Moose Peak Light in search of an owner

One of the lighthouses currently being offered to a suitable new steward under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act is Moose Peak Light, offshore from Jonesport, Maine. You read the Notice of Availability (PDF file) by clicking here.

Like so many offshore lighthouses, Moose Peak Light took a beating in bad weather. In a storm in 1839, the high seas had washed away the footbridge to the tower and nearly destroyed the lighthouse. Keeper Alexander Milliken reported, “The lantern vibrates and trembles, and also leaks somewhat under the eaves. The distance at which the dwelling-house stands from the light-house renders it dangerous during winter to get from one to the other.”

The present lighthouse tower was built in 1851. In 1901, the walls of the tower were covered with an eight-inch-thick layer of brick masonry.

In 1898, Keeper Charles Dobbins and his son rendered “gallant assistance” to the crew of the Nova Scotia schooner Ashton. The keeper was awarded a gold watch by the Canadian government. Dobbins couldn’t accept the gift until he was authorized to do so by an act of Congress.

Moose Peak Light was automated in 1972 and the Coast Guard keepers were removed. In 1982, a military team blew up the keeper’s house as a training exercise.

USCG lightkeeping traditions shine bright during lighthouse challenge

The 2010 Midcoast Maine Lighthouse Challenge, which occurred on June 26 & 27, offered the public a unique opportunity to not only visit and tour some of the region’s most popular lighthouses, but also the chance to view and learn how the United States Coast Guard works today to keep the lights shining bright.

Click here to read the rest of this story on the American Lighthouse Foundation site.

Wanna buy a lighthouse?

Under the provisions of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000, if no suitable applicant -- such as a nonprofit group or a community -- is found for a historic lighthouse after it has been excessed by the Coast Guard, the property is sold by the GSA to the general public via an online auction. At least a dozen lighthouses have now been auctioned, including several in the Chesapeake Bay region.

Currently, there are four offshore lighthouses up for auction -- click here to see the list and current bids. The four are Borden Flats Light in Fall River, Massachusetts (see stories below); Latimer Reef Light in Fishers Island Sound, New York; Old Orchard Shoal Light and West Bank Light in New York Harbor, NY; and Ram Island Ledge Light off Cape Elizabeth, Maine. Latimer Reef has gotten a $15,000 bid, and Ram Island Ledge has a $10,000 bid. There have been no bids to date on the others.

All I can hope is that the parties who buy these priceless historic buildings realize their value to the nation as a whole, and that they give them the care they deserve. What will happen when the buyers eventually die? Will succeeding heirs possess the passion needed to care for these structures, which are extremely expensive to maintain over time? All we can do is hope for the best.

Photo: Old Orchard Shoal Light, New York.

2010 Open Houses at Plum Island Light, Newburyport, Mass.

This year's open houses at Plum Island Lighthouse, an 1898 wooden lighthouse at the northern tip of Plum Island in Newburyport, Massachusetts, will be on these dates:

July 25, Aug. 29, Sept. 26 and Oct. 10

There is a short ladder to climb to the top, so sneakers are required. Children must be at least 5 years old and meet a height requirement to travel to the top. Tours are free, but donations to support the Friends of Plum Island Light, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and restoring the lighthouse, are appreciated.

Borden Flats story not over

Click here to see the current list of online auctions being held by the GSA -- you'll see that Borden Flats Lighthouse in Fall River, Massachusetts, is one of the properties. I reported here a couple of weeks ago that the lighthouse would be re-auctioned after the 2008 buyer, Michael Gabriel, had reportedly defaulted on the property.

Mr. Gabriel says it isn't that simple. and he said in late June that he planned to go to court to stop the GSA from re-selling the lighthouse. “I want to buy the lighthouse, but they don’t want to sell it to me,” he said.

You can read all the details in the Fall River Herald News by clicking here.

Public invited to visit historic lighthouse off Cutler, Maine

Friends of Little River Lighthouse, a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation, will host an open house on July 20, 2010, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The lighthouse is located on Little River Island, off the coast of Cutler, near Machias.

The friends group will provide free boat rides to the 15-acre island, departing from the town landing in Cutler. Refreshments will be served.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

Portsmouth Harbor Light on the Fouth of July

I hope everyone had a happy 4th! Yesterday, a first ever Fourth of July open house was held at Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse in New Castle, NH. The lighthouse was appropriately decorated, as you can see in these photos by William Marshall.