Digest>Archives> July 2007

Keeper's Korner

Tidbits and Editorial Comments from the Tower

By Timothy Harrison

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Chambers Gets Award

Congratulations to Cullen Chambers of the Tybee Island Historical Society for his 2007 Georgia Governors Award in the Humanities for his preservation work, which included the Tybee Island Lighthouse. The selection process was determined by the Georgia Humanities Council, which selects the winners each year.

Tybee Commissioned

The United States Coast Guard recently commissioned the newly refurbished 110-foot Island Class patrol cutter Tybee at a ceremony at the Woods Hole, MA Coast Guard Station. The Tybee was originally commissioned in 1989 and was home ported on the west coast but moved to Woods Hole in 2004 to replace the Coast Guard Cutter Monomoy, which is serving in the Persian Gulf.

The Price Goes Up

The 173-year-old Belle Tout Lighthouse located in southern England is up for sale. The cliff-top lighthouse on Beachy Head in East Sussex, which was heavily damaged in WWII, was moved 70 feet back from the edge of the eroding cliff in 1999. In 2001 it was sold for a mere $2,000.00 and has since been meticulously restored. Featured in the 1986 BBC drama series, "The Life and Loves of a She Devil," the asking price is now close to a half million dollars. The lighthouse has some drawbacks though. It sits on a constantly eroding cliff and will probably have to be moved again and the area is notorious for suicides with people jumping from the cliffs edge.

Port Washington To Get Lens

Wisconsin's Port Washington Lighthouse will soon be getting a Fresnel lens again. Thanks to the efforts of the Port Washington Light Station Restoration group the money has nearly been raised to buy a new 4th order acrylic beehive style lens from Artworks of Florida.

Burnham On The Sea Sold

The keeper's house of the Burnham-On-The-Sea Lighthouse in southwest England has been sold. This will be the first time the keeper's house will have new owners since 1946. The lighthouse, built in 1832, was decommissioned by Trinity House (The British Lighthouse Service) in 1993. The property sold for approximately $740,000.

Point Abino Again Faces Access Problems

Canada's Point Abino Lighthouse located on northeastern Lake Erie and owned by the Town of Fort Erie, may again be in the middle of a mini-international crisis, as local United States home owners, who own the only road to the lighthouse are renegotiating public access to the lighthouse. It seems to have created quite a stir on both sides of the fence.

Maine Wants You

The State of Maine wants you to come to the state and visit its many historic lighthouses, some of which need your help. Working your way from one end of the state to the other is a great way to spend a summer vacation while visiting its beautiful lighthouses. The volunteers at Pemaquid Point Lighthouse hope that you will stop by and visit them and make a much-needed donation for this fall’s restoration project to help save the only lighthouse to ever appear on American money. A stop in mid-coast Rockland and a visit to the newly expanded Maine Lighthouse Museum and a walk out to the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse are part of the many must see sites. You can end your visit at West Quoddy Light in Lubec, the easternmost lighthouse in the United States. While there be sure to walk the trails along the edge of the cliffs. I promise, you won't be disappointed.

Seeking Stevens Bell Striker

The Harbor Point Lighthouse in Harbor Springs, Michigan (formerly the Little Traverse light station) is unique in not only having a well-preserved keeper's dwelling with attached tower and 4th order Fresnel lens but a fog-bell tower and original bell. The Harbor Point Lighthouse Committee is anxious to find a Stevens bell-striker, or an appropriately sized Gamewell as to restore the tower to an operating status. The Committee has raised funds to purchase such a mechanism or to restore an incomplete striker. Any suggestions or leads would be appreciated. Please send to hnbarkhausen@aol.com

Plaque at First Minot's Ledge Lighthouse

The trip, at press time, was scheduled for the week of 18-22 June, with the memorial dedication planned for Friday, 22 June. Watch future issues of Lighthouse Digest for more details on the event.

This story appeared in the July 2007 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.

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