I usually do not write about the lighthouses that I post on here. There are several websites and books that do an excellent job describing their history, engineering, and lore. I see no point in creating a post that is nothing more than a book report of the information gathered from other sources. It seems more honest and direct to simply provide links to sites that already provide the story. Cedar Point Lighthouse in East Hampton is an exception.
I spent several summers in the mid-to-late 1980's working on a large motoryacht docked in Sag Harbor. A Sunday afternoon cruise or a voyage to Nantucket required us to pass this lighthouse before setting a course east or northwest. The abandoned lighthouse was no longer an official navigational aid, but it was a landmark and a photogenic one at that. I shot photos of it many times; early morning orange, afternoon sun, foggy dusk. I was always intrigued by it. The owner and his guests never seemed to share my enthusiasm. They viewed it more like a wilting red autumn tree you might pass along the highway driving to a Lake Tahoe resort to see Peter Allen.
I knew right then that I would never be filthy rich. I had emotional attachments to all the wrong things. Historic buildings, public space, coastal access, walkable towns....my head was in the wrong place!
Fast forward 20+ years:
I saw some photos online of a restored Cedar Point Lighthouse. Postcards, Christmas cards, real estate brochures etc, all showed a fully renovated and restored structure. I was excited to see it.
Unfortunately, like much of the content on the internet, the images were photoshopped to give the building a pristine appearance. Sometimes the information age is really the misinformation age. The lighthouse is in worse shape than it was in 1987. There are holes in the roof and the structure is crumbling.
In one of the wealthiest areas of the country, during a 20 year period of record DJIA returns, it is sad to think the money was instead spent on foie gras, heliports, diamond lined swimming pools, and Ronald Perelman parties.
Lighthouse Friends (Map)
Long Island Lighthouses
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Cedar Point Lighthouse
I usually do not write about the lighthouses that I post on here. There are several websites and books that do an excellent job describing their history, engineering, and lore. I see no point in creating a post that is nothing more than a book report of the information gathered from other sources. It seems more honest and direct to simply provide links to sites that already provide the story. Cedar Point Lighthouse in East Hampton is an exception.
I spent several summers in the mid-to-late 1980's working on a large motoryacht docked in Sag Harbor. A Sunday afternoon cruise or a voyage to Nantucket required us to pass this lighthouse before setting a course east or northwest. The abandoned lighthouse was no longer an official navigational aid, but it was a landmark and a photogenic one at that. I shot photos of it many times; early morning orange, afternoon sun, foggy dusk. I was always intrigued by it. The owner and his guests never seemed to share my enthusiasm. They viewed it more like a wilting red autumn tree you might pass along the highway driving to a Lake Tahoe resort to see Peter Allen.
I knew right then that I would never be filthy rich. I had emotional attachments to all the wrong things. Historic buildings, public space, coastal access, walkable towns....my head was in the wrong place!
Fast forward 20+ years:
I saw some photos online of a restored Cedar Point Lighthouse. Postcards, Christmas cards, real estate brochures etc, all showed a fully renovated and restored structure. I was excited to see it.
Unfortunately, like much of the content on the internet, the images were photoshopped to give the building a pristine appearance. Sometimes the information age is really the misinformation age. The lighthouse is in worse shape than it was in 1987. There are holes in the roof and the structure is crumbling.
In one of the wealthiest areas of the country, during a 20 year period of record DJIA returns, it is sad to think the money was instead spent on foie gras, heliports, diamond lined swimming pools, and Ronald Perelman parties.
Lighthouse Friends (Map)
Long Island Lighthouses
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1 comment:
You and me, we'll never be stinking rich, but at least we have roses that we can stop and smell.
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