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©2019-2020 U.S. Lighthouse Society
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Talking about all kinds of subjects related to lighthouses: history, preservation, technology, navigation, the arts, and who knows what else – basically anything and everything that ties in with the subject of lighthouses in some way, with guest authors, preservationists, and more.
385 Episodes
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Lee Radzak
Split Rock Lighthouse, on a 127-foot-high cliff on the northwest shore of Lake Superior, began service in 1910. The light station is now the centerpiece of 2200-acre Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. Lee Radzak became the lighthouse site manager in November 1982. Over the next 36 years, he and his wife Jane raised a son and a daughter, marveled at the lake’s beauty, endured gigantic storms, and answered the questions posed by more than four million visitors.
Split Rock Lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
After retiring in 2019, Lee began work on a new book — The View from Split Rock: A Lighthouse Keeper’s Life. The book, which was co-written by journalist and author Curt Brown, takes readers into the life of a modern-day lighthouse keeper at Split Rock. This is an edited version of an interview that was first heard in episode 127 in July 2021.
Ashtabula, Ohio, is a community of about 18,000 people at the mouth of the Ashtabula River on Lake Erie. In the late 1800s the city was a major port for the shipping of coal and iron ore. The first lighthouse in Ashtabula Harbor was a small wooden tower built in 1836. When the channel into the harbor was widened and a breakwater was constructed in 1905, a new lighthouse was built at the end of the breakwater: the square two-story dwelling with a short tower on its roof that still stands today.
Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont
Joe Santiana
The lighthouse was automated in 1973. A house that was built on the mainland in 1871 for the keepers and families is now the Ashtabula Maritime & Surface Transportation Museum, with more than 25,000 historic items on display. Ownership of the lighthouse was transferred to the Ashtabula Lighthouse Restoration and Preservation Society in 2007. Our guest, Joe Santiana, is the president of the Ashtabula Lighthouse Restoration and Preservation Society.
Light Hearted host Jeremy D’Entremont with Annamaria Mariotti in 2010 at Cape Elizabeth Lighthouse in Maine
This is an edited version of an interview from September 2020. The guest is Annamaria Mariotti, an author and lighthouse historian in Italy. Lilla, as she's known to friends, is the author of many books, articles, and stories related to the sea. Many of her articles have appeared in The Keeper’s Log, Lighthouse Digest, Coast Guard News, the New York Times, and many more.
Annamaria Mariotti inside the Lanterna di Genoa
Her lighthouse-related books include Tales of lighthouses and other sea stories, The evolution of lighthouses from the origins to the Kingdom of Italy, and The Lighthouses of Tuscany. In 2011 she published The World’s Greatest Lighthouses, which features photographs of the most picturesque lighthouses in the world and text that describes each structure's location, architecture, construction, history, technology, and stories of lighthouse keepers. She’s also written award-winning short stories.
In 2006, the General Command of the Harbor Offices, Coast Guard, and the Mediaset Group awarded her the NAVIGARE INFORMATI Award “For her constant commitment to the dissemination of maritime culture in our country.”
Dunkirk, New York, is on the south shore of Lake Erie, about 35 miles southwest of Buffalo. Dunkirk, with its natural harbor, got one of the earliest lighthouses on the lake. The first lighthouse at Point Gratiot in Dunkirk began service in 1827. The lighthouse that stands today was completed in 1876. The 61-foot square limestone tower stands next to a brick gothic revival keeper’s house. The light was automated and the last Coast Guard keepers were removed in 1962.
Dunkirk Light Station, New York. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
A group of local citizens leased the property from the Coast Guard and turned it into a memorial park and lighthouse museum. The first floor of the keeper’s house is a museum with lighthouse artifacts, and the second floor is a military museum with rooms devoted to each branch of the armed forces. There’s also a separate building with additional exhibits on the Navy and Coast Guard.
Dave Briska has many titles, including manager and events coordinator. He’s essentially the modern day lighthouse keeper. Averie Shaughnessy-Comfort cohosts.
Left: Dave Briska with tour guide Lincoln and his brother William. Courtesy of Dunkirk Lighthouse.
Josh Liller inside the lens at Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse
This is an edited version of an interview first heard in episode 16 back in 2019. The guest is Josh Liller, Historian and Collections Manager for the Loxahatchee River Historical Society and Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse & Museum. Josh is also historian for the Florida Lighthouse Association.
Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Josh specializes in lighthouse and military history. He’s also a tour guide, lecturer, and author. He’s the co-author of Five Thousand Years on the Loxahatchee, and editor of the second edition of The Florida Lighthouse Trail.
Lorain, Ohio, on the south shore of Lake Erie, is known for its history as an industrial hub, and it’s also been an important point for the shipping of materials like coal, iron ore, and limestone. Lorain West Breakwater Lighthouse, also known simply as Lorain Lighthouse, began service in 1919,. The building consists of a square tower rising from the corner of a two-and-one-half story keeper’s house.
Loran West Breakwater Lighthouse. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
After it was decommissioned in 1966, the Coast Guard was planning to demolish the lighthouse. Local preservationists were able to lease the structure and the demolition was canceled. The all-volunteer Lorain Lighthouse Foundation now spearheads the preservation of the lighthouse. Frank Sipkovsky is the chairman, and Dave Kramer is a board member and historian.
Frank Sipkovsky and Dave Kramer. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
This is an edited version of an interview first heard in May 2021. Dianna Stampfler has written countless articles for many Michigan travel and culture periodicals. In August 2004, she launched Promote Michigan to help market the people, places, and products of her home state. Dianna has also been researching Michigan’s lighthouses for many years. In 2019, she published her book Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses through the History Press.
Dianna Stampfler
Michigan has more lighthouses than any other state, with more than 120 dotting its expansive Great Lakes shoreline. Many of these lighthouses lay claim to haunted happenings. In 2022, Dianna published a new book, Death & Lighthouses on the Great Lakes: A History of Murder and Misfortune.
Don Ladolcetta
Don Ladolcetta's new book, Hannah: The Lighthouse Girl of Newfoundland, tells the story of a young girl who doesn’t know what to expect when her family moves to an isolated lighthouse on the rugged Newfoundland coast. What she discovers is a life filled with adventure, wonder—and danger. SARAH Facing everything from the fury of Mother Nature to illness, the Great Depression, and World War II, Hannah must find the strength to follow her dreams. When a stunning loss upends her world, Hannah decides to take a bold step along a new path.
In the tradition of Little House on the Prairie and Anne of Green Gables, this novel of a spirited girl growing into a strong woman is based on a true story. In fact, Hannah was Don’s mother, and the book is inspired by true family lore and is sprinkled with cultural insights.
Russ Rowlett
Today's interview was first heard in episode 19 back in 2019. The conversation is with Russ Rowlett, webmaster of The Lighthouse Directory, one of the most useful lighthouse-related sites on the internet. When Russ was growing up in Richmond, Virginia, his only exposure to lighthouses was climbing the Old Cape Henry Lighthouse when his family vacationed at Virginia Beach.
Russ earned a doctorate degree in math at the University of Virginia in the 1960s, and he taught math at Princeton and then the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. In 1987 he became Director of the Center for Mathematics and Science Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He's also known for his research on the metric system and units of measurement.
Russ started his website, The Lighthouse Directory, in 1999, and it kept growing until, by 2009, it covered the whole world. The address of the site is ibiblio.org/lighthouse/ At this moment there are listings for more than 24,600 of the world’s lighthouses. If there are more lighthouses out there, Russ will find them.
Therese Woelfel
Therese Woelfel, who lives in Green Bay, Wisconsin, has held leadership roles in Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurial endeavors, and non-profit organizations. Her new book, Our Guiding Light, is her first non-fiction work. Therese’s grandfather, Charles A. Linsmeier, was a Lighthouse Service keeper at several stations on the Great Lakes from 1920 to 1953. The book tells the story of Linsmeier’s daughter Vivian, who was Therese’s mother.
Here’s an excerpt from the book description: “A lighthouse doesn’t calm the storm. It simply reminds you where the shore is and says, ‘You are being cared for and watched over.’ From her parents and the other lighthouse keepers they knew, Vivian learned some of the most valuable lessons of her life: honesty and service to others. As she navigated her life, living through the Great Depression and World War II, standing up to social injustice, and raising eight children, she surrendered to the divine and allowed herself to be watched over. In turn, she was able to be a steady beacon of light and hope for those who encountered life storms."
Vivian Linsmeier Langer
Charles Linsmeier
Dan Spinella created this replica third-order lens for Buffalo Lighthouse in New York.
This is an edited version of an interview that first appeared in episode 107 in February 2021. The guest is Dan Spinella, a man who is known for creating amazing replica Fresnel lenses. Dan, who is employed as an engineer at Disney World, began his Fresnel lens research and restoration work in 1992 using both acrylic and glass prisms used to restore historic lenses. Dan’s company, Artworks Florida, began creating full-scale reproduction Fresnel lenses in 2004. Some of his lenses are installed in lighthouses as aids to navigation and some are on exhibit in lighthouse museums across the country.
This is an an edited version of a conversation that was first heard in episode 62 in May 2020. The guest is Elaine Jones and the subject is Burnt Island Light in Maine. A lighthouse was built in 1821 on five-acre Burnt Island at the west side of the entrance to Boothbay Harbor in Maine, which was a center for shipbuilding, gristmills, and fishing going back to the 1700s. In 1988, Burnt Island became one of the last Maine light stations to be automated and destaffed.
Elaine Jones painting the Burnt Island Lighthouse tower in 1998. Courtesy of Elaine Jones
In 1998, as part of the Maine Lights Program, Burnt Island Light Station was transferred to the Maine Department of Marine Resources. Elaine Jones was named the director of the new facility, and it was her vision to transform the island into an outstanding educational and recreational facility for Maine’s residents and its visitors. She retired in 2021 after 30 years with the Department of Marine Resources. In fact, her last day of work was the exact 200th anniversary of the first lighting of Burn Island Light on November 9, 1821.
Burnt Island Light Station, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont
Portsmouth Harbor Light, near the mouth of the Piscataqua River in the town of New Castle, New Hampshire, is one of the most picturesque and historic lighthouses in New England. The original wooden lighthouse on the site (1771) was the first lighthouse north of Boston. The present (1878) cast-iron lighthouse stands on the grounds of Coast Guard Station Portsmouth Harbor, neighboring historic Fort Constitution.
Portsmouth Harbor Light, NH. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
The American Lighthouse Foundation (ALF) and its local chapter, Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses (FPHL), have been managing the lighthouse since 2001. FPHL has given tours for tens of thousands of people over the years, but the tours have been curtailed in recent years due to storm damage. Joining host Jeremy D'Entremont, who is also a former chair of FPHL, are Michelle Jewell Shaw, current chair of FPHL; Bob Zimman, vice chair of FPHL; and Bob Trapani Jr., executive director of ALF.
Michelle Jewell Shaw
Bob Zimman
Bob Trapani Jr.
The first lighthouse on Curtis island at the entrance to Camden, Maine, was established in 1836. For many years, the island served as a signal station for the large steamships that passed by. The 25-foot brick lighthouse tower that still stands was built in 1896, and the light was automated in 1972.
Curtis Island Light Station, Camden, Maine. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
The Town of Camden now owns the island and the lighthouse. In 2023, the Curtis Island Lighthouse Foundation was established with a mission to historically restore the light station and to develop a perpetual preservation fund in partnership with the Town of Camden. Michael Skaling is the president of the Curtis Island Lighthouse Foundation and has taken a lead role in the preservation of the historic site.
Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
This is a look back at an interview that was first heard in episode 122 back in May 2021. The interview is with Elena Hansteensen, who is the owner of Littleisland Lighthouse in Norway, which is operated as a small hotel.
Litløy fyr, Norway. (Courtesy of Littleisland Lighthouse)
Litløy fyr, or Littleisland Lighthouse in English, is on a small island off the northwest coast of Norway, inside the Arctic Circle. It was first lit in October 1912. For a time, it was the second most powerful lighthouse in Norway. In 2006, the light station was bought by Elena Hantseensen, with the intention of making it accessible to the public. The property has been renovated and overnight accommodations are available, as well as guided tours. As Elena has said, "How can I be lonely here, when I’m living my dream?”
Elena Hansteensen
Tom and Darlene Chisholm on a Texas trip in 2022. Photo by Carol Nettleton.
Darlene Chisholm of Albion, Michigan, is a veteran of many U.S. Lighthouse Society tours, both in the U.S. and abroad. In the course of her travels, she’s photographed well over 4,000 lighthouses. Darelene was a longtime librarian in the public school system in Albion. Her husband, Tom, was president of the education association in Albion. They met at a teachers’ meeting, and they were soon attending basketball games together. They were married in 1969.
Darlene and Tom traveled extensively around the world until Tom passed away in 2023, visiting all seven continents. Darlene continues to travel on her own, carrying with her the memory of so many wonderful trips with Tom. U.S. Lighthouse Society Executive Director Jeff Gales co-hosts this episode.
Darlene and Tom Chisholm with their friends Phil and Mary Borkowski. USHLS photo.
Tim Pettee at Greens Ledge Light, photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Greens Ledge Light, which was built in Norwalk, Connecticut, in 1902, is a cast-iron lighthouse tower on a cylindrical cast-iron concrete-filled foundation. It’s typical of offshore lighthouses built in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Male keepers lived inside the lighthouse tower. Under the provisions of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act, the lighthouse was auctioned in 2016. The high bid was placed by a group of local residents that included the Pettee family. They formed a 501 (c)3 organization, the Greens Ledge Light Preservation Society.
Tim Pettee, who is president of the Greens Ledge Light Preservation Society, grew up in Westport, Connecticut, and has been a resident of Rowayton, Connecticut, since 2014. Tim’s son Alex Pettee is the treasurer of the Greens Ledge Light Preservation Society. This is an edited version of an interview that was first heard in episode 83 in October 2020.
AIS (Automatic Identification System) has been used for years to monitor the movements of ships and aircraft in real-time, helping to ensure safe and efficient operations. The company MotionInfo provides second-by-second data accuracy using an extensive network of stations.
A North Atlantic right whale and calf. (NOAA Photo Library)
Bob Trapani, Jr., American Lighthouse Foundation Executive Director, working on installing MotionInfo's AIS StationKeeper inside the lantern of Little River Light in Maine. (Photo by Ann-Marie Trapani)
The North Atlantic right whale, with fewer than 350 individuals remaining, is critically endangered, and 139 right whales have been injured or killed by vessel strikes since 2017. MotionInfo has been implementing high-tech solutions aimed at preventing vessel-whale collisions, and a number of MotionInfo's StationKeeper units have been installed in lighthouses. Joining in this discussion with Moses Calouro and Portia Calouro of MotionInfo are U.S. Lighthouse Society Executive Director Jeff Gales and American Lighthouse Foundation Executive Director Bob Trapani Jr., who also co-hosts.
Click here for more information.
Jim and Evelyn Bruton, courtesy of Elanie Bruton.
This is an edited version of a conversation with a lighthouse keeper’s daughter in British Columbia, Canada, first heard in episode 104 of Light Hearted. Jim Bruton was born in Wales in 1926, but his family relocated to British Columbia in Canada when he was just one year old. He started working in the logging industry as a boy. In a light keeping career spanning several decades, he served at light stations around Vancouver Island: Lennard Island, Discovery Island, and Chrome Island.
Sheringham Point Lighthouse, BC. Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.
iThe Brutons eventually had four children, three girls and a boy. The family moved to Sheringham Point, a mainland lightstation in Shirley on the southwest coast of Vancouver Island, in 1968. They lived there for nearly two decades, until 1986, when Jim Bruton retired. Our guest today, Elanie Bruton, lived at the light stations with her family until she was 18. She remains an active volunteer of the Sheringham Point Lighthouse Preservation Society, which now owns the lighthouse and surrounding land.
Frank Schubert - a native of Staten Island - spent 43 years as a keeper and caretaker at Coney Island Light Station in New York. When he passed away in 2003, he was the last person who had served as a keeper under the old U. S. Lighthouse Service. He originally joined the Lighthouse Service as a seaman on the tender Tulip in 1937.
Coney Island Light Station, New York. Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont.
Frank Schubert
He moved in as keeper at Coney Island in 1960. Frank, along with his wife and three children, enjoyed giving tours to schoolchildren and scout troops, and having a wonderful time every day. Our conversation today is with Greg Goldstein, grandson of Frank Schubert. Greg’s wife Lisa also took part in the conversation.
To learn more about Frank Schubert, click here.
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