1894 · Gullmere Point
Night Watch at Gullmere Light
In winter logs, Keeper Anne Duvall notes how sleet glazed the gallery rails while she timed each lens turn by touch, counting breaths between waves striking the cliff below.
Keeper Stories
Human life behind the lantern glass
Four brief glimpses from journals, oral histories, and station records — small scenes that reveal the people who kept the coast lit.
1907 · Bracken Reach
Tea Kettle by the Tower Stove
A daughter’s recollection describes the keeper’s quarters as equal parts workshop and home: boots drying by iron heat, signal flags folded at the table, and lessons recited under lamp glow.
1921 · North Strand
The Bell in Fog Season
When visibility vanished, assistants worked in rotating pairs through the night, one at the bell and one at the lamp, marking each quarter hour in grease pencil on a slate by the door.
1938 · Whitecap Head
Paint, Salt, and Spring Repairs
Maintenance ledgers dwell on ordinary labor — scraping railings, patching mortar, carrying fuel — reminding us that preservation began as daily care before it became heritage work.
