New England Lighthouses

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Sole U.S. Lighthouse Keeper to Help Issue Boston Lighthouse Stamp

The sole federal lighthouse keeper in the U.S., Sally Snowman, is speaking at the first day of issue ceremony for the new Boston Harbor Lighthouse Forever stamp. The event is free and open to the public.

WHO:

Sally Snowman – Boston Harbor Lighthouse Keeper

Captain John O’Connor – Commander / U.S. Coast Guard Boston Sector

Wanda Santos – Marketing Manager USPS Greater Boston District

Paul Medina – Postmaster New Ipswich NH / U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary

Tom Costin - Chairman Lynn, MA Business Partnership Transportation Committee, Former: Postmaster & Mayor of Lynn, MA

Honor Guard - U.S. Coast Guard, Boston MA

WHEN: Saturday, July 13, 2013, 10:00 a.m.

WHERE: Rose Kennedy Greenway 191 w Atlantic Avenue Boston, MA (Between Faneuil Hall and the Boston Harbor Hotel)

DETAILS: The Postal Service is holding five simultaneous ceremonies on July 13 in five different states for the issuance of five New England Coastal Lighthouse Forever Stamps. In addition to the Boston Harbor Lighthouse in Massachusetts, the featured lighthouses include: Portland Head in Maine, Portsmouth Harbor in New Hampshire, Point Judith in Rhode Island, and New London Harbor in Connecticut. Take a video tour of the lighthouses at: about.usps.com/news/events-calendar/ne-lighthouses/welcome.htm

Boston Harbor Light, North America’s first true light station, was built in 1716. Three years later a cannon—America’s first fog signal—was added to the light station. During the Revolutionary War, as British forces abandoned the area in 1776, they demolished the lighthouse by blowing it up. A new rubblestone tower, 75-feet tall, replaced the destroyed lighthouse in 1783; it was raised an additional 14 feet in 1859, when its current second-order Fresnel lens was also installed. After large cracks appeared in the east wall in 1809, iron hoops were installed for support; aluminum bands replaced the corroded iron in 1973–74. The lighthouse was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964. Standing on Little Brewster Island within the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreational Area, it was the last lighthouse in the United States to be automated—in 1998—and is the only remaining American lighthouse to have a resident keeper employed by the federal government. Customers may purchase the New England Coastal Lighthouses Forever stamps at usps.com/stamps, at 800-STAMP-24 (800-782-6724) and at Post Offices nationwide on July 13.

Monday, April 29, 2013

Everyday Heroes: The True Story of a Lighthouse Family

New Book for Lovers of Lighthouses, New England, and Coastal History

Everyday Heroes: The True Story of a Lighthouse Family

Lighthouses are an essential part of our American culture, reminding us that our nation was built on maritime commerce. They stand as symbols of altruism, strength, hope, faith and guidance. And today, in the age of automation, they also stand as memorials to the lighthouse keepers and their families who once devoted themselves to “keeping a good light” in service to mariners.

Traditional lighthouse keeping has passed into history with automation, but there are still those who recall lighthouse life with nostalgia. Seamond Ponsart Roberts, daughter of a lighthouse keeper, is one of those people. Seamond was born while her parents lived at the rugged Dumpling Rock Light Station off Dartmouth, Massachusetts. She went on to spend the rest of her youth at two other southeastern Massachusetts light stations: Cuttyhunk Island and West Chop on Martha’s Vineyard.

During her lighthouse years, Seamond experienced good times and bad, tragedy and heroism. She is a born storyteller who has always shared her memories with family and friends, and her unique story is now told in the new book, Everyday Heroes: The True Story of a Lighthouse Family. “I am, and always will be, a lighthouse keeper's daughter. I had the good fortune to be born to a different kind of childhood. I didn't recognize this fact back when I was small. I thought that everybody lived like we did on our little island of Cuttyhunk, Massachusetts, which in itself was a life apart,” she writes.

This is the true story of a family's life at lighthouses on the edge of civilization. It's a story of adventure, danger, devotion to duty, and love. Seamond Ponsart Roberts shares her memories and emotions with good humor, a sharp eye for detail, and above all an appreciation for a way of life that has passed into history.

252 pages, soft cover, illustrated with 26 black and white photos and maps.

Published in April 2013 by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform and Coastlore Media.

Click here to order from Amazon.com ($15.29)

Email nelights@gmail.com to order or for more information.

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Haunted Lighthouses of Maine motorcoach tour

Join the Adventure with Mysterious Destinations and tour the Haunted Lighthouses of Maine this Summer!

Your 4-day, 3-night trip will include tours of seven haunted Maine lighthouses, and three haunted Maine villages as well as a visit to the Maine Lighthouse Museum.

Two tours scheduled for 2013 -

August 12-15 and September 16-19

Click here for all the details of this spooktacular tour.

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

News from Hospital Point Light, Beverly, Massachusetts

With the arrival of the holiday season last month, the Hospital Point Lighthouse Team continued their tradition of placing a holiday wreath and a star on the Hospital Point Lighthouse in Beverly, Massachusetts. The Lighthouse Team, comprised of 21 members from the North Shore Division, look forward to this annual event.

At left, Coast Guard Auxiliarists Ted Karr, Bob Olenio, Mike Henderson, and Walt Blazewich tend the lines from the ground while Rich Skryness and Kevin Meagher guide the wreath from the top. As one of Beverly's most familiar landmarks, the lighthouse commands a spectacular view of Salem Sound and three other area lighthouses.

The Hospital Point Team Leader, Phil Karwowski, recently won third place in the 2012 Essex National Heritage Area Photo Contest. His entry "First Light" (right), a photo of Hospital Point Lighthouse, won third prize in the "Images of the Essex National Heritage Area" category.

The photo was taken at sunrise on a clear but chilly January morning. This photo, along with those of the other winners, will be exhibited at the National Park Visitor Center in Salem and at the office of the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission in Haverhill for one year.

Friday, November 9, 2012