Light Hearted Jeremy D'Entremont, U.S. Lighthouse Society

Terry Rowden







This is an edited version of an interview that originally appeared in Light Hearted episode 25 in September 2019. Terry Rowden, a native of Michigan, served as a keeper at Little River Light Station in Cutler, Maine, for the U.S. Coast Guard from 1968 to 1970. Almost four decades later, when the Friends of Little River Lighthouse was founded as a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation, Terry became a volunteer. For ten years, he has been the resident caretaker on the island.







Also taking part in the interview is Bob Trapani Jr., the executive director of the American Lighthouse Foundation. The interview took place inside the keeper’s house at Little River.







Little River Light Station. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.

Cape May Lighthouse, New Jersey. USLHS photo by James Hill.







Cape May Lighthouse stands at the southern tip of the state of New Jersey, on the north side of the entrance to Delaware Bay. The first lighthouse on the site was built in 1823, and the second in 1847. The locations of the first two lighthouses are now underwater. The extant 157-foot brick lighthouse began service in 1859.







The property is owned by the State of New Jersey and leased to the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts and Humanities, known as MAC. The organization raises funds for preservation and opens the lighthouse to the public. Our guest today, Ben Ridings, is the curator for Cape May MAC.







Ben Ridings







Also in this episode is a report from Judianne Point on news from lighthouses in southern New England. Judianne is the first vice president of the American Lighthouse Foundation and an award-winning volunteer for Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse.

This installment features highlights from an interview that was originally recorded in March 2019. Matt Rosenberg is a high school English teacher and also the seasonal caretaker and modern day keeper of the famous Cape Neddick Light Station in York, better known as the Nubble Light.







Nubble Light Station, York, Maine







The light station is owned by the Town of York and is managed by the town’s Parks and Recreation department. Around 500,000 thousand people each year come to Sohier Park in York to view the picturesque lighthouse across a narrow channel of water. Matt is among the privileged few people who actually have access to the island, where he is in charge of maintenance and cleanup from spring through fall.







Matt Rosenberg on Instagram







Matt Rosenberg on Facebook

Drum Point Lighthouse







Cove Point Lighthouse







The exhibits at the Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons, Maryland, focus on maritime heritage and the natural history of the Chesapeake Bay. On the museum grounds is Drum Point Lighthouse, a cottage-style screw-pile structure that was originally located on the Chesapeake Bay near the mouth of the Patuxent River.  The lighthouse was moved to its new home at the museum in 1975. The museum is also the steward for Cove Point Lighthouse, several miles to the northeast. Cove Point Lighthouse was built in 1828 and is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse in the state. The six-bedroom former keepers’ house is available as a vacation rental. Today's first guest, Kevin Allor, is an exhibits interpreter at the Calvert Marine Museum.







Karen Larson and the first-order Fresnel lens at the Barnegat Light Museum







The Barnegat Light Museum in New Jersey is a former schoolhouse that houses exhibits on the history of the town of Barnegat Light, the fishing industry, and Long Beach Island. A highlight is the first-order Fresnel lens that once served in Barnegat Lighthouse. Our second guest today is Karen Larson, president of the Barnegat Light Historical Society.

This is an edited version of an interview first recorded in 2019 and appearing in Light Hearted episode 26. Eric Jay Dolin is the author of 14 books and dozens of articles on American history. The book that’s discussed in this interview is the acclaimed Brilliant Beacons: A History of the American Lighthouse, published in 2016.















C. Douglas Kroll, in Sea History Magazine, wrote of Brilliant Beacons: “A must-read for anyone interested in lighthouses or America’s maritime history…This history of American lighthouses is both engaging and enjoyable, whether for academics, who will not be disappointed in the thoroughness of the author’s research, or for lighthouse history buffs who will enjoy its compelling narrative.”







This conversation took place at Eric's home in Marblehead, Massachusetts.

Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse







Located in the inner harbor of Baltimore, Maryland, Historic Ships of Baltimore celebrates more than 200 years of Maryland's naval and maritime history. The site’s attractions include the sloop-of-war Constellation, the last sail-only warship designed and built by the United States Navy. Among the other highlights are the USS Torsk, a Navy submarine commissioned in 1944, and the 1936 U.S. Coast Guard Cutter 37.







Lightship Chesapeake







For lighthouse and lightship buffs there are two historic attractions. The lightship LV116, also known as the Lightship Chesapeake, is a National Historic Landmark and one of a small number of preserved lightships in the U.S.







Alexa Price







The Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse is a screw-pile structure that began service in 1856 at the entrance to the Patapsco River, on the approach to Baltimore Harbor. The City of Baltimore had the structure moved to its new home on the city’s waterfront in 1988.







Alexa Price, today's guest, is the public programs manager for Historic Ships of Baltimore.