Cape Meares Lighthouse vandalism

I mostly try to stick to New England stories in this blog, but I feel I have to include something on the terrible vandalism that just occurred at Oregon's Cape Meares Lighthouse. Gunshots were fired at the lantern, breaking 15 panes of glass and damaging the rare first-order Fresnel lens. Damage is estimated at $50,000, at least. Follow these links for more information:

OregonLive.com

Corvallis Gazette Times

The reward to help Oregon State Police in the investigation has now increased to $5,000; click here for details.

I know how difficult it is to preserve a historic lighthouse, and my heart goes out to everyone at Cape Meares. I hope they're able to get the lighthouse and lens fully repaired soon, and I hope they catch the SOB(s) who did the damage.

You can help by donating -- click here.

Photo of the Day: Portland Head Lighthouse, Maine

I went to visit the offices at Portland Head Light today to copy some photos. The walking around the grounds was pretty icy, but the snow, some wispy clouds, and calm seas made for nice photos. You can see the Christmas wreath on the lighthouse; there's a story about that here.

More on Portland Head Light here.

Photo of the Day: Hog Island Shoal Lighthouse, Rhode Island

This 1901 lighthouse, near Portsmouth, Rhode Island, was up for transfer in 2004 under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act (NHLPA). There were no applicants within the allotted time period, meaning the lighthouse was auctioned to the highest bidder under the provisions of the NHLPA.

In November 2006, it was announced that the lighthouse had been sold for $165,000 to Jon and Juli Chytka of South Dakota.

Click here for more on this lighthouse.

Tempête sur la pointe de Bretagne

Amazing video of lighthouses in high seas off the Brittany Coast of France.

Photo of the Day: Nubble Light in the Snow

This was taken after a snowstorm in March 2005. I posted a more distant view earlier, but I like this tightly cropped shot.

For more on the Cape Neddick "Nubble" Light, click here.

A Weekend at Goose Rocks Lighthouse, Maine

Check out this interesting story with great photos at Treehuggerphotography's Blog.

F. Ross Holland quote on lighthouses

Here's what the late historian F. Ross Holland had to say at a ceremony held at Portland Head Light in Maine on August 7, 1989:

Americans love lighthouses. Artists and photographers find them picturesque. The dreamer finds them romantic. The boaters find them comforting. The navigator finds them helpful. The shore walker finds them peaceful. The historic preservationist feels they make a statement about a period of time. The historian is fascinated with the human and technological story they embody. And the idealist is drawn to them because they symbolize man’s humanity to man. Americans truly like and respect their historic structures, but it seems to me there’s a special place in their hearts they reserve for lighthouses.

Hard to improve on that!