The Beacons Are Lit

The earliest lighthouses were nothing more than fires built on platforms to mark the entrances to ports, but nowadays lighthouses are towering structures with electric lights and revolving lenses that shine light miles out to sea. Where can you go to walk where lightkeepers have walked before? Many lighthouses no longer fulfill their original function, so consider visiting a few of the oldest lighthouses still in operation around the world.

Sandy Hook Lighthouse

• Sandy Hook, Middletown Township, New Jersey, USA.
• Completed in 1764.

Sandy Hook Lighthouse proudly claims the title of oldest operating lighthouse in the US, seeing as it was never destroyed nor rebuilt. It has been a beacon of guidance since its construction. It was originally commissioned in response to petitions from prominent New York merchants for a lighthouse to be erected on Sandy Hook to guide ships safely to harbor. Today, the lighthouse is automated and kept lit 24 hours a day. The National Park Service offers tours of the lighthouse, guiding visitors up the 95 steps and nine-rung ladder to the top.

Macquarie Lighthouse

• South Head, Sydney, Australia.
• Built in 1818. Rebuilt in 1883.

Macquarie Lighthouse, commissioned by Governor Macquarie, is Australia’s first and longest operating lighthouse. Francis Greenway, a famous convict architect, was put in charge of building the structure, and Governor Macquarie was so pleased with the result that he granted Greenway emancipation. Due to issues with the poor-quality sandstone used to construct the tower, it needed to be rebuilt in 1883—something Greenway warned would happen. The new tower was built as a replica of the old one and stands strong today.

Boston Light

• Little Brewster Island, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
• Originally built in 1716. Rebuilt in 1783.

Early on, Boston Light was often damaged by fires and storms, but it experienced the most significant damage during the American Revolutionary War. When British troops occupied Boston and held Boston Light, the Americans would burn it. Then the British would repair it only for the Americans to burn it again. Finally, in 1776, the British blew the poor tower up as they were leaving Boston. It was rebuilt in 1783. In 1989, the US Senate also passed a law to keep Boston Light permanently manned instead of automated, as many have now become. Now it stands proud as the only manned lighthouse in the US.

Mahabalipuram Lighthouse

• Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu, India.
• Fully operational in 1904.

Mahabalipuram Lighthouse has the bonus of standing next to India’s oldest lighthouse, Olakkannesvara Temple, which was built around 640 CE. At that time, Mahabalipuram was a busy port, so the light shining from the temple was essential for safe docking. In 1887, the British installed a more conventional light on the roof of the temple, which was used until the construction of the Mahabalipuram Lighthouse. While this lighthouse is the youngest in the lineup, its rich history more than makes up for it. In fact, there is a lighthouse museum nearby, open daily to visitors wanting to learn more about the lights along India’s shores.

Tower of Hercules

• A Coruña, Galicia, Spain.
• First built toward the end of the 1st century. Fully operational since 1684.

The history of the Tower of Hercules is long and complicated. It was originally constructed by the Romans, but no one knows what this original structure looked like. All we have left are the foundation stones. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Tower of Hercules lost its role as a lighthouse for a considerable amount of time. At certain points, it was used as a defensive castle or even as a quarry to supply new materials for the construction of the surrounding village. It began to be restored in the 17th century and became a somewhat slapped-together lighthouse again. However, because the restorations were never complete, it deteriorated again in the beginning of the 18th century. Finally, toward the end of the 18th century, military engineer Eustaquio Giannini—authorized by King Charles III—fully restored the Tower of Hercules to what we know today.

Hook Lighthouse

• Hook Head, County Wexford, Ireland.
• Built 800 years ago, roughly 1210 to 1230.

Hook Lighthouse currently claims the title of oldest intact operating lighthouse in the world. It started in the sixth century as a small beacon on the Irish shore, kept alight by monks until it was replaced by the tower. The tower was constructed in the thirteenth century by William Marshal, a man known as “the greatest knight that ever lived.” Now, you can go up the 115 steps to learn about it, walking where lightkeepers have walked before to end with a spectacular view of the sea.

—Lenicka Lee

Sources

www.nps.gov