Click here for a pdf version of this file

Titanic Memorial Light to be Refurbished

It has been announced that, after four years of fund-raising, the Titanic Memorial Lighthouse, at the South Street Seaport Museum will undergo some major refurbishing. The lighthouse once stood atop the Seaman’s Church Institute in New York City until the building was torn down. (Photo by Anne Czichos)

New Book on the Lighthouse at Point San Luis

The Lighthouse at Point San Luis – A Collection of short (true) stories, by Kathy Mastako. The author is a docent and historian for the Point San Luis Lighthouse, who has also written a number of stories for Lighthouse Digest. This is a great, well-researched book about the people who lived and worked at California’s Point San Luis Lighthouse, which is also known as the San Luis Obispo Lighthouse. The book is packed with historic photographs, document excerpts, and detailed recollections from those connected with the 1890 lighthouse located near Avila Beach, California. The 281-page, 8’x10” soft cover book is available for $19.95 only from Amazon. You won’t be disappointed.

Lighthouse Arcade

Shown here is a lighthouse game at the Arcade in the Southwoods Pub and Grill in Petoskey, Michigan. This is a first for us and we think it’s pretty slick. (Photo by Jill Ore)

Matchbook Cover

At one time, not too long ago, you could get free matchbooks, that promoted one thing or another, at just about every business in America. They are now, almost, a thing of the past. Naturally, from time-to-time, we have been reporting on matchbooks that feature a lighthouse on them. Years ago, we donated a large collection of them to the Museum of Lighthouse History, which is now part of the Maine Lighthouse Museum. Many are works of art and others are straight advertising. This image was sent to us by Bob Tellier who discovered it in a drawer in a hutch in his parent’s home. We are told that there is now a pizzeria at this address. If you have old matchbooks that feature a lighthouse on their cover, you can donate them by removing the matches from them, and then mailing them to Lighthouse Digest, P.O. Box 250, East Machias, ME 04630.

Yaquina Head Light to Celebrate 150th

Oregon’s Yaquina Head Lighthouse will celebrate its 150th anniversary this year and it’s getting spruced up for the event. The 93-foot-tall tower, first lighted on August 20, 1873, is the tallest lighthouse in Oregon. Sadly, the keeper’s house shown in this historic photo, will not be there to celebrate the 150th birthday – the government demolished it in the 1980s. (Courtesy Ellen Woodrow, Lighthouse Digest archives)

A Really Tall Gingerbread Lighthouse

Under the direction of Bonita Bay Executive Pastry Chef Marissa Zapatka, a 12-foot high gingerbread model of Florida’s Sanibel Island Lighthouse was constructed and put on display at the Bonita Bay Club in Bonita Springs, Florida. All we can say is, WOW!!

Kewaunee Gets National Status

The 1931 Kewaunee Pierhead Lighthouse in Kewaunee, Wisconsin, has been added to the National Register of Historic Places. As noted in the nomination, the lighthouse represents four areas of significance: its maritime history, architecture, engineering and transportation. Officials had attempted to get the lighthouse added to the national list on two previous applications, but which were rejected at the time. The lighthouse also received a $2,720,000 grant for restoration work that includes new storm windows, additional handrails and other protective restoration work.

St. Helena to Celebrate 150th

The Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association (GLLKA) is having a 150th Birthday celebration for their St. Helena Lighthouse that is located on an island in Lake Michigan’s Straits of Mackinac. For more information you can email info@gllka.org

Scouts Lend a Hand

The Boy Scouts of America Yustaga Lodge 385 of the Gulf Coast Council gave up a Saturday morning in January to help take down, organize, and box up all the Christmas decorations at Florida’s Pensacola Lighthouse. Anyone who has visited the lighthouse during the holidays knows that this was a big project. Great job Scouts!

Tawas Tower Closed for 2023

The tower of the 1876 Tawas Point Lighthouse in East Tawas, Michigan will be closed for the 2023 season while it undergoes a $500,000 restoration. The work will include assessing and repairing the water damage to the tower’s brickwork, replacing windows, and repairing the metal framework of the lantern. The gift shop at the lighthouse will remain open during the restoration.

Tourist Sues LH Group

An American tourist who alleges she was injured in a fall at Nova Scotia, Canada’s 1914 Five Islands Lighthouse is suing the preservation society that cares for the lighthouse and the municipality where it is located. She claims she fell onto the second floor of the lighthouse from an internal ladder to the upper outer deck. The lighthouse is now closed to the public. The lighthouse has been moved four times since it was built and hundreds of people, maybe even thousands, have climbed to the top without falling.

Family at Cabo Rojo

Our art director took this picture at Cabo Rojo in Puerto Rico. L-R are Abby Halperin-Robinson, Marj Halperin, Al Robinson, Miles Robinson-Feinstein, Cheryl Robinson, Cora Robinson-Feinstein , Madeline Halperin-Robinson, Alice Robinson-Feinstein and Aaron Feinstein.The lighthouse is located on the southern, western tip of the island, near a large sea salt processing operation. To see the photo click on the link to the pdf version of this file at the top and bottom of this page.

Sable Points Hires New Director

The Sable Points Lighthouse Keepers Association (SPLKA) of Ludington, Michigan, has hired Jack Greve as its new director. He was previously the executive director of the North Berrien Historical Museum in Coloma, Michigan. SPLKA manages the care and restoration of the Big Sable Point Lighthouse, the Little Sable Point Lighthouse, the Ludington North Breakwater Lighthouse, and the White River Light Station.

Attacked by Birds

The Cape Northumberland Lighthouse in regional South Australia will receive a $1.6 million refurbishment after its stonework was attacked by birds. Although the stonework has deteriorated from the elements over the years, it has also been attacked by birds who were eating away at the stone due to its high salt content. A protective coating will be applied over the stones to stop this from happening in the future. As well as exterior refurbishing, the 1882 tower will get restoration work in its interior and its adjoining building.

More Toilets and Parking

The Tasmanian state government and the Australian government recently announced $1.7 million in funding to improve just about everything at the site of the 1838 Cape Bruny Lighthouse on the southeast coast of Tasmania. The money will include improved road access, new additional parking places for 42 vehicles, additional toilets to those installed in 2019, replacement of the iconic lighthouse stairway, and improved access to the beautiful beach by the lighthouse.

Man Dies Making TikTok Video at Lighthouse

An Indiana man making a TikTok video fell to his death this past January when he lost his balance while getting too near the edge of the 200-foot cliff at Puerto Rico’s Cabo Rojo Lighthouse. The 1882 Cabo Rojo Lighthouse is also known as the Cape Rojo Lighthouse and Faro de Los Morillos.

Boulders Galore

The placing of tons of boulders to help prevent further erosion at the 1796 Montauk Point Lighthouse on the east end of Long Island in Montauk, New York, has been nearly completed. When the lighthouse was first built the tower was about 300 feet from the water’s edge and various methods of erosion control have been taking place at the lighthouse since 1970.

Click here for a pdf version of this file

This story appeared in the Mar/Apr 2023 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.

All contents copyright © 1995-2024 by Lighthouse Digest®, Inc. No story, photograph, or any other item on this website may be reprinted or reproduced without the express permission of Lighthouse Digest. For contact information, click here.