Tid-bits from the Tower

Preservation News

The United States Coast Guard has announced that it will put off making a decision to remove the beautiful Fresnel lens from Maine's Seguin Island Lighthouse until the year 2003. The decision is a good one for the Friends of Seguin who now own the island and lightstation, but it is only a temporary fix. The Coast Guard wants to remove the lens and replace it with a modern solar-powered beacon which would alter the historic importance of the lighthouse forever. Hopefully, the Friends group can keep the lens where it's at. For now they have some more time to continue their battle.

Florida's Anclote Key Lighthouse may soon get National Landmark status. The Florida Historic Preservation Board has made its approval and sent it on to the U.S. Dept. of the Interior for final approval. The State of Florida has installed a new razor wire fence around the lighthouse to prevent further vandalism to the site. A number of people are trying to start a non-profit group to save the lighthouse and open it to the public. Last summer an archaeological dig at the lighthouse grounds found a number of items, including pottery, tools, buttons, and old coins. Park Rangers are now also patrolling the site and ticketing trespassers.

Under a recent federal bill signed into law by President Clinton, the Tchefuncte River Lighthouse will be given to the town of Madisonville, Louisiana. Once the town takes possession, it will turn the lighthouse over to the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum.

We recently read where an elderly gentleman donated thousands of lighthouse slides and photographs and other lighthouse artifacts to a library. Although I'm sure the library appreciated them, I wonder if donating them somewhere else could have served a greater purpose. If you are thinking of donating any lighthouse photographs, artifacts, or memorabilia, we would suggest donating them right here to Lighthouse Digest. At least here, they could be used for stories for others to enjoy and be available for future generations and future lighthouse research. We have a large archive file, which we continue to add to. With artifacts and memorabilia, we will make sure they get the proper display for thousands of people to not only enjoy them but understand and learn about an important part of maritime history. If it's a tax deductible donation you need to make, it can be made to the American Lighthouse Foundation, P.O. Box 889, Wells, Maine 04090. For additional information call Tim Harrison or Kathleen Finnegan toll free at 1-800-668-7737.

Race Point Lighthouse on Cape Cod, MA is getting lots of media attention these days, which is good, since the all volunteer group of the American Lighthouse Foundation have spent a lot of time restoring the old station.

Thanks to the efforts of Ted Panayotoff, owner of the Elms Bed & Breakfast in Camden, Maine, the nearby Curtis Island Lighthouse will again have a fog bell. Panayotoff went after the bell from the curator of Coast Guard artifacts and they agreed to give a 1000lb bell to be displayed at the lighthouse. It is guessed that the bell, similar to one that was once at the island, was cast in Philadelphia around 1867. Plans call for the bell to be mounted under a wooden A-frame structure similar to how it used to appear on the island. Panayotoff is an old hand at getting the Coast Guard to give up artifacts . . .it was primarily through his efforts that the original Fresnel Lens used at the lighthouse was returned to the town. It is now on display at the Camden Public Library.

Seeking Information

We are trying to locate information on the Fair Haven Lighthouses in Fair Haven, NY. If any of our readers can help us with any type of historical information or old photos, please contact us at Editor, Lighthouse Digest, P.O. Box 1690, Wells, Maine 04090.

We are looking for historical information on the Fort Sumter Lighthouse, SC. About all we have is a few old photographs of the light. We would also be interested in any photographs of keepers who served at the lighthouse. If any of our readers can help or guide us to someone who can, we would appreciate hearing from you. Write: Editor, Lighthouse Digest, Box 1690, Wells, Maine 04090.

Passings

June Dudley Watts, 90, has passed away in Tenants Harbor, Maine. June was featured in the book, Lighthouse Families, with a color picture of herself. Her father Leonard Dudley, was a lighthouse keeper at West Quoddy Head, Saddleback, and Tennants Harbor Lighthouses, all in Maine. Cheryl Roberts, author of the book Lighthouse Families recalled that she would often call June to see how she was doing and that she was being taken care of. Cheryl recalled the time when she first met her after making the very long trip up to Maine. Cheryl starting off the interview, turning on the tape recorder and with pencil in hand, asked June, "What do you remember about your father being a lighthouse keeper?" June replied with that thick New England accent, :Wellll-ll my dear, I . . . . . don't . . . . really ...... remembah. Cheryl said she nearly fainted at the reply. Then, she thought, then asked, "any pictures"?

June struggled from her chair, walked from one piece of furniture to another, doubled over with rheumatism, made her way slowly into the spare bedroom, opened the door, and all heck broke loose. A huge pile of stuff fell over, an avalanche of magazines and books and two photo albums. They made their way back to the porch while June was calling, "Everett, Everett, where are you?" Everett, her husband, had died a few months before, And her dear son died shortly afterward.

Cheryl recalled how touched she was, as June went through the album, taking hand-tinted pictures from the album, holding them and then suddenly. recalling all the memories that poured forth. That meeting and another one a year later would always haunt Cheryl. She felt so sorry for her. Although June Dudley Watts is gone, thanks to Cheryl's efforts, many of June's lighthouse memories have been recorded and saved forever.

Mrytle G. Corbishley, 85, of Warwick, RI has passed away. She was born in Providence, RI, the daughter of Charles and Annie Whitford. She was raised at Sabin Point Lighthouse in Narragansett Bay where her father was the lighthouse keeper. She and her late husband George Corbishley were married at the lighthouse. And again, the roll call gets smaller.

Shop Talk

Cheryl Spencer Collin has a really cute lightship as her 1999 "Club Piece" which commemorates Cheryl's 15th year. The LV 15-SCL Lightship with a birthday cake decorated with the number and Svea the dog manning the wheel of the whimsical lightship. You need to be a club member to get this wonderful collectible. To join, you can call Lighthouse Depot at 1-800-758-1444 for a membership application. Another really interesting piece from Spencer Collin Lighthouses is a replica of the original twin lights of Chatham, MA, something all true lighthouse buffs will want to add to their collection.

Lighthouse Adventures, Heroes, Haunts & Havoc on the Great Lakes is a new book by Wes Oleszewski. There is no fiction here, each story is completely factual, the results of detailed research - the adventures you will be reading actually happened, the people named actually existed and their trials and tribulations actually took place. A must have book for any lighthouse enthusiast. 224 pages, black & white photos and illustrations. It is available from Lighthouse Depot at Item #91610 for $16.95 plus shipping.

Bruce & Cheryl Roberts have just come out with a new booklet titled - "Moving Hatteras - Relocating the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse". We feel this booklet is a highly collectible, and of course educational item about the move of America's tallest lighthouse. It is available from Lighthouse Depot as Item # 91611 for $4.95 plus shipping, by calling 1-800-758-1444.

Michigan's Martin Reef Lighthouse may have some help if a new group can be formed to be the guardian of this lighthouse. The lighthouse located on Lake Huron was originally the site of a lightship. Anyone interested in joining a group for this lighthouse is encouraged to contact, Pet Fedlhake, c/o Les Cheneaux Community Schools, 298 East M134, Cedarville, MI 49719.

Speaking of the Martin Reef Lighthouse, there is a book called, Martin Reef-Lightship to Lighthouse by John Sellman about the building of the lighthouse. It is available for $7.50 plus $2.50 shipping from the Les Cheneaux Historical Society, P.O. Box 301, Cedarville, MI 49719.

Proving that even in Arkansas they love lighthouses, the Arkansas Democrat Gazette did a huge book review on the book, American Lighthouses by Roberts and Jones. The headline to the story read, "Brightly Illustrated Guidebook Lights Beacon for Shutterbugs." We couldn't agree more. By the way, the book is available from Lighthouse Depot as item #31698 for $21.95 plus shipping by calling 1-800-758-1444.

Hm-m-m-

Because Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in North Carolina is "in the news" so much lately, many people are questioning the actual height of America's tallest lighthouse. It seems all the books you read say it's 208 feet tall. The United States Coast Guard says different - in their charts it's listed as 191 feet tall. However, when the lighthouse was actually measured a couple of years back, the height was 198 feet 8 inches. The real point here is, that no matter what, it's still America's tallest lighthouse.

If you like Tall Ships, mark your calendar now to visit Maine on the weekend of July 28-31 in the year 2000. OpSail Maine will host a fleet of tall ships and other vessels that will visit Casco Bay and Portland Harbor. The centerpiece for the event will be the Coast Guard Cutter Eagle. Vessels from the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard will also take part, as well as a score of vessels such as fishing boats, and private yachts. For more information contact OpSail Maine 2000, 511 Congress Street, Portland, Maine 04101 or call them at 207-541-7400.

This story appeared in the May 1999 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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