Most Endangered

Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, where Japanese planes attacked American forces on Dec. 7, 1941, has been named one of the most endangered historic sites in the United States by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It seems that the U.S. Navy wants to construct a housing development on the site. Two years of negotiations between the Navy and the Historic Hawaii Foundation have brought no resolution to the site’s future.

Lighthouse off limits?

Florida’s Amelia Island Lighthouse Committee has issued its final report to the Fernandina Beach City Commission. The report basically states that tours to the lighthouse will be available twice a month using city vehicles and must be booked through the city. Outside scheduled tour access will only be available for site surveys, maintenance, and official visits by government officials. No visitors will be allowed into the lighthouse itself. The Coast Guard Auxiliary would continue to maintain the lighthouse and the grounds. The City obtained ownership of the lighthouse in March. (So much for the understanding that lighthouses should be accessible to the public.)

Light of many colors

The next time you’re in Atlantic City, NJ to visit the casinos and the famous Boardwalk, don’t forget about a visit to Absecon Lighthouse. You won’t be disappointed. The two-story replica keeper’s house has been rebuilt, after being burned by vandals. The total restoration of the 2-acre site cost $3.4 million.

Some Hatteras locals are still complaining

Many of the locals of the Outer Banks of North Carolina who did not want the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse moved to its current location are now blaming the recent close of the lighthouse on the move itself. (The lighthouse was recently closed when a piece of the iron stairway dropped off.) However, the National Park Service and the company that moved the lighthouse have stated that upon close inspection by them and other experts, the move had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that parts of the supports for the stairway fell off. They state that this was caused by a combination of years of corrosion from the salt air and the fact that the lighthouse was never designed to have so many people climbing to the top every day. The structure was designed to have one or two keepers climbing it every day. Large numbers of people going up and down every day is bound to cause weight and tension in the 130 year old structure. We think it’s about time those complainers shut up and help raise the necessary funds to repair the lighthouse. Otherwise, maybe we’ll start a national movement to have the lighthouse moved to a place where the locals will appreciate it. Shucks, we’d love to have it up here in Maine.

Hatteras closure costing dollars

While many people are upset that the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is now closed, the National Park Service is even more upset. Closure of the lighthouse is causing the loss of tens of thousands of dollars in fees that would normally be collected to climb the lighthouse. It is unknown when the lighthouse will reopen to the public

Bush approves money for lighthouse

Florida Governor Jeb Bush has signed approval for $370,000 for further work to restore the cast-iron lighthouse at Anclote Key Preserve State Park in Florida. Total cost of restoring the lighthouse is estimated at $1.5 million. This $370,000 from the state is in addition to the $500,000 approved last year. No matter what your political affiliation is, we hope the lighthouse aficionados in Florida support a governor who supports lighthouse preservation.

Speaking of Bush

President George Bush’s motorcade drove past our office on his recent visit to Maine. Unfortunately, he did not stop in to say hello. I guess we should have invited him. We’ll get that invitation letter in the mail, for the next time he visits Maine.

Roanoke replica underway

Workmen have set the first pilings in place to begin building an exact replica of North Carolina’s Roanoke River Lighthouse. They will become the support structure that will hold the replica in place in the river. The replica will be the same exact size as the 1866 lighthouse that was destroyed years ago.

Gravesite to be restored

The gravesite of Ida Lewis, the famous lighthouse heroine of Rhode Island’s Lime Rock Lighthouse, is now restored thanks to the efforts of the crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Keeper Class Tender which is named after her. Ida Lewis was the keeper of the Lime Rock Lighthouse from 1857 to 1911 and is credited with saving numerous lives. She was so famous that the name of the lighthouse was changed to her name. As part of the restoration project, the Coast Guard will placed four-foot granite pillars shaped like lighthouses around the gravesite and stainless steel chain connects the pillars.

Virginia lighthouse tickets

Now available in Virginia are eight different lighthouse lottery tickets. The lighthouses featured are Assateague, New Cape Henry, Newport News Middle Ground, Smith Point, Thimble Shoals, New Point Comfort, and Wolf Trap Lighthouses. The $1.00 scratch tickets have a maximum prize of $1000.00. Ask your Virginia friends to send you a set; they would make a neat lighthouse collectible.

California Lighthouse Magazine

The Maritime Museum Association of San Diego has printed a special issue of their journal “Mains’l Haul” on California Lighthouses. It is spectacular. They have a few left over and if you would like a copy, mail $7.00 which includes shipping and handling to- Maritime Museum Association of San Diego, 1306 North Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101. Be sure to ask for the Spring 2001 edition of California Lighthouses.

Maritime Museum looking for lighthouse stories

The Maritime Museum Association of California is seeking footnoted articles containing previously unpublished significant research on lighthouses of the Pacific. Accepted manuscripts will be published in a future edition of their magazine, “Mains’l Haul.” For more information contact Mark Allen, Maritime Museum of San Diego, 1306 N. Harbor Dr., San Diego, CA 92101 or email Editor@sdmaritime.com

Passing

Edward Stanley Greaves has died at age 64. Mr. Greaves passed away at his summer coastal home in Addison, Maine. He had taken early retirement to spend more time with his family and allow himself more time to work on his many charitable causes. He was the founder of the Friends of Nash Island Light, a group formed to take over ownership of and save the Nash Island Lighthouse off the coast of Addison, Maine.

Murder Mystery

Alex Winston is the owner of the Hatteras West Inn which features a life-sized replica of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse built by Alex’s great-grandfather for his homesick bride in the middle of the Blue Ridge Mountains. In spite of building debt, Alex is struggling to keep the lighthouse inn that he inherited. To complicate matters he has an odd staff and overbearing guests. Things have now gotten worse, one of his guests has been found murdered. Then another guest, who has fallen over a ledge and was badly injured, threatens a lawsuit. To make matters worse a second guest is murdered and a greedy real estate agent is closing in. Does all this sound exciting? It is. But, it’s not real; it’s all in a book called Innkeeping with Murder. The book is available from Lighthouse Depot as item #91515 for $5.99 plus shipping by calling 1-800-758-1444. It can also be ordered on the Internet at www.LighthouseDepot.com

vRubicon Point relit

One of the United States’ least known lighthouses gained some national fame when we wrote about it a number of years ago and declared it an endangered lighthouse. There was even a book written about it. In fact, some other lighthouse people claimed that we did not know what we were talking about saying that it was not a lighthouse. I guess that’s all in how you would interpret the word “lighthouse.” Well, even the American Heritage Dictionary agrees with us, so I guess we were right after all. Back to the lighthouse - California State Parks has stabilized the foundation and put in new boards and replaced the roof. Basically, all they did was repair the cracks, saying they wanted to keep the lighthouse looking as original as possible. This past July 7th they relit the lighthouse for one night only to celebrate what they called their restoration and for the first time in 80 years the lighthouse shined again over Lake Tahoe.

The lighthouse was built by the United States Lighthouse Service in 1919 and was then listed as the highest lighthouse above elevation at 6300 feet. The spot where the lighthouse actually sits is quite impressive — it towers 800 feet straight up from the lake. The light was discontinued in 1921 when it was replaced by another navigational aid. It is located in the D.L. Bliss State Park overlooking Lake Tahoe’s west shore. To learn more about the lighthouse we would recommend the booklet Lighthouse or Outhouse available from Lighthouse Depot for $4.95 as item #91570 by calling 1-800-758-1444.

Lighthouse Authors to appear in NJ

Seven lighthouse authors will be on hand at the New Jersey Lighthouse Society’s Sept 22 meeting to autograph their books. On hand will be John Bailey Lloyd author of several books on Long Beach Island including the history of Barnegat Light and Tuckers Island Lighthouse; Bill Gately author of Sentinels of the Shore; Jim Gowdy and Ruth Kim authors of Guiding Lights of the Delaware River and Bay; Elinor DeWire, known for numerous lighthouse books; John Bailey, author of Sentinel of the Jersey Cape and David Veasey author of Guarding New Jersey’s Shore, Lighthouses and Life Saving Stations. The meeting which starts at 11AM, and is open to everyone, will be held at the Barnegat Light Fire Hall in Barnegat Light, New Jersey.

This story appeared in the September 2001 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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