Sunday, August 31, 2014

Literary Site: Wallace Stevens Walk - Hartford, CT

Wallace Stevens Walk
Hartford, CT

Start 690 Asylum Avenue
GPS: N41° 46.113; W72° 41.257

Short Description:

The Wallace Stevens Walk follows the footsteps of poet from his workplace at the Hartford Insurance Co. at 690 Asylum Avenue. From there, go west on Asylum Avenue until a Terry Road. Make a right on to Terry Road and then a left onto Westerly Terrace to reach his home at 118 Westerly Terrace.  Along the way are 13 granite stones, each inscribed with a verse from his poem "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird".

Long Description:

Wallace Stevens  was an American poet born in Reading, PA in 1879. He attended Harvard University and the New York Law School then, in 1916, he joined the Hartford Accident & Indemnity Company, serving  as vice president from 1934 until his death in 1955. He is considered one of the foremost modern American poets and was awarded the Pulitizer Prize in 1954 for his work Collected Poems.

Wallace Stevens never learned to drive. He would  walk to and from work, often composing poetry along the way.  Thirteen granite stones are erected along his path. Each inscribed with a stanza from his poem, "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird."


I
Among twenty snowy mountains,  
The only moving thing  
Was the eye of the blackbird.  

GPS:  N41° 46.113; W72° 41.257



II
I was of three minds,
Like a tree
In which there are three blackbirds.

GPS: N41° 46.171; W72° 41.456



III
The blackbird whirled in the autumn winds.
It was a small part of the pantomime.

GPS: N41° 46.198; W72° 41.554



IV
A man and a woman
Are one.
A man and a woman and a blackbird
Are one.

GPS: N41° 46.286; W72° 41.830



V
I do not know which to prefer,
The beauty of inflections
Or the beauty of innuendoes,
The blackbird whistling
Or just after.

GPS: N41° 46.320; W72° 41.948



VI
Icicles filled the long window
With barbaric glass.
The shadow of the blackbird
Crossed it, to and fro.
The mood
Traced in the shadow
An indecipherable cause.

GPS: N41° 46.350; W72° 42.054



VII
O thin men of Haddam,
Why do you imagine golden birds?
Do you not see how the blackbird
Walks around the feet
Of the women about you?

GPS: N41° 46.337; W72° 42.132




VIII
I know noble accents
And lucid, inescapable rhythms;
But I know, too,
That the blackbird is involved
In what I know.

GPS: N41° 46.429; W72° 42.286



IX
When the blackbird flew out of sight,
It marked the edge
Of one of many circles.
GPS:  N41° 46.596; W72° 42.657




X
At the sight of blackbirds
Flying in a green light,
Even the bawds of euphony
Would cry out sharply.

GPS: N41° 46.710; W72° 42.690



XI
He rode over Connecticut
In a glass coach.
Once, a fear pierced him,
In that he mistook
The shadow of his equipage
For blackbirds.

GPS: N41° 46.919; W72° 42.680



XII
The river is moving.
The blackbird must be flying.

GPS: N41° 46.997; W72° 42.764


XIII
It was evening all afternoon.
It was snowing
And it was going to snow.
The blackbird sat
In the cedar-limbs.

GPS:  N41° 47.097; W72° 42.767

Wallace Stevens Home - 118 Westerly Terrace

While living in this home Wallace Stevens  wrote and published several collections of poems. Wikipedia list the following publications.

Poetry

Harmonium (1923)
Ideas of Order (1936)
Owl's Clover (1936)
The Man with the Blue Guitar (1937)
Parts of a World (1942)
Transport to Summer (1947)
The Auroras of Autumn (1950)
Collected Poems (1954)
Posthumous collections
Opus Posthumous (1957)
The Palm at the End of the Mind (1972)
Collected Poetry and Prose (New York: The Library of America, 1997)
Selected Poems (John N. Serio, ed.) (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2009)

Prose

The Necessary Angel (essays) (1951)

Posthumous publications

Letters of Wallace James Stevens, edited by Holly Stevens (1966)
Secretaries of the Moon: The Letters of Wallace Stevens & Jose Rodriguez Feo, edited by Beverly Coyle and Alan Filreis (1986)
Sur plusieurs beaux sujects: Wallace Stevens's Commonplace Book, edited by Milton J. Bates (1989)
The Contemplated Spouse: The Letters of Wallace Stevens to Elsie Kachel, edited by D.J. Blount (2006)

Saturday, August 30, 2014

Literary Site: Harriett Beecher Stowe Home - Hartford, CT

Harriett Beecher Stowe Home
Hartford, CT


GPS: N41° 46.002; W072° 42.023

Short Description: 

The Hartford, CT home of Harriett Beecher Stowe is located at 77 Forest Street in an area once known as Nook Farm.


Long Description:

Harriett Beecher was born in Litchfield, CT on June 14, 1811. When she was 21 she moved to Cincinnati, Ohio where her father was president of Lane Theological Seminary. In 1836, she married a professor at the Seminary, Calvin Ellis Stowe.

The family moved to Brunswick, ME when Calvin took a position a Bowdoin College. It was here she wrote, in 1851, the widely read, anti-slavery novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin, which is credited with inspiring a more fervent abolitionist movement in the north.

After her husband retired they moved to the writers colony at Nook Farm in Hartford, CT, where she continued to write. In 1873, she moved into into a brick Victorian Gothic cottage-style house on Forest Street where She remained for 23 years until her death on July 1, 1896. While in Hartford she wrote some of her best known works including: The American Woman's Home (1869), Lady Byron Vindicated (1871) and Pogunuc People (1878).

A pair of plaques on her home are inscribed:


HARRIETT BEECHER STOWE
DAUGHTER OF 
THE REVEREND LYMAN AND ROXANNA FOOTE BEECHER
BORN LITCHFIELD CONNECTICUT 14 JUNE 1811
MARRIED AT CINCINNATI OHIO 6 JANUARY 1836
TO CALVIN ELLIS STOWE
WROTE "UNCLE TOM'S CABIN" AT BRUNSWICK, MAINE IN 1851
RESIDED IN THIS HOUSE FROM 1873
UNTIL HER DEATH 1 JULY 1896

"AS COLUMBUS SOUGHT AN OLD CONTINENT AND DISCOVERED
A NEW ONE SO HARRIETT BEECHER STOWE MEANT TO WRITE
AN ARGUMENT ON AN OLD THEME AND SUCCEEDED IN
WRITING AN IMMORTAL CLASSIC"

WILLIAM LYON PHELPS

and

THIS TABLET PLACED BY 
THE HARTFORD COLONY
NATIONAL SOCIETY
NEW ENGLAND WOMEN
13 JUNE 1955

Wikipedia list the following books written by Harriett Beecher Stowe:

The Mayflower; or, Sketches of Scenes and Characters Among the Descendants of the Pilgrims (1834)
Mark Meriden (1841)
Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852)
A Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin (1853)
Dred, A Tale of the Great Dismal Swamp (1856)
The Minister's Wooing (1859)
Agnes of Sorrento (1862) (reading online)
The Pearl of Orr's Island (1862)
The Chimney Corner (1866) (chapters published in Atlantic Monthly Volume 18)
The American Woman's Home (1869) (with Catherine Beecher) (see summary and links to the book here)
Old Town Folks (1869)
Little Pussy Willow (1870)
Lady Byron Vindicated (1870)
My Wife and I (1871)
Pink and White Tyranny (1871)
Woman in Sacred History (1873)
Palmetto Leaves (1873)
We and Our Neighbors (1875)
Poganuc People (1878)
The Poor Life (1890)
He's Coming Tomorrow (unknown)

As Christopher Crowfield

House and Home Papers (1865)
Little Foxes (1866)
The Harriet Beecher Stowe Center was established to preserve and interpret Harriett Beecher Stowe's home and historic collections, to promote discussion of her life and work, and to inspire commitment to social justice and positive change.

The home is open by guided tour.
Monday-Saturday: 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Sundays: Noon - 5:00 PM
Last tour steps off at 4:30 PM
Open M.L. King Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day and Columbus Day.
Closed Tuesdays from January to March, New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, July 4, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Friday, August 29, 2014

Literary Site: Mark Twain House and Museum - Hartford, CT

Mark Twain House and Museum
Hartford, CT


GPS: N41° 46.018; W072° 42.070

Short Description: 

The Mark Twain House and Museum is located at 351 Farmington Avenue, Hartford, CT.
Location: Connecticut, United States



Long Description:

Mark Twain was the pen name of Samuel Langhorne Clemens who was born in Florida, MO on November 30, 1835. Early in life his family moved to Hannibal, MO on the Mississippi River. His experiences with the people of the river inspired his most famous characters and novels - The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

Samuel and Olivia "Livy" Clemens were married in 1870 and moved to Hartford in 1871. They then purchased land on Farmington Avenue and in 1873 they commissioned New York architect Edward Tuckerman Potter to design their house. The three story house is 11‚500 square feet and has 25 rooms. When built in 1874 it was lit by gaslight, had seven bathrooms with hot and cold running water and flush toilets, and a shower. Cost of construction was between $40,000 to $45,000.

Mark Twain lived in this Gothic mansion in Hartford, CT from 1874 until 1891. During the seventeen years that he lived in the Hartford home, Mark Twain completed The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876)., The Prince and the Pauper (1881), The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884), and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889).

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Coastal Lighthouses: Ten Pound Island Light Station - Gloucester, MA

Ten Pound Island Light Station
Gloucester, MA

GPS: N42° 36.110; W070° 39.931

Short Description:


Ten Pound Island Light Station is located on a small island at the eastern end of Gloucester Harbor.



Long Description:

Ten Pound Island Light Station was established in 1821 to mark Gloucester's inner harbor. The conical cast iron tower replaced the original stone tower in 1881. The tower is 30 feet tall and topped with a fifth-order lantern. Other buildings include a granite oil house (1821) and a keeper's dwelling. Ten Pound Island Light Station was decommissioned in 1956 and replaced by a modern optic on top of  an old bell tower on the island. The same optic was subsequently moved to a skeleton tower on the island. The original Fresnel lens was removed from the lantern and is currently on display at the Maine Lighthouse Museum in Rockland, Maine.

The light station can be viewed from the Gloucester waterfront. 


Data from Wikipedia:

Year first constructed 1821
Year first lit 1881
Automated 1934
Deactivated 1956 - 1989
Foundation Brick
Construction Stone and cast iron
Tower shape Conical tower
Markings / pattern White with black lantern
Height 39 feet (12 m)
Focal height 57 feet (17 m)
Original lens 5th order Fresnel lens
Current lens 250 millimetres (9.8 in) lens
Range 5 nautical miles (9.3 km; 5.8 mi)
Characteristic Isophase Red 6 seconds
Fog signal Original: Bell
Now: Horn: 2 every 20 seconds
Admiralty number J0284
ARLHS number USA-839
USCG number 1-9895


Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Coastal Lighthouse: Eastern Point Lighthouse - East Gloucester, MA

Eastern Point Lighthouse
East Gloucester, MA


GPS: N42° 34.867; W070° 39.851

Short Description:

Eastern Point Lighthouse is located at the entrance to Gloucester Harbor.

Long Description:

Construction of Eastern Point Lighthouse began in 1831 to protect shipping in and out of Gloucester Harbor from dangerous off-shore rocks. Originally, it beamed a fixed white light. In 1848, the original lighthouse was replaced by a 34' structure and the white light was replaced by a fixed red light. In 1857, a fourth-order Fresnel lens was installed that had a visibility of about 12 miles as well as a fog bell. The famous painter of seascapes, Winslow Homer, lived at the light house in 1880. In 1882, the light was replaced by a fourth-order flashing red light.

In 1890, the present 36' light tower was built. The station was electrified in 1896 and received city water in 1901. The lighthouse was fully automated in 1985. The Eastern Point Lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.



The coordinates are for the parking lot where you can safely view the lighthouse from behind the fence. To enjoy same perspective as on postal card you must scramble down the rocks on the east side of the lighthouse at low tide on a calm day. The view is well worth the effort. The postal card was one of three issued in 1972 as part of the Tourism Year of the Americas.

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Cape Cod lighthouse: Highland (Cape Cod) Light North Truro, MA

Highland (Cape Cod) Light
North Truro, MA

GPS: N42 2.359; W70 3.722

Short Description:

Highland Light, a.k.a. Cape Cod Light, is the oldest lighthouse on Cape Cod. It is located on Atlantic Ocean  on the northeast part of Cape Cod

Long Description:

From Wikipedia website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland_Light

In 1797,  George Washington established a wood lighthouse at this place to warn ships about the dangerous coastline between Cape Ann and Nantucket. It was the first light on Cape Cod. In 1833, the wood structure was replaced by brick and in 1840 a new lantern and lighting apparatus was installed. In 1857 the lighthouse was declared dangerous and demolished, and the current brick tower was constructed, with a first order Fresnel lens from Paris. Along with the lighthouse, there was a keeper's building and a generator shed, both of which can still be seen today.

In 1932 the lamp was upgraded to a 1000-watt beacon. The Fresnel lens system was replaced by a Carlisle & Finch DCB-224, with a second unit as backup. Fresnel lens was largely destroyed when it was removed in 1998.. In 1998, a VRB-25 optical system was installed.


Because of cliff erosion the lighthouse was moved 450 feet to the west.  It is now on the grounds of the Highland Golf Course.

Year first constructed 1797
Year first lit 1857 (current structure)
Automated 1987
Foundation Natural/emplaced
Construction Brick
Tower shape Conical
Markings / pattern White with black lantern
Height 66 feet (20 m)
Focal height 170 feet (52 m)
Original lens 1st order Fresnel lens
Current lens VRB-25
Range 18 nautical miles (33 km; 21 mi)
Characteristic Fl W 5s, lighted continuously
Fog signal none
Admiralty number J0390
ARLHS number USA-110
USCG number 1-500

Monday, August 25, 2014

Cape Cod Lighthouse: Nauset Light - Eastham, MA

Nauset Light
Eastham, MA


GPS: N41° 51.609 W69° 57.169

Short Description:

Nauset Light is located in the Cape Cod National Seashore midway along the Atlantic Coast of Cape Cod.

Long Description

From the Coast Guard website: http://www.uscg.mil/history/weblighthouses/LHMA.asp

Location: CAPE COD - BOSTON APPROACH
Station Established: 1838
Year Current/Last Tower(s) First Lit: 1877
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1952
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: CONCRETE (RE-ERECTED 1923)
Construction Materials: CAST IRON W/BRICK LINING
Tower Shape: CONICAL
Markings/Pattern: UPPER RED, LOWER WHITE W/BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPARATE
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL 1923

Historical Information:

* 1833 – Boston Marine Society formed a committee to study the need for a lighthouse on the outer portion of Cape Cod. The report recommended building three towers between Highland (Cape Cod Truro) and Chatham (two towers). Congress allocated $10,000 for the project.
* 1837 – Three brick towers (known as the Three Sisters) were built on five acres of land which had been purchased for $150.00.
* 1858 – A 6th order Fresnel lens was installed.
* 1868 – Extensive repairs were made to the Keeper’s house – including ten new window frames, a chimney extension and a new sill. More repairs were made the following year.
* 1873 – The 6th order lens was replaced with a 4th order lens.
* 1892 – The three brick towers had deteriorated and were rebuilt as three wooden towers.
* 1893 – British bark Jason ran aground in a snowstorm near the lighthouses.
* 1895 – Storm porches were added to the three towers.
* 1911 – The center tower was moved back from the edge of the eroding cliff.
* 1918 – The two end towers were sold for the sum of $3.50. They became part of a summer cottage.
* 1923 – The one remaining wooden tower was replaced by one of the two cast iron towers at Chatham. The wooden tower was then sold and used as part of another summer cottage. (This tower was later sold back to the National Park Service (NPS) to be re-united with its “sisters”).
* 1939 – Keeper’s house moved onto new foundation featuring a walk-in cellar.
* 1940/41 – The top half of the tower was painted red for the first time.
* 1955 – Light automated. The characteristic was changed to alternating red and white.
* 1965 – The NPS bought back the two towers that had been sold in 1918.
* 1983 – The additions that had been added to the third tower, by the previous owner, were removed.
* 1984 – Maltese freighter Eldia driven into the beach by hurricane force winds.
* 1990 – NPS moved all three of the wooden towers to their current position in Eastham, MA.
* 1993 – The U.S. Coast Guard proposed decommissioning the lighthouse due to the erosion of the cliff. The Nauset Light Preservation Society (NLPS) was formed.
* 1995 – The NLPS signed a long-term lease for the lighthouse.
* 1996 – The lighthouse was moved back from the edge of the cliff to its current position.
* 1998 – Keeper’s house relocated next to the lighthouse.

Keepers:

* Michael Collins (1838 - c. 1843, 1861 - 1866)
* Henry Horton (c. 1843)
* B. H. A. Collins (1843 - 1849, 1853 - 1861)
* Joshua Crosby (1849 - 1851)
* Henry Y. Hatch (1851 - 1853)
* Peter Higgins (1866 - 1869)
* George W. Eldredge (assistant 1867)
* John Dunn (assistant 1867)
* Samuel Snow (assistant 1867 - 1868)
* John J. Ryder (assistant 1868 - 1870)
* Nathan A. Gill (Sr.?) (1869 - 1883)
* Herman Gill (assistant 1870 and 1873)
* Nathan A. Gill (Jr.?) (assistant 1873 - 1879)
* Alfred Gill (assistant 1879 - ?)
* Stephen Lewis (1883 - 1914)
* Thomas J. Kelley (1914 - 1918)
* James Yates (1918 - 1919)
* George I. Herbolt (1919 - 1932)
* John Poyner (1932)
* Allison G. Haskins (1932 - 1938)
* Fred S. Vidler (1938 - 1942)
* Eugene L. Coleman (1942 - 1952)

Researched and written by Marie Vincent, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Cape Cod Lighthouse: Chatham Light - Chatham, MA

Chatham Light
Chatham, MA

GPS: N41° 40.280; W69° 56.963 

Short Description:

Chatham Light is located on the extreme southeast corner of Cape Cod facing the Atlantic Ocean.

Long Description:


From the Coast Guard website: http://www.uscg.mil/history/weblighthouses/LHMA.asp

Location: WEST SIDE OF CHATHAM HARBOR, NEAR CHATHAM, MASSACHUSETTS
Station Established: 1808
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1877
Operational? YES
Automated? 1982
Deactivated: N/A
Foundation Materials: CONCRETE
Construction Materials: CAST IRON PLATE WITH BRICK LINING
Tower Shape: CONICAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE WITH BLACK LANTERN
Relationship to Other Structure: SEPERATE
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER FRESNEL LENS

Historical Information:

* In 1808, a second light was built on Cape Cod. To distinguish the new light station from Holland Light, twin towers where built in Chatham. Two 40-feet, wooden, octagonal towers were built. The towers were on wooden skids so they could be moved as the channels shifted. These were “range lights” meaning the lights lined up to mark the safe channel. If ships could not line up the lights, they were in danger of running aground.
* In 1841 the wooden towers were replaced by 40-feet brick towers. In 1857 the towers were fitted with Fourth Order Fresnel Lens.
* As is the case in most coastal areas, erosion was a huge problem. In just 38 years, the towers were lost to the sea. Luckily the lenses were removed before the towers slid into the sea.
* The third set of twins was built in 1879. They were constructed of iron and brick. The new towers were fitted with the lenses from the previous towers.
* In 1923 the north tower was relocated to Nauset, Massachusetts, ending the 115 years of service of the twins at Chatham. The lantern and Fresnel lens were removed in 1969 and a modern optical was installed. Erosion still threatens the light.
* The light is an active aid to navigation and is not open to the public. The original lens and lantern are on display at the Old Atwood House and Museum of the Chatham Historical Society.

Researched and written by Melissa Buckler, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Cape Cod Lighthouse: Bass River Light - West Dennis, MA

Bass River Light
West Dennis, MA


GPS: 41° 39.096; W70° 10.185

Short Description:

The light was built to mark the harbor at the mouth of the Bass River.



Long Description:  

From USCG website http://www.uscg.mil/history/weblighthouses/LHMA.asp

Location: BASS RIVER HARBOR
Station Established: 1855
First Lit: May 1,1855
Operational: Yes
Automated: Yes- Aug. 7, 1989
Deactivated: 1914 – 1989
Foundation Material: Brick
Construction Material: Iron tower on wooden house
Tower Shape: Conical tower on dwelling roof
Markings: White with red trim
Relationship to Other Structures: Integral
Original Lens:1855
Tower Height:44 feet
Range: – 12 miles
Original Optic: Fifth Order Fresnel Lens
Present Optic: 300 mm
Characteristics: FlW6s – Flashing white every 6 seconds
First Keeper: Walter Crowell
Current Use: Private aid to navigation during the summer season
Fog Signal: None

Historical Information:

* Bass River Light was built to mark the small harbor at the mouth of Bass River. It guided navigation crossing Nantucket Sound.
* From 1746 to 1866 there was heavy navigation that sailed Nantucket Sound. There was a profitable Fishing and Whaling Industry. The 1st Federal government survey determined that a light was not needed.
* A small private lighthouse or beacon was built on a jetty near West Dennis Beach. It guided local mariners along the mouth of the Bass River. The local mariners paid $.25 a month to buy oil for the lantern. Warren Cromwell tended this lantern. It was placed in the window of his attic.
* In 1850 a petition was sent to Congress that requested a lighthouse at the Breakwater of the Bass River. So Congress appropriated $4000 to build a lighthouse n the town of West Dennis.
* In 1854 a 1-½ story house white house with a tower and lantern was built. A fifth order fresnel lens was lit in 1855. Warren Crowell became the first light keeper.
* In 1880 the lighthouse determined that the Bass river light was not needed after Stage Harbor Light was established in Chatham. Bass river light was sold. After numerous complaints the government brought back Bass river light and it was relit in 1881. Captain Samuel Adams was appointed the light keeper.
* After the Cape Cod Canal was opened the Bass River light was deactivated in 1914. The canal redirected most of the boat traffic away from Nantucket and towards Buzzard Bay. The lens was removed and replaced by an automated beacon on a skeletal tower at the entrance to the river.
* Bass River light and the property were sold at auction. Harry K. Noyer bought the lighthouse as a summer home. He expanded the main house. After his death the property remained vacant for 5 years.
* In 1938 State Senator Everett Stone bought the property with the lighthouse. The family expanded the house and it became known as the Lighthouse Inn.
* On Aug. 7 1989- National Lighthouse Day the light was relight as a private aid to navigation. It commemorated the 200th anniversary of The Lighthouse Service.
* The light is lit from May 1 thru October 31. It is recognized by the Coast Guard as The West Dennis Light.

Researched and written by Linda Herman, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Friday, August 22, 2014

Cape Cod Lighthouse: Hyannis Rear Range Light, Hyannis, MA

Hyannis Rear Range Light
Hyannis, MA


GPS: N41° 38.940;  W70° 16.591

Short Description:

Hyannis Rear Range Light once marked the channel in Lewis Bay in Hyannis Harbor.



Long Description:

Hyannis Harbor Light was built in 1849. The oil lamp was replaced with a 5th order Fresnel lens in 1856. In 1863, a new cast iron birddcage lantern installed. In 1929 the light was discontinued in 1929 and it was subsequently sold. In 1987, the owners built a  larger lantern room on the tower.

From USCG website http://www.uscg.mil/history/weblighthouses/LHMA.asp

Year first constructed - 1849
Deactivated - 1929
Foundation - Natural/emplaced
Construction -  Brick
Tower shape - Conical
Markings / pattern - White with black lantern
Original lens - Oil lamp with reflector 1849); 5th order Fresnel lens(1856)
ARLHS number - USA-397

Historical Information:

* First light at this site was a privately built shack on the beach with a lamp in the window.
* 1848 – Congress approved $2,000 for the conical brick tower which went into service in 1849.
* Circa 1850/51 – An additional $800 was allocated for keeper’s dwelling, which attached to the lighthouse via a covered walkway.
* 1856 – 5th order lens installed.
* 1863 – New cast iron lantern installed.
* 1885 – Front range light added at Old Colony Railroad Wharf.
* 1929 – Lighthouse discontinued, lantern removed.
* 1987 – Private owners fabricated a new, larger lantern.

Keepers:

* Daniel Snow Hallett (1849-1851)
* James Bearse (1851-1853)
* Almoran Hallett (1853-1861)
* Franklin Baker (1861-1869)
* John Lothrop (1869-1878)
* Alonzo Lothrop (1878-1899)
* John Peak (1899-1915)
* Waldo Leighton (1915-1929)

Researched and written by Marie Vincent, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Cape Cod Lighthouse: Nobska Light - Woods Hole, MA

Nobska Lighthouse
Woods Hole, MA


GPS: N41° 30.940;  W70° 39.319

Short Description:

Nobska Lighthouse is located at Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound in Woods Hole, MA  on the southwestern tip of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.



Long Description (from Wikipedia)

Year first constructed 1829
Year first lit                1876 (current tower)
Automated                 1985
Foundation                 Natural Emplaced
Construction               Iron with brick lining
Tower shape              Cylindrical
Markings / pattern      White with black lantern
Height                        40 feet (12 m)
Focal height                87 feet (27 m)
Original lens                Fifth-order Fresnel lens, 1876
Current lens                Fourth-order Fresnel lens, 1888
Range                         White 13 nautical miles (24 km; 15 mi), Red 11 nautical miles (20 km; 13 mi)
Characteristic              Flash White , 6 sec. Red sector
Fog signal                   2 blasts every 30s
Admiralty number        J0456
ARLHS number          USA-550
USCG number            1-15560

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Cape Cod Lighthouse: Wings Neck Lighthouse - Pocasset, MA

Wings Neck Lighthouse
Pocasset, MA



GPS: N41° 40.844; W70° 39.546

Short Description:

Directions to Wings Neck Lighthouse:

Travel along Route 28 in Pocasset (Gen. MacArthur Blvd) to Barlows Landing Road.
Follow this road, turning right onto Wings Neck Road. Follow to the end.



Long Description:

Wings Neck Lighthouse is located on Buzzards Bay.  It was build in 1849 as an aid to navigation into and out of Buzzard's Bay.  In 1943,  an automated light was built on a separate tower to replace the Wings Neck Lighthouse. Wing's Neck Light is on private property and the grounds are not accessible to the public.  It can be viewed from a gate about 100 yards from the lighthouse.The lighthouse and keeper's house is available for rent.

As close as you can legally get.
For an extensive history of this lighthouse follow the following link: History of Wings Neck Lighthouse

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

World War I Monument - Barre, MA

World War I Monument
Barre, MA




GPS: N42° 25.398; W072° 06.361

Short Description: 

The World War I Monument is located in the Town Common near Barre Road in Barre, MA.

Long Description:

The Barre World War I Monument has a 6' high bronze figure of a Doughboy, standing on a 6' by 5' by 3.5' rock. The helmeted soldier is leaning slightly forward with his rifle held in front of him with both hands. The sculpture was created by Joseph P. Pollia and dedicated in 1929.


A bronze plaque on the back of the base is inscribed:

ERECTED 
BY THE TOWN OF 
BARRE 
IN HONOR AND MEMORY OF 
THOSE WHO SERVED 
IN THE WORLD WAR. 


A bronze plaque on the front of the base is inscribed:

WORLD WAR HONOR ROLL
                 1914-1918
BARRE, MASSASSACHUSETTS
             DIED IN SERVICE 

* FREDRICK ADDY
* JOSEPH BENTLEY
* EDWIN BOWEN

* J. ALEXANDER BROWN
* ROBERT J. CLAPP
* JOHN CRANSTON

* SALVATORE DANNOLFI
* SAMUEL DAUNT
* ALLAN F. MARSH

* JOHN R. MOORE
* MICHELE ROSSELLI
* JOSEPH WISPALIS

* ANTONIO ZANCHI

Followed by a five column list of 198 names of those who served.

Monday, August 18, 2014

World War I Memorial: Milford, CT

World War I Memorial
Milford, CT



GPS: N41° 13.480; W073° 03.460

Short Description: 

Milford's World War I Memorial is located at 110 River Street in front of Milford City Hall.

Long Description:

A 7' by 3' by 3.5' bronze sculpture of a World War I doughboy stands on a 69" by 56" by 66" granite base. The soldier is wearing a World War I period uniform and carrying a rifle over his right shoulder. The sculpture was created by Joseph P. Pollia. The memorial was erected with funds raised by American Legion Post 34 and dedicated on November 12, 1928.


A plaque on the front has the profile image of a soldier and a sailor holding a wreath and is inscribed:


OUR HONORED DEAD 
MAY EVERY GENERATION 
OF YOUNG AMERICANS BE GIVEN 
POWER TO TRANSLATE THEIR LIVES IN 
TERMS OF SACRIFICE FOR MANKIND

LIST OF MILFORD DEAD 

BLACKHALL, GEO B. 
CLARK, CHARLES S. 
CRARY, FREDERICK W. 
DORIS, THOMAS G. 
ELLISON, ROY. 
GUNN, LEON L. 
HARTMAN, CHARLES. 
HIGGINSON, LEROY C. 
HILTZ, FLOYD. 
HOLMES, THOMAS D. 
HUBBELL, HARRY P. 
MCFARLAND, FRANK J. JR.
MAHER, THOMAS M. 
MATSON, GEORGE B. 
MOODY, DAVID JR. 
MORRIS, JAMES D. 
RATHBURN, ROLAND JR. 
RULAND, URQUHART. 
SHEEHAN, JAMES JR. 
STILLMAN, WILLIAM T. 
THAYER, CHARLES D. 
TUCKER, HARLEY, L. 



A pair of plaques on the back of the base are inscribed:

ERECTED 
BY THE TOWN OF 
MILFORD IN 1928 IN
GRATEFUL RECOGNITION
OF THE SERVICES OF
ITS CITIZENS WHO
SERVED IN THE
WORLD WAR

and

MEMORIAL COMMITTEE
OMAR W. PLATT, CHAIRMAN
HARVEY B. BROWN
COMMANDER POST NO. 34, AMERICAN LEGION
HARRY M. MERWIN
JAMES T. PATTERSON
EDWARD B. BROTHERTON
ROBERT C. HOOGHKIRK
ROBERT C. STODDARD

Two large plaques on either side of base contain the names of over 700 citizens of Milford who served during World War I.