Digest>Archives> October 2002

Reflections of Our Past, Present, and Future

By Bob Trapani, Jr.

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Cape May Lighthouse, New Jersey.
Photo by: Bob Trapani, Jr.

A lighthouse’s reflection shimmering upon the water can tell a thousand stories or carry countless inspirational possibilities on its beam to a limitless horizon. For some, the dancing mirror image transports them back in time to a bygone era when the lighthouse was supreme as a beacon of strength and safety. For others, the sentinel’s likeness staring back at them pierces an inner emotion that beckons them to break from life’s hectic pace and reflect upon a romantic or spiritual notion. Whatever the lighthouse means to an individual, its importance and place in our heart, mind and soul is both undeniable and irreplaceable.

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East Point Lighthouse, New Jersey.
Photo by: Bob Trapani, Jr.

However, if we allow ourselves to look more intently into the glistening water at the reflection gazing up at us, the tranquil moment at hand will warn of present and future perils silently and relentlessly assaulting our lighthouses and the heritage they so stoically represent. Every month, Lighthouse Digest publishes a “Doomsday List” — are we paying much heed? It’s much too easy to offer a well-intended glance and then turn the page of the magazine hoping someone else will come to the aid of these endangered lights before it’s too late. Do we stop and think that maybe that “someone” might be us?

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Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse, Delaware.
Photo by: Bob Trapani, Jr.

The lighthouse needs us now more then ever. Blood, sweat and tears built these beautiful edifices over the last two centuries - some rising from a rocky, sea swept ledge, others from the eternal shifting sands of a cape. With each sentinel successfully established, a tribute to the humanitarian spirit of mankind was lifted high upon the light’s broad shoulders skyward. For some, both contractors and keepers, their labor of love for the lighthouse required they pay the supreme sacrifice with their very lives. In turn, the lighthouse returned the good will of many by faithfully protecting and guiding mariners and immigrants home each evening since the birth of our great nation.

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The remains of Port Mahon Lighthouse, Delaware, ...
Photo by: Bob Trapani, Jr.

Today, many of our favorite lighthouses still stand tall, though some have been lost forever - time having run out on these beloved beacons. Unfortunately, even the lights that remain are moving ever closer to the crossroads of fate. Many people enjoy taking trips upon the bays, sounds and seacoasts of our country to view and photograph these stately structures. Others will embark upon treks to the beach or remote wooded locations to search out their favorite light. Whether arriving by land or water, the sense of awe and marvel for the lighthouse enthusiast is profound - sometimes even emotionally altering.

However, the dawning of the 21st century now threatens to erase everything the lighthouse and its bygone keepers have represented. Though the structures have been rendered all but obsolete from a utilitarian standpoint, their meaning and importance to our society and heritage is timeless. Admittedly, the lifesaving powers of a lighthouse for mariners at sea has somewhat diminished; however, its ongoing “watch” upon our shores continues to serve our seaside communities and the nation alike as a guide into the future by manifesting our radiant past. The mere presence of these sentinels offers our country invaluable beacons of hope - symbols of light against the darkness, stability and steadfastness in the “new normal” and uncertain world through which we presently navigate.

Therefore, the time has arrived for a new generation of Americans to step forth and exhibit the same selfless dedication as the lightkeepers of the past. Take a moment to remember that these structures stand on the edge of fury, enduring storm-winds, cutting rain in torrents, and pounding seas. An even greater enemy to the lighthouse may be the silent and corrosive powers of the salt air and water - each day working ceaselessly against the well being of the lighthouse by eroding great sections of brick and mortar, as well as the cast iron or steel comprising many land and water-locked lights. Will we continue to close our eyes and turn a deaf ear to the pleas of the lighthouse, all the while hoping to see it standing tall against the horizon of tomorrow? For many lights — including the Mispillion Lighthouse in Delaware, victim of a recent horrible tragedy — tomorrow never came. Too much time has already lapsed by not heeding an urgent call to action for many of our endangered lighthouses.

For long-term lighthouse preservation to succeed, it cannot be handled as an afterthought or addressed only when one has a few spare hours to apply to a crisis that stretches nationally. Time and the elements relentlessly rage war on the lighthouse, each day claiming more ground from our maritime heritage. The only effective method to combat the adverse effects of Mother Nature is for people to selflessly step forward time and again - for this is a “watch” that has no end. When individuals hear and heed a call to duty without reservation, then, and only then, will we win back some of the lost ground in the field of lighthouse preservation. Look around at some of the wonderful preservation projects throughout the country and you’ll notice one inescapable fact - devoted individuals and teams of people sacrificing much in the way of their time and effort can make a lasting difference for something they care so deeply about. There is simply no substitute for the unconditional commitment of caring individuals who refuse to shrink from a lighthouse preservation project at hand. When this kind of unique commitment steps forth in earnest, the entire community reaps the lasting cultural and educational rewards derived from such heartfelt sacrifices.

Unquestionably, the duty that beckons requires unwavering devotion, coupled with the ability to endure and rise above the daunting challenges directly ahead for the lighthouse community - challenges that history will one day judge as our defining moments in the world of lighthouse preservation. As “keepers of the lights,” let us answer that call in the same manner as lightkeepers of the past so faithfully did, before it’s much too late. What kind of reflection will our children of the future see in the water staring back at them when they look for our nation’s lighthouses? We cannot afford to allow America’s remaining lighthouses to sink below the horizon of the present - for the lighthouse, and all it represents to each and every one of us, will not pass this way again.

This story appeared in the October 2002 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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