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From: "Vince Babcock" <>
Subject: [GenConnecticut-L] FYI light house history of Stonington, CT
Date: Sun, 7 Feb 1999 17:11:22 -0700


I appreciate the romance of our early Lights, but I restate, what did they
do before 1823 at Stonington Point, CT?

Lighthouse History
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Records of the earliest lighthouses dates back to 1000 B.C. These towers,
built by the Libyans and Cushites, were built in lower Egypt to guide
travelers attending religious ceremonies, by land and sea. These beacons had
fires burning atop brick towers. The fires were fueled by wooden timbers and
were maintained for ceremonies by high priests.

The first records of a lighthouse dedicated and maintained to guide mariners
appears to be around 660 B.C. The beacon, mentioned by the Greek poet
Lesches, was used to guide mariners safely into the Greek Isles. This was a
very important factor for trade and the ancient Greek economy.

During the reign of Ptolemy II 283-246 BC, Sostrtus of Cnidus built a
colossal tower reportedly 600 feet tall on the Island of Pharos in
Alexandria. This lighthouse guided ships of trade safely to Alexandrian
harbors. This tower, once considered one of the seven wonders of the world,
was destroyed by a giant earthquake in the mid 14th century A.D. This
lighthouse was so well known that the word Pharos became the general term
for all lighthouses at the time. The term Pharology has been used for
centuries to describe the science of lighthouse construction.

The Romans are credited with building the first lighthouses in Europe. The
Roman Emperor Claudius had the tower at Ostia built in 50 A.D. The
lighthouses at Pozzuoli and Messina are other famous lighthouses from the
same period in history.

The first lighthouse in the new world was the Boston Light. This
navigational beacon was built in 1716 on Little Brewster Island at the south
side of the main entrance to Boston Harbor. This lighthouse was later
destroyed in 1779 by fires set by the British. The current structure was
built in 1856.

The distinction of being the oldest functional lighthouse in America goes to
the Sandy Hook Beacon. This tower is located in Sandy Hook, NJ and has
historically been a navigational aid into New York harbor since 1764.

There are literally 100's of lighthouses in the United States today.
Although these have mainly been replaced by satellite and global positioning
systems, each and every one of these lighthouses have a distinctive history
all its own. These old and tired beacons to the seas should be preserved and
maintained to help keep our past history available for our future
generations.

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