CULTURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Information for Parks, Federal Agencies, Indian Tribes, States, Local Governments, [jjijfl and the Private Sector VOLUME 20 NO. 8 1997 Keeping Lighthouses A New Breed of Keepers Focus on Preservation U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR National Park Service Cultural Resources PUBLISHED BY THE CRM CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF PUBLICATION NATIONAL PARK SERVICE VOLUME 20 NO. 8 1997 Contents ISSN 1068-4999 To promote and maintain high standards for preserving and managing cultural resources Keeping Lighthouses ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR New Priorities for Lighthouse Keepers 3 CULTURAL RESOURCE STEWARDSHIP AND PARTNERSHIPS Candace Clifford Katherine H. Stevenson Lighthouse Construction Types 5 EDITOR Ronald M. Gteenberg National Lighthouse Organizations 8 PRODUCTION MANAGER Recent Rehabilitation of Anacapa Island Lighthouse—A Case Study 9 Karlota M. Koester Wayne Truax GUEST EDITOR Pooles Island Lighthouse Stabilization Project—Cultural Candace Clifford Resource Management at Aberdeen Proving Ground 12 Teresa Kaltenbacher ADVISORS David Andrews Lighthouses within the National Park System 15 Editor, NPS compiled by Candace Clifford Joan Bacharach Museum Registrar, NPS Moving a Lighthouse— Randall J. Biallas Historical Architect, NPS A Brief History of the Efforts to Restore Drum Point Lighthouse 19 Susan Buggey Ralph Eshelman Director, Historical Services Branch Parks Canada Pros and Cons of Moving Lighthouses 20 John A. Burns Architect, NPS Ralph Eshelman Harry A. Butowsky Historian, NPS Split Rock Lighthouse—Interpretation at Historic Lighthouses 22 Pratt Cassity Lee Radzak Executive Director, National Alliance of Preservation Commissions Muriel Crespi Relocation of the Highland Lighthouse, North Truro, MA 25 Cultural Anthropologist NPS Joseph J. Jakubik Mark R. Edwards Director, Historic Preservation Division, Preservation Education at the Cape Blanco Lighthouse 26 State Historic Preservation Officer Georgia Roger E. Kelly David Pinyerd Archeologist NPS Antoinette J. Lee Keeping the Lights for Kids 29 Historian, NPS Elinor De Wire John Poppeliers International Liaison Officer for Cultural Resources, NPS Documenting Historic Lighthouses 32 Todd Croteau CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Stephen A. Morris South Manitou Island Light Station— Certified Local Governments (CLG) Coordinator, NPS A Collection of Diverse and Inter-related Cultural Resources 33 Kay D. Weeks Technical Writer-Edicor, NPS Michelle Smay and Terri Seltz CONSULTANTS Partners in Lighthouse Preservation 35 Wm. H. Freeman Wayne Wheeler Design, Imagng, Production-Freeman Publishing Services Janice C. McCoy Edicing—Edicorial Notes Lighthouse Management—A Balancing Act by the U.S. Coast Guard 37 David Reese and Robert Browning Cover photo: Drum Point Lighthouse, MD. See story, page 19. An electronic version of this issue of CRM can be accessed through the CRM homepage at <http://wmv.cr.nps.gov/crm>. Statements of fact and views are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect an opinion or endorsement on the part of the editors, the CRM advisors and consultants, or the National Park Service. Send articles, news items, and correspondence to the Editor CRM (2250), U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service, Cultural Resources, 1849 C St., NW, Washington, DC 20240; (202-343-3395, Fax 202-343-5260; email; <[email protected]>). 2 CRM N^S—1997 Candace Clifford New Priorities for Lighthouse Keepers he increasing popularity of light­ nership with the U.S. Coast Guard, DoD Legacy houses in American culture is Management Program, and the U.S. Lighthouse reflected in their frequent use in Society to address issues related to maintaining Tlogos, product labels, backdrops for and preserving these unique structures. One of the television commercials, settings for novels, and resulting products, to be published this summer, is as subjects of newspaper articles, picture books, the Historic Lighthouse Preservation Handbook, web sites, and television documentaries. which focuses on the diverse environmental and Throughout our nation's history, lighthouses have maintenance problems associated with the many served not only as vital aids to mariners, but also different materials and construction techniques as popular tourist destinations. Early on, the U.S. used in these structures. The Handbook will be Lighthouse Service in its General Instructions to made available to every lighthouse manager in the All Light Keepers instructed that "Keepers must country, both public and private. Two of the arti­ be courteous and polite to all visitors and show cles—"Lighthouse Construction Types" and them everything of interest about the station at "Recent Rehabilitation of Anacapa Island such times as will not interfere with light­ house duties." Currently, over 255 light stations are known to be accessible to the public, including 34 in our national parks (see sidebar, One ofThree "Lighthouses within the Sisters Light tov/ers National Park accessible at Cape System"). In addition Cod National to popular tourist desti­ Seashore in nations as parks and Massachusetts. NPS photo by Candace museums, lighthouses Clifford, 1995. also serve as inns, youth hostels, research and educational facili­ ties, Coast Guard hous­ ing, nature preserves, and private homes. The National Maritime Initiative, part of the Park Service's National Register, History, and Education Programs, compiled an inventory of 632 light sta­ Lighthouse: A Case Study"—are taken from this tions around the country which was published as handbook. the 1994 Inventory of Historic Light Stations. Both the Anacapa Island case study and the Although the published version is currently out of article on the Pooles Island stabilization project at print, the Initiative continues to update the com­ Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland outline the puterized inventory. In 1994, the Initiative and the logistical challenges of performing preservation Park Service's Historic Preservation Training work in isolated locations which are subject to Center (formerly the Williamsport Historic harsh marine environments. Interagency coopera- Training Center) entered into a cooperative part­ CRM N2 8—1997 3 tion and the support of local communities are key recently and discuss the feasibility of developing to the success of these preservation projects. an American Lighthouse Center and Museum; its "Lighthouse Management: A Balancing Act mission would be to broaden the public's appreci­ by the U.S. Coast Guard" points out challenges ation and understanding of America's lighthouse faced by the agency with the responsibility of heritage. The hope is that this facility would not maintaining the majority of this nation's light­ only create a museum, but also be an archive and houses. Given limited funding and personnel, the foster research; conduct a variety of educational Coast Guard has developed a system whereby programs; support other lighthouse museums, lighthouse properties are leased or transferred to organizations, and sites; and serve as a central outside groups who will maintain and preserve clearinghouse for public inquiry and assistance. them. Generally in these situations the Coast Much has been accomplished in the preser­ Guard retains access only to the optic and/or fog vation of lighthouses over the last decade, but signal. Most recently, much public attention has there are still many challenges facing the caretak­ focused on the Coast Guard's transfer of 36 light­ ers of this popular resource. Over the next several houses along the coast of Maine to the Island years, the Initiative will continue its work with the Institute which will in turn lease them to groups U.S. Coast Guard by assisting them in nominating able to care for them under the "Maine Lights for listing in the National Register those historic Program." Another large group of lighthouses are lighthouses under their jurisdiction that are eligi­ also being excessed in Michigan. "Partners in ble but have not been listed. The resulting multi­ Lighthouse Preservation" gives the perspective of ple property nomination documentation form the U.S. Lighthouse Society on how these (MPDF) will include a general context statement public/private partnerships evolved and have suc­ about the significance of the U.S. Lighthouse ceeded. Service in American history, an overview of the Two articles describe relocating lighthouses, various lighthouse construction types, and a gen­ an expensive, but often necessary activity to save eral guideline for registration requirements for the structures: "Moving a Lighthouse: A Brief subsequent nominations. History of the Efforts to Restore Drum Point We live in an era when lighthouses are no Lighthouse" and "Relocation of Highland longer vital aids to navigation, but growing aware­ Lighthouse, North Truro, Massachusetts." ness of their unique role in our nation's history Currently the Park Service is facing the challenge increases their value in our collective imagination. of moving the Cape Hatteras Light Station away Increasing numbers of citizens, public and private, from the eroding shoreline at Cape Hatteras are willing to devote time and resources to their National Seashore. This nationally-significant preservation. Their efforts should be welcomed lighthouse is also the subject of a National Historic and augmented with encouragement and assis­ Landmark nomination being prepared by the tance whenever possible. Initiative. Lighthouse education is taking many differ­ Candace Clifford is a consultant to the National ent forms.