Ancient lighthouses
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The Tower of Hercules lighthouse in northwest Spain
Before the development of clearly defined ports, mariners were guided by
fires built on hilltops. Since elevating the fire would improve visibility,
placing the fire on a platform became a practice that led to the
development of the lighthouse.[1] In antiquity, the lighthouse functioned
more as an entrance marker to ports than as a warning signal for reefs
and promontories, unlike many modern lighthouses. The most famous
lighthouse structure from antiquity was the Pharos of Alexandria, Egypt,
which collapsed following a series of earthquakes between 956 and 1323.
The intact Tower of Hercules at A Coruña, Spain gives insight into ancient
lighthouse construction; other evidence about lighthouses exists in
depictions on coins and mosaics, of which many represent the lighthouse
at Ostia. Coins from Alexandria, Ostia, and Laodicea in Syria also exist.
Modern construction
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The modern era of lighthouses began at the turn of the 18 th century, as
the number of lighthouses being constructed increased significantly due
to much higher levels of transatlantic commerce. Advances in structural
engineering and new and efficient lighting equipment allowed for the
creation of larger and more powerful lighthouses, including ones exposed
to the sea. The function of lighthouses was gradually changed from
indicating ports to the providing of a visible warning against shipping
hazards, such as rocks or reefs.
Original Winstanley lighthouse, Eddystone Rock, by Jaaziell Johnston,
1813.
The Eddystone Rocks were a major shipwreck hazard for mariners sailing
through the English Channel.[2] The first lighthouse built there was an
octagonal wooden structure, anchored by 12 iron stanchions secured in
the rock, and was built by Henry Winstanley from 1696 to 1698. His
lighthouse was the first tower in the world to have been fully exposed to
the open sea.[3]
Preservation
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As lighthouses became less essential to navigation, many of their historic
structures faced demolition or neglect. In the United States, the National
Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000 provides for the transfer of
lighthouse structures to local governments and private non-profit groups,
while the USCG continues to maintain the lamps and lenses. In Canada,
the Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society won heritage status for
Sambro Island Lighthouse, and sponsored the Heritage Lighthouse
Protection Act to change Canadian federal laws to protect lighthouses.[46]
Many groups formed to restore and save lighthouses around the world,
including the World Lighthouse Society and the United States Lighthouse
Society,[47] as well as the Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society, which sends
amateur radio operators to publicize the preservation of remote
lighthouses throughout the world.[48]
