Historic American Lighthouses

Hundreds of fine old lighthouses stand guard at America's shores, watching over crowded harbors, maritime channels, deadly shoals, and killer reefs. Some, including the venerable towers at Portland Head in Maine, are nearly as old as the country they serve. Others, such as the one at Cape Hatteras, North Carolina have become international celebrities, and they all have a dramatic story to tell. From shore to shore, in superb photos, visit the most magnificent structures and learn their riveting histories. There is the isolated Florida light station that suffered an Indian attack; a shipwreck that literally crashed the Christmas Eve celebration of a keeper and his family; and the sinking of the legendary lake freighter Edmund Fitzgerald. As you travel from the Northeastern lights of the Revolutionary era to the Northwest beacons of a rugged coast, the true meaning of lighthouses, their relationship to American history, and their importance to navigational technology and maritime safety will become as brilliantly clear as the comforting beams shining from these buildings themselves.