Learn Lighthouse History with Harbour Lights Lighthouses
Posted: Wednesday, January 27, 2010
by Frank Cassidy
http://www.unitcoins.us
Lighthouse collectors all over the world know the name Harbour Lights Lighthouses, and they know that they craft the most beautiful, accurate, and detailed replicas of some of the world's most admired lighthouses.
One such lighthouse that Harbour Lights has managed to capture with sincerity and extreme attention to detail is the Rockland Harbor Lighthouse in Maine. During the 19th century, it was a very busy waterway. It was reported that 21,000 ships came into Rockland Harbor in one year.
In the year 1964, it was automated, like most lighthouses, and also like most lighthouses, began to fall apart. Not even ten years passed before the Coast Guard dropped a bombshell, saying they were planning to destroy the lighthouse. This didn't sit well with lighthouse preservationists and residents, so they made a group to keep the historical lighthouse from being annihilated.
The group was known as the Friends of Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse, they came together in 1999 to scrape and repaint the exterior of the majestic lighthouse, and visiting sailors from the US Navy Destroyer helped as well.
Today, the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse has been restored to its original splendor, and Harbour lights has managed to freeze the moment in time, with a stunning replica of the restored lighthouse, and has lighthouse collectors scrambling to get their hands on it.
Another momentous lighthouse that Harbour Lights has managed to capture in awe-inspiring detail, is the Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse in New Hampshire. Portsmouth was a colonial city, acting as a gateway for new colonists to enter the New World. Soon, the safety on ships entering the harbor was a real concern for colonists, after seeing all too many shipwrecks. In 1771, British soldiers were responsible for keeping up this beacon that was finally built, and they charged a tax to aid in the cost of maintenance for the lighthouse.
Throughout the American Revolution, the beacon's light was never extinguished, and in 1804, a new 80-foot wooden lighthouse was constructed. It had several names at this point: Newcastle Light, Fort Point Light, Fort Constitution Light, and Portsmouth Harbor Light.
Finally, in 1877, another lighthouse was built near the old one. It is 48 foot, made from very solid cast iron, and has kept mariners safe for more than 100 years. The American lighthouse Foundation of Wells, Maine actually leases this lighthouse from the Coast Guard, taking care of it and keeping the grounds up. Unfortunately, the old lighthouse is state owned, and is in bad repair. The American Lighthouse Foundation is trying to get more people aware of this, and raise money to allow this lighthouse to be restored to its original beauty beside the newer lighthouse.
Harbour Lights isn't only about immortalizing the gloriousness and majestic nature of the world's lighthouses, but also letting the world know the stories of these revered structures and lighthouse keepers that have saved countless lives over the centuries, and helping to save them so future generations can learn of the wonders of the world's lighthouses.
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View our large variety of collectible lighthouses by visiting Harbour Lights Lighthouses
Frank Cassidy is the owner of Compass Rose, your online resource for Nautical Gifts http://www.compass-rose.com
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