Do You Want To Be A Lighthouse Keeper?
By Sue Clark on Oct 6, 2007 in Lighthouse Keeper Jobs 
Print This Post
Unless you live in Malaysia, Vietnam or Taiwan, or some few other countries, most of the lighthouses around the world have been automated, some for many years, and the position of lighthouse keeper no longer exists. Yet just like a home, without a lighthouse keeper to tend to the maintenance, these historical gems are in danger of being demolished or just left to rot. The government is in a frenzy to get rid of these beacons of of our maritime past, and while some have been tranferred to non-profit foundations for a dollar, others go wanting due to their offshore locations. The photo to the left is Charity Island Lighthouse, discontinued in 1939, in the middle of Saginaw Bay in Michigan.
Lubec Channel Light in Maine is a sparkplug type lighthouse built on the border of Maine and Canada. No non-profit could afford to take it on, so it went up for auction. Fortunately, it has been sold to a gentleman who is very knowledgeable about historic buildings, but what about those that get no bids? Those that are offshore sparkplugs become a hazard to navigation, and the government demolishes them. Can we afford to let these lighthouses be dumped into the sea? Can we afford to lose one more piece of our nation’s maritime history? How do you get the materials out there in such a situation? Who pays for it? There are only so many grants available to cover these costs.
Recently, Lighthouse News posted a story about a lighthouse in Suffolk, UK, the Orfordness Lighthouse, that the Trinity House was planning to demolish rather than fix. The Delaware River and Bay Lighthouse Foundation recently cancelled their lease with the Coast Guard for Liston Light, due to its inaccessibility to the public. Lighthouse News has stories yet to be written about the danger some of our lighthouses face.
In Wisconsin, nearly 160 people applied for the job of Lighthouse Keeper at Wind Point Lighthouse when Jeff and Melissa Peterson left their position. And what did that job entail? Mowing lawns, keeping up the grounds and greeting visitors. This type of job is few and far between, but there is still hope for those that didn’t get the position, and for any other person that wants to be a lighthouse keeper.
How can we do that? You need to volunteer your time, spread the word, and give a couple dollars to your local lighthouse preservation group. If you can wield a hammer, volunteer to help repair or rebuild. If you own a business, donate materials or money. If your skills are in public relations or communications, let others know. If you live far from a lighthouse, you can help by supporting the American Lighthouse Foundation, who relies strictly on donations from people like you, and whose president, Tim Harrison, has never drawn a salary from his work. Lighthouse News made a decision to donate all profits from this site to the American Lighthouse Foundation or the Maine Lighthouse Museum. Drive ten miles less this week and use the donation box at the right to give a dollar (or visit the sites directly to contribute.). If you’re fond of the Great Lakes lighthouses donate to the Great Lakes Lightkeeper’s Association. If everyone gave one dollar, just think of the amazing work these two organizations could do.
The best thing in the world would be to see zero lights listed on the American Lighthouse Foundation’s Doomsday List. And that can only happen if we support efforts to preserve buildings that can never be replaced. Their use may not be as important as in the days before GPS, but they still need keepers. And as the lighthouse keepers of yore have gone the way of the dinosaur, we need to be the new keepers of the light.
From George Putnam, commissioner of the US Lighthouse Service from 1910 to 1935:
“The lighthouse and lightship appeal to the interests and better instinct of man because they are symbolic of never-ceasing watchfulness, a steadfast endurance in every exposure, of widespread helpfulness. The building and the keeping of the lights is a picturesque and humanitarian work of the nation.â€
Note: This post is part of Problogger’s birthday giveaway, While We’re on the Topic of Charity. One random person will win $1,000 donated to his or her charity. Guess which charity Lighthouse News has chosen. 
If you have a blog, please join in. We can make a difference.
Keep up with Lighthouse News. Get articles by 
Email or in a 
Reader.
October 6th, 2007 at 8:03 pm
Hi Sue, best of luck with the contest. Emma
October 6th, 2007 at 8:49 pm
Thanks, Emma. And of course the same to you. The last time I looked, there weren’t too many entries for this particular contest. It’s a shame that people don’t want to win one for their favorite charity.