Photo of the Day: Prospect Harbor Lighthouse, Maine

This lighthouse is on a U.S. Navy base with very high security, so the public can't get onto the grounds. The keeper's house is a available for vacation housing for active and retired military people.

The lighthouse tower is cared for by the American Lighthouse Foundation. You can get a good view near the entrance to the base. Click here for more info.

Photo of the Day: New London Ledge Lighthouse, CT, in the fog

New London Ledge Lighthouse is at the mouth of the Thames River, near Groton and New London, Connecticut.

This was taken early in the morning after I had spent the night inside the lighthouse with the New England Ghost Project and a TV crew from "American Builder." New London Ledge Lighthouse has a reputation for being haunted. (See www.ghostvillage.com/resources/2007/gc_10032007.shtml)

For more on New London Ledge Lighthouse, click here.

Photo of the Day: Browns Head Lighthouse, Maine

Taken during a cruise in October 2005. This lighthouse is the home of the Vinalhaven town manager -- not a bad gig!

Click here for more on this lighthouse.

Lecture at North Hampton (NH) Library on February 10

I'll be speaking about southern Maine and NH lighthouses -- click here for the details.

Rusty Nelson, an extraordinary volunteer, will be missed

I've just learned that Lester "Rusty" Nelson passed away on January 5, 2010, at 80. Rusty was a longtime volunteer for the Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse Trust in South Portland, Maine. He was a graphic designer by trade, and for many years he did the layout for the U.S. Lighthouse Society's magazine, Keeper's Log, and designed the stamps for their "lighthouse passport" program. He also created the historic displays inside Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse.

It was a 1991 visit to the Shore Village Museum in Rockland, Maine, that sparked Rusty's passion for lighthouses. In 1995, he became a trustee of the Portland Harbor Museum and the museum's resident “lighthouse person.” In 1998, he became the first chairman of the new Spring Point Ledge Light Trust, a position he held for five years. Rusty also spearheaded the relighting of Portland Breakwater Lighthouse (Bug Light).

Rusty was always cordial and pleasant -- a true gentleman. He once said that the best part of working with lighthouses is the people you meet.

He was the kind of volunteer any organization would be very lucky to have, and he will truly be missed in the lighthouse community. A memorial service will be held at a later date.

Left: Rusty Nelson talks to visitors inside Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse.

Portsmouth Harbor lighthouse in need of a new coat of paint

Foster's Daily Democrat
By Charles McMahon

Thursday, January 7, 2010

NEW CASTLE, NH — It seems as if every time Jeremy D'Entremont visits the Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse these days, more and more paint has chipped away from the pearly white beacon, and rust has gradually begun to pop up on the outer facade.

For D'Entremont, operations manager for Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, the flaking paint and rust spots are an "ongoing battle" that need to be addressed sooner rather than later.

Click here to read the rest of this story.

Photo of the Day: Stratford Point Lighthouse, Connecticut

Sadly, the grounds at this attractive lighthouse are normally off limits to the public because a Coast Guard family lives in the keeper's house. This photo was taken during a bus tour that visited there a few years back.

Click here for more on this lighthouse.