fbpx

David Swain

The Lamplighters

2016-08-17T08:00:56-04:00August 17th, 2016|

Lighthouses conjure up romantic images of windswept shorelines and the intrepid keepers who maintained the light through the night. However, by the mid-20th century, technology conspired to eliminate the light keepers’ responsibilities. Electric bulbs replaced the glow of oil lanterns; electric motors made the clockwork mechanism that turned the lens obsolete. Photocells, like the kind you find on the tops of streetlights around the country, now turned the light on and off. And in 1955, [...]

Lighthouse History 1954 – 1974

2015-06-17T08:00:43-04:00June 17th, 2015|

This seventh installment in our ongoing series on the history of the St. Augustine Lighthouse focuses on the end of the lighthouse keepers at the lighthouse and environmental changes in the area. Click the links below to read previous posts in the series: Lighthouse History Pre-1874 Lighthouse History 1874-1894 (Part I) Lighthouse History 1874-1894 (Part II) Lighthouse History 1894-1914 Lighthouse History 1914-1934 Lighthouse History 1934-1954 1954 – 1974 Lighthouse keepers served a vital function, keeping [...]