have distinct meanings. Lighthouses are structures or towers which were built in strategic locations to contain and elevate lights. Lights are the aid-to-navigation signals which mariners use for navigation. "Light station" refers not only to the lighthouse but to all the buildings at the installation supporting the lighthouse including keeper's quarters, oil house, fog signal building, cisterns, boathouse, workshop, etc.

Counting the number of lighthouses in the United States depends not only on the definition used, but also whether one station has more than one light tower. For example, Three Sisters Lights, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, consists of three separate towers. Cape Henry Light Station, Virginia consists of an inactive older tower and a newer operational tower. The Cape Charles Lighthouse, Virginia, consisted of three towers built in different locations at different times; the first tower is now completely washed away, the second tower is in ruins in the surf, and the third tower is still operational. The National Park Service's 1994 Inventory of Historic Light Stations contains 611 existing historic light stations encompassing 631 existing historic light towers. An appendix includes 190 sites or ruins in a preliminary listing of former stations.4

Lighthouses and Our National Heritage

Nothing indicates the liberality, prosperity or intelligence of a nation more clearly than the facilities which it affords for the safe approach of the mariner to its shores.

-Report of the Lighthouse Board, 1868

Lighthouses have been a part of our nation from its inception. In 1789, after adopting the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, the First Congress of the United States created the Lighthouse Establishment (in the ninth law passed) to take over the operation of the 12 colonial lighthouses, (including Boston Harbor Lighthouse built in 1716, the first lighthouse established in what today is the United States), as well as to oversee the construction and operation of new lighthouses. The first public works project in the United States was the building of Cape Henry Lighthouse, lighted in 1792. President George Washington took a personal interest in the Cape Henry Lighthouse, approving the construction contracts and the appointment of its first keeper. Similarly, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson attended to similar lighthouse duties during their presidencies. The First Congress placed responsibility for aids to navigation within the Treasury Department, where Alexander Hamilton personally administered them for several years. The high level of attention given to lighthouses by the newly created nation was tied directly to its need for commerce and its desire to compete with other world powers. Lighthouses helped to instill confidence in ship captains as well as foreign governments, symbolically implying that the United States was a responsible world power worthy of due recognition. Today the United States has the largest number of lighthouses as well as the most architecturally diverse, of any country in the world. 5

Rock Harbor Light Station

Figure 2. Rock Harbor Light Station on Isle Royale, Michigan, is one of 409 light stations listed in the National Register of Historic Places up through 1996.

By preserving light stations, we preserve for everyone a symbol of that chapter in American history when maritime traffic was the lifeblood of the nation, tying isolated coastal towns and headlands through trade to distant ports of the world.6 Historic and cultural resources represent our nation's patrimony. The federal government has been turning over many lighthouses by lease, license, or sale to federally recognized non-profit organizations whose mission, at least in part, is to preserve the lighthouse. As stewards for their lighthouses, these organizations have certain responsibilities for proper maintenance and preservation and are expected to carry out these duties for the benefit of citizens both at local and national levels. The continued use and appreciation of these historic light stations is not merely in the interest of historic preservation groups but of the public at large. Each lighthouse is unique in the context of its geographic location, architectural style, and history. Even lighthouses which were sold by the government into private hands will benefit by good stewardship if for no other reason than to maintain their resale value. Where the historic integrity of the light station remains intact, the visitor can experience an important aspect of our maritime heritage.

Sandy Hook Light Station

Figure 3. Sandy Hook Light Station, Highlands, New Jersey, is the oldest operating lighthouse in the U.S., making it significant for its role in American history.

What Makes a Lighthouse "Historic?"

The National Register of Historic Places is considered the "official list of the Nation's cultural resources worthy of preservation." Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act, the National Register is maintained by the Department of Interior's National Park Service. It is currently a listing of over 60,000 properties that have been nominated and accepted as having historic, architectural, archeological, engineering, or cultural significance, at the national, state, or local level. The nominations are maintained both on paper and in a computerized database. Nearly 70 percent of all lighthouses in the United States over 50 years old are either listed in the National Register or are determined eligible for listing, and the number is climbing as additional lighthouses are added to the list.

Identifying Historic Properties

Not all light stations are necessarily historic nor do all warrant preservation. But how does one determine historic significance of light station properties? How can one be certain that a light station or portion of a light station (only one or more structures of a light station versus the entire light station) warrant preservation? Perhaps the best method for determination is using the criteria established by the federal government for inclusion of historic properties in the National Register of Historic Places.

These criteria include:

  • significance of a property in American history
  • significance of a property in American architecture
  • significance of a property in American archeology
  • significance of a property in American engineering
  • significance of a property in American culture

The National Register nomination process uses the following criteria to determine the historic significance of sites, buildings, structures, and objects:

a) association with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad pattern of our history; or

b) association with the lives of persons significant in our past; or

c) embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or that represent the work of a master, or that possess high artistic values, or that represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction; or

d) have yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history.

Besides meeting one or more of the National Register criteria, a property generally must also be at least 50 years old (exceptions are possible), and have integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association in order to be eligible for inclusion in the National Register. This means, in effect, that if a property has been seriously compromised by unsympathetic alterations, it may not be eligible for the National Register. Your State Historic Preservation Officer (see Part VI., Resources for listing) can assist you in determining whether your property is historically significant and whether or not it may qualify for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

Examples of light stations which meet one or more of the National Register criteria:

  • Cape Henry (first tower) Lighthouse, Virginia, first lighthouse built by United States Government and first public works project is significant for its role in American history.
  • Thomas Point Shoals Light Station, Maryland, built in 1875, is the last largely unaltered spider-foundation cottage-type screwpile lighthouse in the United States. As such, it is significant for American architecture and engineering.
  • Minots Ledge Light Station, Massachusetts, built in 1860, was the first, and most exposed wave-swept lighthouse built in the United States and is considered one of the top ten engineering feats of the U.S. Lighthouse Service. It is also significant for American engineering.
  • Sandy Hook Lighthouse, New Jersey, built in 1764, is oldest extant lighthouse in United States. As such, it is a significant property in American history.
  • Pooles Island Light Station fog-signal building, Maryland, built in 1825, now demolished with its foundation ruins eroding from the banks of the island, was the site of one of the earliest mechanized fog signal stations in the United States. It is a significant property in American archeology.

Benefits of Listing in the National Register of Historic Places

A federally owned lighthouse or any associated structures such as keeper's quarters, fog signal building, oil house, etc., which are listed or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, cannot be altered, neglected, or demolished without the federal agency going through the Section 106 process discussed later in this section.

For profit-making organizations, certain tax credits are available to the owner for restoration costs. For non-profit historical societies and preservation groups, listing on the National Register can provide the following benefits;

  • distinguishing the property as having historical significance recognized by the United States Government;
  • providing leverage for assisting the owner in raising preservation and maintenance funds directly related to the lighthouse and light station associated buildings; and
  • making the project eligible for matching federal historic preservation funds passed through each state. These funds are made available through a competitive grant application process and have certain conditions. Check with your State Historic Preservation Office for more information (see Part VI for listing of SHPOs).

Federal agencies, through compliance with federal historic preservation requirements, play a leadership role in preserving our nation's light stations. Most light stations are still under federal control, whether through the U.S. Coast Guard, Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, or Department of Defense.

Federal Agency Responsibilities: The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966

In order to preserve our nation's heritage, a number of laws have been passed at the federal, state, and local levels to ensure that historic resources are recognized and taken into consideration during any public planning effort. While federal preservation laws date to 1906, the most prominent federal cultural resource law, from which most of the current laws, regulations, and guidelines stem, is the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended.

Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) requires a federal agency head with jurisdiction over a federal, federally assisted, or federally licensed undertaking, to take into account the effects of the agency's undertakings on all properties included in or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places and, before approval of an undertaking, to afford the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP or Advisory Council) a reasonable opportunity to comment on the undertaking.

Section 110: The intent of Section 110 is to ensure that historic preservation is fully integrated into the ongoing programs, review of agency procedures, and missions of federal agencies. The more important and appropriate portions of Section 110 which may apply to lighthouses are summarized below:

Section 110(a)(1) requires that before acquiring, constructing, or leasing buildings for purposes of carrying out agency responsibilities, all federal agencies will use, to the maximum extent feasible, historic properties available to the agency. This requires agencies to give priority to the use not only of historic properties that they own or control, but to any such properties that are available to the agency. Available historic properties might include those available for lease, purchase, or exchange. This section also designated the Secretary of Interior's Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation as the specific professional standards to be followed. Section 110 and the Secretary's Standards also refer to the more specific standards, Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and illustrated Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings (1992).

Section 110(b) requires each federal agency to "initiate measures to assure that where, as a result of federal action or assistance ... an historic property is to be substantially altered or demolished, timely steps are taken to make or have made appropriate records, and that such records then be deposited ... in the Library of Congress or with some other appropriate agency as may be designated by the Secretary [of the Interior], for future use and reference."

Section 110 Guidelines (53 FR 4727-46) state that "agencies should determine whether recordation is needed, and if so, the appropriate level and kind of recordation necessary, ... in consultation with the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO), Advisory Council, and other concerned parties under 36 CFR Part 800 ... The level and kind of documentation required ... vary depending on the nature of the property, its relative significance ... and the nature of the undertaking's effects."

These requirements put the obligations of compliance on the federal agencies, not the SHPO, the Advisory Council, or anyone else. To meet the regulations of the National Historic Preservation Act, a federal agency should:

  • Minimize the risk of foreclosure by initiating Section 106 review as early as possible in the planning process.
  • Always get Section 106 done before a final decision is made about whether to proceed with the project, before funds are spent on things such as advanced design, or purchase of materials, and if possible before those involved become fixed on a single preferred alternative.
  • When working on the annual budget, it is important to think about compliance needs and advise supervisors on these budget matters. Although NHPA does not provide appropriation, Section 110(g) authorizes expenditure of project and program funds to support preservation work, such as compliance with Section 106 and doing work called for in Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). It is necessary to meet compliance requirements through the normal budget process. Thinking of compliance needs while putting together installation's budgets can avoid funding delays later.
  • Consider effects not only on properties already included on the National Register, but also eligible properties. It is the responsibility of the federal agency to ensure that eligible properties are identified, evaluated, and considered. These determinations of eligibility are made solely on historical, architectural, or cultural significance of a property, not management or mission requirements.

Failure to comply with preservation law may result in litigation or stop-work orders which delay completion of projects and escalate project costs.

Other federal laws which may affect lighthouse preservation and management include:

  • Antiquities Act, 16 U.S.C.§§ 431-433
  • Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act, 16 U.S.C. §§ 469-469c
  • Architectural Barriers Act, 42 U.S.C.§§ 4151- 4157
  • Historic Sites Act, 16 U.S.C. § § 461-467
  • National Environmental Policy Act, 42 U.S.C.§ § 4321-4370c
  • National Historic Preservation Act, 16 U.S.C.§§ 470-470w-6
  • Executive Order No. 11593, Protection and Enhancement of the Cultural Environment, 36 Fed. Reg. 8921 (1971), reprinted in 16 U.S.C.§ 470 note

A summary of these laws is found in Part VI., Resources. Commanding officers and other personnel who deal or may deal with cultural resource management are responsible for knowing the laws and complying with these requirements. The best guide to these laws is Introduction to Federal Projects and Historic Preservation Law prepared by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and the General Services Administration Interagency Training Center. It is full of case studies and explains how these laws and regulations affect operations. A copy of this manual can be obtained from either agency. It is highly recommended as a useful shelf tool. Federal Historic Preservation Laws (1993), published by the National Park Service, Cultural Resources Programs, is another useful guide to these laws.

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1 The character of the light could be fixed or revolving a various speeds to create timed flashes to distinguish it from nearby lights. Tall towers were often painted with different colors and patterns called "daymarks" so they could be identified during daylight hours.

2 Robert de Gast, The Lighthouses of The Chesapeake (Baltimore, Maryland, The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1973), p. viii; United States Lighthouse Service 1915 (Washington, D.C., Government Printing Office, 1916), p. 18; and Webster's New Twentieth Century Dictionary, Second Edition (New York, New York, Simon and Schuster, 1982), p. 1047. There are instances of lighthouses which were built for land travel. The Atacoma Desert town of Pica, Chile, had a lighthouse to guide travelers at night to their springs.

3 "United States Coast Guard Lighthouse Policy Review"(enclosure 7 to Chapter 6 of COMDTINST Ml 1011.9B dated July 27, 1992), p.1; copy in files of National Maritime Initiative, National Park Service, Washington, D.C.

4 Candace Clifford, 1994 Inventory of Historic Light Stations (Washington, D.C., National Park Service, 1994), p. ix and xviii; and James Delgado and Kevin Foster, "Guidelines for Evaluating and Documenting Historic Aids to Navigation," National Register Bulletin #34 (Washington, D.C., National Park Service, Interagency Resources Division), p. 2. The number of light station sites in the Initiative's lighthouse database had grown to 282 at the time of publication.

5 Clifford, p. ix.

6 Deborah Davis, "Keeping the Light: A Handbook for Adaptive Re-use of Island Lighthouse Stations" (Rockland, Maine, Island Institute, 1987), p. 2.

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