Lighthouse News

Fairport Harbor Lighthouse Sells For $77,000

After a flurry of bidding that ultimately went to the original bidder, nicknamed samsloan, the beautiful Fairport Harbor Breakwater Lighthouse ended up in the hands of a local millionaire and founder of the Osborne Construction Companies, Jerome T. Osborne, of Mentor, Ohio. For the money, Mr. Osborne gets one of the more attractive lighthouses that have come up for auction, and tentative plans at this time, according to the MSNBC station WKYC.Com, are to merely preserve and protect the station.

U.S. Coast Guard to remove Big Island lighthouse at Kauhola

Press Release

HAWI, Big Island — After several years of consultation with State of Hawaii historic preservation officials, the U.S. Coast Guard has determined the best course of action for a lighthouse at a rapidly eroding site on the Big Island is its removal.

The Kauhola Lighthouse sits on a 3.5-acre federal government property north of Hawi in the Kohala area of the Big Island and is in danger of falling down a steep cliff face if no action is taken. Last month, the Coast Guard and a contractor erected a mono-pole light to aid mariners in their navigation of the coastline.

California Park Budget Cuts To Blame

In what is sure to be a major disappointment for west coast photographers, the annual relighting of the First Order Fresnel lens at Pigeon Point Lighthouse in California has been canceled for this year. Originally set to take place on November 14, the Park Service has announced that budget cuts have precluded it from happening this year. This would have been the celebration of the 137th year of the first illumination of the lighthouse, which this ceremony commemorates.

According to the California State Parks, the cancellation is necessitated as a result of current budget restrictions, position vacancies and mandated employee furloughs.

Mischief In The Men’s Room

This time, Miscou lighthouse in New Brunswick (Canada) has become the latest victim of vandalism. Fortunately, it was only in the restrooms at the site and not the lighthouse proper. But that doesn’t matter. There should never be any destruction at historic properties. Ever. Miscou Lighthouse boasts the only Fresnel lens (Third Order) in an operating lighthouse in the province. And underwent a major renovation to make it a tourist attraction last year, including a major environmental cleanup at the site. A paved parking area large enough for tour buses, a deck around the lighthouse and washroom facilities and a large grassy area were completed this past summer.

Makah Nation To Take Possession of Buildings

Crews from Coast Guard District 13 are in the process of cleaning up the buildings and grounds on Tatoosh Island, near Neah Bay, Washington, in preparation for transferring the decommissioned lighthouse over to the Makah tribe, which already owns the island. Using helicopters to reach the remote island, they’ve removed an unneeded generator and fuel tank. The tribe, which considers the island culturally important, also says it has no current plans to change the island’s usage, which is as an archaeological research site by permit only

News Release

BLMA Completes Major Restoration

The Beavertail Lighthouse Museum Association (BLMA) has announced the first major restoration in over 150 years has been completed at the historic Beavertail Light Station in Rhode Island. While the history of the light goes back to 1749, 27 years before the Revolutionary War, it was in 1856 that the present granite light tower and its joining Keeper’s quarters were built. In 1896, 40 years later the second house for the Assistant Keeper was constructed. This structure houses the BLMA museum.

Outer Banks Lighthouses Out of Service

The National Park Service says the Bodie Island Lighthouse, North Carolina, will shut down for at least 18 months. Repairs include removing 344 glass prisms for cleaning, restoring the panels that hold the prisms and the pedestal that supports the lens, strengthening the lighthouses spiral staircases, and installing a fire detection and suppression system.

Ocracoke Lighthouse is also down, with the work expected to take about four months. The repairs will include renovation of metal work on the interior and exterior, correcting the lightning protection measures and painting both the inside and outside of the lighthouse.

Closed For Two Days

The National Park Service is closing Point Cabrillo Lighhtouse in California for two days next week to fumigate for termites. Also closed will be the adjacent assistant lighthouse keeper’s quarters.  A routine building inspection in June turned up evidence of the infestation. At least termites are a bit easier to deal with and control than marine shipworms, which have plagued a few lighthouses, including Cockspur Island and Morris Island Lighthouses.

The lighthouse and assistant keeper’s quarters,  built in 2004 to house the “Lighthouses of Point Loma” exhibit, will be covered in large tents for the fumigation planned for September 8 and 9. The buildings will have to be inspected again afterward to be sure the termites have been eradicated.

Ghostly Statue to Be Built

If you have a haunted lighthouse, you might want to follow the lead of the owners of the lighthouse at Talacre, in Wales, and honor the ghost by building a statue to him. That’s exactly what the Talacre Beach Leisure Group, who owns the lighthouse and beach surrounding it plan to do. Their ghost, a former lighthouse keeper, will be honored with a stainless steel statue statue to be placed on the lighthouse.

Is This the End For Long Running Popular Challenge?

Lighthouse News and many others certainly hope it isn’t. But running such a popular challenge has taken its toll on the two long-standing co-chairs.

Word on the street (well, in the forums) is that the New Jersey Lighthouse Challenge will not be held next year. And maybe not in 2011, either. From Dennis Wheland of the New Jersey Lighthouse Society comes this sad information, which he posted at Lighthousing.Net: