HISTORY OF LIGHTHOUSES

The first lighthouse in America was Boston Light on Little Brewster Island (1716). The original tower was destroyed by the British during the evacuation of Boston and eventually reconstructed in 1784. The oldest existing lighthouse in America is Sandy Hook Lighthouse, NJ (1764), which is still in operation. By the end of the 19th century, the United States with its long coastlines had the most lighthouses of any nation. Lighthouse keepers were needed to trim the wicks, replenish fuel, wind clockworks and perform maintenance tasks such as cleaning lenses and windows. The last manned lighthouse built in the U.S. was the Charleston Light constructed in 1962.