For hundreds of years lighthouses have been used by sea-farers and traders as a navigation tool and flashing alert of a dangerous shoreline ahead. The earliest known lighthouse structure was built in Egypt nearly 2,000 years ago. Archaeologists have uncovered more than 30 lighthouses built by the ancient Romans. The Tower of Hercules, built in northern Spain during the first century A.D., is the oldest functioning lighthouse in the world.

Here in the U.S., the first British colonial lighthouse was built in 1716 in Boston. In 1789 Congress created the U.S. Lighthouse Establishment to manage the 12 colonial lighthouses under federal control. Of those original 12, Sandy Hook Lighthouse, built in 1764 in New Jersey, is the only one remaining. Built of wood or stone, these early lighthouses suffered the ravages of time and the relentless pounding of water eroding the foundation upon which they were built. By 1789 new lighthouses were built of brick and cut stone, yet less than a handful have survived such as the Portland Head Lighthouse in Maine built in 1790, and the Cape Henry Lighthouse in Virginia, built in 1792.

Early lighthouses were illuminated by lamps fueled by coal, whale oil or kerosene. It was the lighthouse keeper’s job to make sure the lamps remained constantly burning, often requiring them to make countless trips up and down winding stairs to refuel. It wasn’t until 1822 when the Fresnel lens, so named after its’ creator, Frenchman Augustin Fresnel, forever changed the distance range and intensity of the lighthouse beacon. The Fresnel lens is, in an overly simplified explanation, a network of rings consisting of hundreds of hand-cut glass prisms inside a steel frame. This lens, surrounding the lamp, allowed for a focused, concentrated beam of light that could be seen for up to 20 miles. The lens, in conjunction with each lighthouses’ distinctive and unique day and night marks alerted sailors to their ships’ location along the coastline — day marks being the particular color and pattern of the lighthouse; night marks being the distinctive light pattern that was fixed and flashing or rotating and flashing. Different lighthouses would flash at different rates so sailors could time the flashes to figure out which lighthouse they were looking at and where they were.

After 1852, Fresnel lenses became standard equipment on newly built lighthouses. On No. 22, 1886, the Statue of Liberty became the first lighthouse powered by electricity, serving the New York harbor for 16 years. By the turn of the 20th century the U.S. had more than 1,000 operating lighthouses, most of which transitioned to electric by the 1930s due to the expansion of electricity. Manned lighthouses were all but gone by the 1960s and by the 1970s fewer than 60 manned lighthouses existed nationwide.

The year 2000 brought about the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act. This Act created a process by which decommissioned federally owned lighthouses could convey to private hands. Recognizing the historical, cultural and educational value of lighthouse property, the Act allowed for the transfer of ownership, free of charge, to federal agencies, non-profit organizations, state and local governments, educational organizations, and community development agencies with the understanding that the new lighthouse stewards had the financial means to maintain the lighthouse and would make it available to the general public at reasonable times and under reasonable conditions. If none of the above came forward, then the lighthouse would go up for public auction through the General Services Administration (GSA). If you’ve ever dreamed of owning your very own lighthouse visit this website: disposal.gsa.gov/lighthouseprogram for a list of available lighthouse properties for purchase.

These lighthouses of yesteryear continue to fascinate and delight the young and old alike. From the Northwest to the Great Lakes; Mid-Atlantic to New England; California to Florida, visitors by the thousands spend their vacations, cameras in tow, to get a glimpse and a snap of nautical history. What better way to cap off a vacation by actually spending the night in a real lighthouse! The U.S. Lighthouse Society has a list of available lighthouse accommodations by state on their website. I’m guessing it will be a shared family experience that will be talked about for years to come.