U S Coast Guard
FAQS from the Historian's office

What are some interesting facts about
lighthouses?

First Lighthouse - Boston, MA (1716)

Oldest Lighthouse in Service - Sandy Hook, NJ (1764)

Newest Shoreside Lighthouse - Charleston, SC (1962)

Tallest Lighthouse - Cape Hatteras, NC (191 ft)

Highest Lighthouse (above sea level) - Cape Mendocino, CA (515 ft)

First American-built West Coast Lighthouse - Alcatraz Lighthouse (1854)

First lighthouse to use electricity - Statue of Liberty (1886)

First Great Lakes lighthouses - Buffalo, NY & Erie, PA (1818)

Most expensive lighthouse (adjusted cost) - St. George’s Reef, CA (1891)

First lighthouse built completely by the Federal Government - Montauk Point, NY (1797)

Founding of the US Lighthouse Service - 7 August 1789

US Lighthouse Service merged with the Coast Guard - 7 July 1939

For a link to this page and other information:
http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-cp/history/h_lighthousefacts.html


TheLightkeeper

Some great facts Lightkeeper. Thanks for passsing them on.

I find it hard to believe and a little sad that we have not built a new lighthouse in over 45 years. That's progress I guess.

I'm not sure if this is true or not but when we give tours at the Fire Island Lighthouse we tell the climbers that the Fire Island Light was the last federal project to finished on time and under budget.

[This message has been edited by Mike Seewald (edited 10-14-99).]

First lighthouse to use electricity - Statue of Liberty (1886)

First lighthouse to use electricity that was decomissioned as a lighthouse - Statue of Liberty (1901)


Saint WackoPaul'
Keep the Flame

Cheer up, Mike. It's only been 37 years. (...and maybe you're not as old as you think, either!) Both are reasons to be cheerful, in a relative way.

-Ian Dury
[This message has been edited by Art (edited 10-14-99).]

The Montauk light was actually completed in 1796 but it was not lit until the Spring of 1797.

Builder John McComb arrived at Montauk in April of 1796. Construction started in May and the first stones of the foundation were put down on June 7. Around November 5, the light was completed. But the ship carrying oil to the light had been grounded, and fifteen panes of lantern glass had also been broken. The oil was finally delivered in March of 1797, about the time the new glass arrived at the district office in Sag Harbor.


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Bob Muller
Stony Brook, NY
wildbird99@aol.com
www.longislandlighthouses.com

OOPPSS!!

I guess every one in the forum knows how skilled at math I am.