Bug Lights

Quite a few lighthouses, for some reason, are called "Bug Light" in addition to their given name.

Does anyone know why?

How many can we name?

Here's one to start:

Former Narrows "Bug Light", Boston Harbor

How about Portland Breakwater "Bug Light", ME

Dennis

Long Beach Bar "Bug" Lighthouse - Orient, NY

Bug Light

shirin

Duxbury Pier Light , Plymouth, MA

Dave

To answer Mombo's question about "why" some are known as "Bug Light" in addition to their "official" name -- I know that Long Beach Bar started to be known as "Bug Light" because it originally had a screwpile foundation. From a distance, it looked like a large bug walking on the water. When the cement foundation was added, it no longer looked like a bug, but by that point the name had stuck.

I see that in the link provided for the Narrows light, it also states that this light resembled a bug for the same reason you stated Diane.

Curious as to the others mentioned as they aren't screwpiles!

The other lighthouses mentioned are similar to Orient Point in Greenport which is nicknamed "the Coffee Pot" or others that I have heard referred to as 'spark plug' lights.
Bob

From the Boston Globe Article on the relighting of the Portland Breakwater Lighthouse:

"Maggie Beals, a curator at the Portland Harbor Museum, said the name Bug Light is a generic term for small lighthouses. "There are lots of Bug Lights along the coast," she said."

I found another "Bug" light today, well a former light, quite by accident.

It used to be on Plum Island, Ma.

You can read about it here, if you scroll down about 1/2 way:

http://www.lighthouse.cc/plumisland/history.html

Bug Light? Oh, I thought you were talking about Bud Light. I couldn't figure out which light looked like a beer can.

As far as the Duxbury Pier Light goes, I thought it was called the Bug Light because the actual light that illuminates is so small you could mistake it for a "lightning bug" from a distance. From a few hundred yards away, it looks like a car's tail light.

Bob