Famous Lighthouses Lighthouses Light up the Night to Protect Those at Sea and Guide Them Safely to Shore
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Discuss & Recall Famous Lighthouses Lighthouses light up the night to protect those at sea and guide them safely to shore. Although lighthouses are technically a purely utilitarian building, there is still something special about them that inspires. In this activity, you will learn about 10 unique and beautiful lighthouses that will capture your imagination. There are pictures of each lighthouse, discussion starters, a deeper dive into some terminology, and a break in the middle with a fun trivia pop quiz. Props & Preparations • This is a copy of the complete activity. • Use the Discussion Starters to spark a conversation about each section. • Print or project the corresponding images of the lighthouses as you read about them. The discussion questions will reference descriptions of the different lighthouses. There are also links throughout for a deeper dive into more technical or historical notes in case your group is interested in learning more about specifics. Chania Lighthouse • Use the additional activities at the end to enhance the activity. Famous Lighthouses Introduction Lighthouses act as a hopeful beacon of light to sailors looking for land under night skies. You can find these statuesque buildings at the entrances to stunning bays and harbors, welcoming those who have been at sea back to land. However, as navigational technology improves, we see fewer and fewer lighthouses as their beckoning light is needed less and less by modern-day sailors. There are still a number of lighthouses so breathtaking that whether or not they are functional, visitors find beauty in the architecture. Designed to be highly visible, lighthouses look striking against the rugged coastlines and wild seas they guard. 1. Les Éclaireurs Lighthouse (lay é·klé·reur) Built in 1920 at the southern tip of Argentina, this red and white tower is a romantic’s dream, bearing the nickname of “The Lighthouse at the End of the World.” Set in the center of the Beagle Channel on a small, rocky island, its graceful beauty is enhanced by the majestic mountains that surround it. The brick tower guards the sea entrance to Ushuaia (oo-SWY-uh), the most southernmost city of Argentina, and is a popular place for photographers and tourists alike to snap the perfect picture. The building rises to 36 feet high (11 meters) and 10 feet (3 meters) wide at the base, with no windows and only a single door for access. The lighthouse is no longer manned or open to the public but instead operates in an automated fashion, using solar panels for power. ©ActivityConnection.com – Famous Lighthouses – Page 1 of 8 Discussion Starter This lighthouse is on a small island where the ocean meets a channel. How would you feel about living on such a small island, living alone, and manning such a lighthouse? 2. Galle Lighthouse (gar-le) Sri Lanka (SREE LAN kuh) is home to the ancient Galle Fort, which houses the blinding white tower that is the Galle Lighthouse. Tucked away on the magnificent south coast of Sri Lanka, it sits at the entrance of the Galle Harbor, surrounded by majestic palm trees. It is one of the most photographed areas in Galle. The tower itself has evolved since its inception. In the late 1650s, a Dutch minister, Philippus Baldaeus, in keeping his records and observations of the area, wrote that there was “an iron cannon placed on the ramparts and a lantern to guide the sailors,” set up on a rock jutting out to the sea. It wasn’t until 1848 that the first actual lighthouse was built, however. As the fight for independence began to move through the country, the British colonists built the 80-foot-tall (24-meter) tower from cast iron plates imported from England. The whitewashed structure served as a beacon until July 1936, when it was destroyed by a fire. In 1939, a new lighthouse was completed, this time rising to 87 feet (26.5 meters) of white concrete. It was originally lit by a glass prism lens, which floated in a bath of mercury. Discussion Starter When looking at pictures of this lighthouse, you might think it could be a resort, with its clear blue waters and calm breeze. If you were to visit a lighthouse, would you prefer it to be on a dramatic cliff or in a serene place such as the Galle Lighthouse? Why? 3. Makapu`u Point Lighthouse Makapu`u (Ma ka poo oo) is the supernatural being at the center of a Hawaiian legend. She came from Tahiti to live in the place that today bears her name. She was best-known for her eight sets of bright eyes, which made her a natural inspiration for the construction of a lighthouse. The story about the origin of this lighthouse is more dramatic and interesting than many of the others on the list. At first, a large group of sea captains and ship owners recognized the dangers in the seas near Makapu`u and came together in 1888 to petition the Hawaiian government to build a lighthouse there. When the American ship S.N. Castle was wrecked in the area, many felt that a lighthouse would have prevented the incident. By 1901, plans were in motion for the build, but when the government was informed that the colonial U.S. government would be taking responsibility for all “navigational aids,” the work was paused. Ship owners did not stop their pursuit of a build, however, and in January 1906, the 59th Congress was presented with a report outlining the need. The report showed that every single vessel from areas such as the Puget Sound, San Francisco, and Panama that were on their way to Honolulu had to pass through Makapu`u Point. The jagged rocks would be the first land after thousands of miles of endless sea, but with no light to guide ships at night, there would be no warning that they were near land. One had to hope to know enough to slow down and wait for dawn to proceed, but storms and bad weather could make ships think they were much farther away than they actually were. ©ActivityConnection.com – Famous Lighthouses – Page 2 of 8 Finally, in June of 1906, Congress greenlit the construction of a $60,000 lighthouse only two months before a passenger ship, the Manchuria, ran aground at the point. Luckily, there were no fatalities and the cargo was brought ashore, but the ship was stuck for a month before it could finally be towed back into the sea for repair in Honolulu. The building of the lighthouse was bittersweet to the owners of the Manchuria—they had signed the original petition in 1888. West Point graduate John R. Slattery was selected to create plans for the lighthouse. The first task was to select a location for the structure. His final two candidates were Makapu`u Point and Rabbit Island, which were close to each other. In the end, despite worry that the highest point of the area was only 647 feet (197 meters) above sea level, making the light less visible in stormy weather, he chose Makapu`u Point. In the end, a height of 46 feet (14 meters) was carefully selected to keep it visible but also short enough to keep the wind from throwing up rocks to break the windows. The lighthouse is unique in that parts of it are composed of lava flows. There are three keepers’ dwellings at the station, each built from blue lava rock in a depression near the summit. A trail connecting the lighthouse and homes, and a road connecting the station to the highway are both carved into the lava. Sitting stoutly and proudly on the eastern tip of Oahu, the Makapu`u Point Lighthouse overlooks the bright blue waters of the Pacific Ocean, making for a most striking sight. Since the day it was opened in 1906, it has been a welcoming light for ships and a beautiful place to view the lava cliffs. In 2001, the state of Hawaii paid to take over a large section of land around the lighthouse in order to keep the coastline free from development and to preserve the spectacular view for all who come to visit their shores. Discussion Starters • This lighthouse is named after a famous mythological entity. What are your thoughts of naming buildings or landmarks after local myths or legends? What do you know about the myth of Makapu`u? • The builders of the Makapu`u Point Lighthouse utilized the natural elements of the area, even lava, when constructing the tower. What do you think about the integration of nature and architecture? • What are your thoughts about if tax monies should be used to conserve natural areas or historic structures? 4. Lindesnes Lighthouse First rising to great heights in 1656, the Lindesnes (lin des nes) Lighthouse in Norway marks the entrance to the Skagerrak (skag uh rak) strait and the Baltic Sea from the North Sea. Across the centuries, new buildings have been built to replace older lighthouses, and each time the lights have been upgraded to the most current technology. In 1822, the lighthouse boasted a coal lamp, but by 1854, a Fresnel lens (see below) was being used. In 1915, the most modern version was constructed, and in 1920, the addition of a fog siren made the lighthouse even more of a savior for ships. For a short time during World War II, the area was occupied by the German army. Seeing the value of the lighthouse as a lookout point, a small fortress was built around the area. Trenches, tunnels, and other remnants of the war can still be seen in the area.