a day in the life of a lighthouse keeper

Twice a day she walks the island’s perimeter to inspect its buildings, making sure that the light is still drawing power from an undersea cable stretching from the mainland, and that the island’s water and communications systems work properly. Snowman dresses the part, wearing a bonnet and long dress to reflect how women dressed in 1783 when the Commonwealth of Massachusetts rebuilt the tower that was blown up by retreating British troops in 1776, as the Revolutionary War got underway. She makes sure the lighthouse, keeper’s cottage and other buildings are maintained, the 1,000-watt light is lit, and the grounds are in shape for the 4,000 tourists who travel the nine nautical miles from Boston Harbor each year. Snowman got the job in 2003 when the Coast Guard decided it could be held by a civilian. Edward Kennedy who two decades ago helped push through legislation requiring a full-time attendant. Coast Guard has automated the other 278 federally run lighthouses, finding this a more cost-effective way to manage navigational aids that have become less critical since the advent of global positioning systems that harness satellite technology.īut Boston Light, which in 1716 became the first lighthouse in the former British colonies, keeps its keeper thanks to Massachusetts Sen.

A day in the life of a lighthouse keeper