National Lighthouse Day | |
Tybee Island Lighthouse, Georgia (c) Wednesday Elf |
On August 7, 1789, Congress approved an Act to establish and support lighthouses, beacons, buoys and public piers.
On the 200th Anniversary of this Act, August 7, 1989, Congress passed a resolution to designate August 7th as National Lighthouse Day. To honor this day, let's review a few lighthouses through stories, photos, and a handmade lighthouse picture afghan.
Lighthouse Enthusiast
Cape Florida Lighthouse Greeting Card |
The lighthouse expert on Review This! is Mary Beth (mbgphoto), who has captured the images of over 100 lighthouses around the United States through her very fine photographs. Check out a few of her outstanding images on her blog, (Lighthouse Musings) as she tells the story behind each one.
Then visit Mary Beth's charming Zazzle Store called “Lighthouse Enthusiast” for a wide variety of products decorated with her beautiful lighthouse photographs, such as the lovely photo of the Cape Florida Lighthouse shown above on a greeting card.
Mary Beth has also shared several of her fabulous lighthouse photographs from her various visits to lighthouses around the country in her salute for Review This of National Lighthouse Day.
Fun Lighthouse Facts
- There are 391 lighthouses on the East Coast of the United States and 94 on the West Coast.
- Thirty Seven (37) states have lighthouses. Surprisingly, the state of Michigan (located on inland lakes, not an ocean) has over 120 lighthouses.
Of course, Michigan is known as the Land of the Inland Seas and has connections to 4 of the 5 Great Lakes with 3,200 miles of coastline, so sailors on these often temperamental inland seas certainly need the help of the lighthouses as much as ocean-going vessels.
- The OLDEST lighthouse is the Boston Lighthouse on Little Brewster Island built in 1716. But due to being heavily damaged in the American Revolutionary War it had to be renovated (in 1783) before being put back into service. Therefore, it is no longer the oldest ORIGINAL lighthouse.
- The oldest original lighthouse in the US is the Sandy Hook Lighthouse in New Jersey. It was built in 1764, and is still flashing it's light today. Just ask mbgphoto ~ she's been there, as you can see in her outstanding lighthouse photo above.
My Favorite Lighthouse
Tybee Island Light |
I've visited a number of lighthouses over the years, but the lighthouse that has become most dear to me is the Tybee Island Light Station at Tybee Island, Georgia. It's one of seven Colonial lighthouses; this one originally built in 1732 at the entrance of the Savannah River, which separates Georgia from South Carolina.
The Tybee Lighthouse has been a navigational aid for 270 years. For 13 of those years, I lived on Tybee Island where I could see the lighthouse every day! And, our daughter was married there in the Lightkeepers Cottage!
Handcrafted Lighthouse Afghan Pattern
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Afghan Pattern on Etsy |
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse NC – Cape Hatteras Light is a lighthouse located on Hatteras Island in the Outer Banks in the town of Buxton, North Carolina and is part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The Outer Banks are a group of barrier islands on the North Carolina coast that separate the Atlantic Ocean from the coastal sounds and inlets. The pattern for this Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Afghan was originally designed as C2C Afghan, but the graph included with this pattern can also be used for knitting, cross stitch, Tunisian crochet, latch hooking, etc.
Celebrate National Lighthouse Day each Year on August 7th or Enjoy a Lighthouse Anytime Throughout the Year!
Tybee Island Lighthouse Journal |
National Lighthouse Day commemorates a beacon of light that symbolizes safety and security for boats at sea.
Celebrate anytime by visiting a lighthouse, or learning more about a local lighthouse. This Lighthouse Journal will help you keep track of your lighthouse visits.
Article by Wednesday Elf
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