Photo Gallery Number Five
On the southern tip of New Jersey stands the Cape May Point Lighthouse.
The present tower was built in 1859, but a light has stood here for more than 160 years.
It stands 157.5 feet tall and still operates as an active aid to navigation in the area.
While there you can climb the spiral staircase to the top and take in the breathtaking view
of Sunset and Higbee Beaches, as well as the quaint seaside town of Cape May.
Just south of the city of Portland, on the Maine coast, is the Cape Neddick Light, more
commonly known simply as "Nubble". The tower was built in 1879, and is the original structure.
It's beacon is a red flashing light that shines every six seconds. In its history it has seen
a baby born in the station, and the daughter of one of the keepers was married in the lantern room
at the top of the tower. If you visit on a night in December, you will see the house and out-buildings
decorated with Christmas lights by the current keeper.
Along the coast in Rockland, Maine, you will find the Rockland Breakwater Light.
It was built in 1888 at the end of a stone jetty extending over a mile from the shore into the harbor.
The light flashes white every five seconds, and also has a foghorn to aid navigation in the fickle
Maine weather. From the jetty, looking toward the north, you can just see the light shown in the next picture.
Far off in the distance from Rockland Harbor you can see the Curtis Island Light, which guards
the entrance to Camden Harbor. It shines a fixed, green light, and was first built in 1836. This photograph
was taken from Rockland, and enlarged significantly for this page, so the image is not quite
as good as it should be.
A few miles east of Savannah, Georgia is where you can find this historic light.
Known as the Tybee Island Light Station, the upper tower was built in 1866, on top of the lower
section which dates from all the way back to 1773, three years before the Declaration of Independance.
The top is open to visitors, and even though you must climb 178 stairs to get there, the view from outside the
lantern room is certainly worth the effort. All of the support buildings below the tower are still there, and
can be toured as well.
Have you ever wondered what the light fixture in a lighthouse must look like?
What kind of bulb puts out enough power so as to be seen for miles over dark, sometimes foggy
or stormy seas? Of course, long ago lighthouses were powered by oil lamps that had to be constantly
tended and fueled. When electricity took over, the life of a lighthouse keeper became much easier.
Still, the bulbs and lenses had to be sufficient for the task. Today, most lighthouses rely more on
high quality prism lenses than the power of the bulbs to increase the yield of available light.
If you click on the image below, you will see a large detail of the light at the top of the
Tybee Island Light Station in Georgia.
Click here for Photo Gallery Number Six (Acadia I)
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