Want a lighthouse? "US to give away free lighthouses as GPS makes them unnecessary"

"Ten lighthouses that for generations have stood like sentinels along America’s shorelines protecting mariners from peril and guiding them to safety are being given away at no cost or sold at auction by the federal government.

The aim of the program run by the General Services Administration is to preserve the properties, most of which are more than a century old.

The development of modern technology, including GPS, means lighthouses are no longer essential for navigation, said John Kelly of the GSA’s office of real property disposition. And while the Coast Guard often maintains aids to navigation at or near lighthouses, the structures themselves are often no longer mission critical.

Yet the public remains fascinated by the evocative beacons, which are popular tourist attractions, beloved local landmarks and the subject of countless photographers and artists, standing lonely but strong against tides and storms, day and night and flashing life-saving beams of light whatever the weather."

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/may/26/us-free-lighthouses-gps

Nobska Point lighthouse, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Photograph: lucky-photographer/Alamy

Free to a good home: Two Rhode Island lighthouses - The Boston Globe

"They have sweeping ocean views and historic significance, but after decades of service, the Beavertail Lighthouse in Jamestown and Watch Hill Lighthouse in Westerly are no longer needed by the US Coast Guard.

The two lighthouses are being offered for free to qualifying public entities, the General Services Administration announced Thursday.

Under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act, those who can apply to own the lighthouses at no cost include government agencies, nonprofits, educational agencies or community development organizations, or groups dedicated to parks and recreation and cultural or historic preservation."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/05/13/metro/free-good-home-two-rhode-island-lighthouses/

Beavertail Lighthouse on a visit in Sept 2011

In the News: "Documentary on Vineyard’s Gay Head Light gets wide release"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"Filmmaker Liz Witham grew up in Aquinnah, with the beam of the Gay Head Light shining in her bedroom every night. Now she has the chance to show TV viewers nationwide how her small town saved the more than 150-year-old brick structure.

Five years after the lighthouse was moved 129 feet back from a dangerously eroding cliff, “Keepers of the Light,” a documentary by Witham and Ken Wentworth inspired by the lighthouse’s rescue, will be shown on 80% of the country’s PBS stations.

The 65-minute film became available last week for online streaming via Vimeo, with a portion of rentals through Thursday benefiting Gay Head Light."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20200505/documentary-on-vineyards-gay-head-light-gets-wide-release


“Keepers of the Light”: keepersofthelightfilm.com
To stream documentary: http://watch.keepersofthelightfilm.com

To register for Thursday’s Zoom gathering: https://kol-launch.eventbrite.com

In the News: "Documentary on Vineyard’s Gay Head Light gets wide release"