Lighthouses are vanishing fast

Lighthouses  are symbols of our most isolated stretches of coastline, a reminder that such places exist not just in our past, but in our present. They are attracters of ghost stories, smugglers’ tales and shipwrecks. There is something mysterious about a lighthouse, and in our modern age, when so much of the world is overmapped, so severely known, that mystery abides.

But as marine navigation tools have become more sophisticated, lighthouses have become less necessary, and automated technology has eliminated the need for people to actually operate them. As a result, more and more lighthouses have been decommissioned, creating a quandary as to whether to pursue preservation or privatization, or simply let some fall into neglect.

In 1993, Lighthouse Digest Magazine created the Doomsday List of Endangered Lighthouses. The list includes some that have already been torn down or destroyed, including Cedar Point Light in Maryland and Kauhola Point Lighthouse in Hawaii. The roll call of the endangered includes Destruction Island Lighthouse, Ham’s Bluff Lighthouse and Poverty Island Lighthouse. Others are simply beyond repair, listed on websites as “site open, tower closed.”