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March 4, 2024

Episode 47 - Edgartown Harbor Lighthouse

Episode 47 - Edgartown Harbor Lighthouse
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The Lighthouse Lowdown

Ever heard of a lighthouse that forms its own beach? Edgartown Harbor Lighthouse is another case of a damaged light replaced with an existing light from another town in Massachusetts, just like Nauset Light! Listen in for how a series of hurricanes made our breakwater light into a beach light!

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References:

  1. Edgartown Harbor Lighthouse | Lighthouse Friends
  2. Edgartown Harbor Light List
  3. Edgartown Harbor | USLHS
  4. National Park Service, Edgartown
  5. Martha's Vineyard Museum
  6. Edgartown Harbor Lighthouse | Wikipedia
Transcript
1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,940 Hello everyone, I'm Emily and I'm Vince and this is the lighthouse lowdown 2 00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:19,500 So it's testing you there the rumor has it there's no history boots. Oh my gosh 3 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:26,740 Just before we started I realized I had a space for the history buoy and didn't complete it 4 00:00:26,740 --> 00:00:30,000 so you actually on record saying that we're already three minutes in and 5 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:32,800 what 6 00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:36,260 And that's the second time this year and it's 7 00:00:37,160 --> 00:00:39,560 halfway through February as we record this so 8 00:00:40,160 --> 00:00:44,440 Pretty bad. It's a shame. I maybe once know I was gonna say maybe once per month 9 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:48,020 I'm allowed but that's far too much for how often we record so 10 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:53,820 That's the only time you've ever let that sound go to completion 11 00:00:53,820 --> 00:00:55,820 But I have a cold so 12 00:00:56,820 --> 00:01:00,020 Blame it on that got some brain fog going on. Oh 13 00:01:00,540 --> 00:01:03,380 Oh couldn't possibly remember the history buoy 14 00:01:05,100 --> 00:01:09,260 So we'll just jump straight into our lighthouse today and that's because I 15 00:01:09,980 --> 00:01:15,620 Did not do my due diligence apologies to everyone out there. I know how much everyone counts on me 16 00:01:17,580 --> 00:01:22,460 But I also said last I was going to cover the membership levels for the US le just and I am 17 00:01:22,460 --> 00:01:28,180 Going to do that. It's just seems to be getting further and further away from this moment 18 00:01:28,180 --> 00:01:30,700 It'll happen. Yeah, so our lighthouse today 19 00:01:30,700 --> 00:01:35,820 We talked about a little bit of this a couple times and in our very last episode 20 00:01:35,820 --> 00:01:38,820 We talked about Bartholomew Gus knows 21 00:01:39,380 --> 00:01:41,380 the guy who 22 00:01:41,380 --> 00:01:43,380 Bart Bart Bart for short 23 00:01:44,060 --> 00:01:46,620 Bad Bart, right? Yeah. Yeah 24 00:01:47,260 --> 00:01:51,180 Unfortunate part. He I don't think he knew the repercussions of his actions and he's 25 00:01:51,180 --> 00:01:55,100 Reprocussions of his actions and I looked it up a little bit more. He wasn't the only one 26 00:01:55,100 --> 00:02:01,980 It was also like all the people is everybody everyone part took then. What are we picking on Bart for Bart? 27 00:02:03,420 --> 00:02:09,220 You mean from the last episode or right now, right? Well last episode well because he soured Native American 28 00:02:09,740 --> 00:02:14,060 That's right ruined it sold it but we're not looking at all that 29 00:02:14,060 --> 00:02:20,300 We're looking at just Cape Cod today and Martha's Vineyard in particular. Oh cool. It's and I once again 30 00:02:20,300 --> 00:02:25,940 I've decided we're going to Cape Cod and we're gonna spend a day in Martha's Vineyard. And so I'm gonna do a little 31 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:34,260 spotlight on a couple of those lighthouses coming up and one of them is today for those who don't know would you tell me or 32 00:02:34,420 --> 00:02:38,980 You already told me but tell them why is it named Martha's Vineyard? I thought that was cool Bartholomew 33 00:02:39,620 --> 00:02:44,180 Sailed by he never he didn't stop there, but he assumed that it was uninhabited 34 00:02:44,180 --> 00:02:51,940 It's a lots of wild grapes and on top of that his deceased daughter's name was Martha named after his wife's mom 35 00:02:51,940 --> 00:02:55,180 And so he named the place Martha's Vineyard very sweet 36 00:02:55,460 --> 00:03:00,580 There's that I'm gonna pull up a map because I'm gonna talk about it's a map Edgar town 37 00:03:01,020 --> 00:03:03,020 Hopefully that's how you pronounce it. I assumed 38 00:03:03,420 --> 00:03:05,420 Eggerton that's how no 39 00:03:06,260 --> 00:03:12,980 Gosh, I'm gonna be just shocked with myself in particular if it actually ends up being something other than Edgar town 40 00:03:12,980 --> 00:03:15,980 Gosh now you have me wondering we discovered it's 41 00:03:16,700 --> 00:03:19,980 Chatham and Eastham Chatham and East oh 42 00:03:20,500 --> 00:03:26,380 Chatham and Eastham see I've ruined it. I've ruined it. I'm sorry. It's okay. So Martha's Vineyard, Edgar town 43 00:03:26,900 --> 00:03:28,740 Yes, so we're gonna be focusing in on there 44 00:03:28,740 --> 00:03:32,700 I just decided to pull up a map because last time you asked me for a map and I didn't pull one up 45 00:03:32,700 --> 00:03:36,740 Mappy maps? So Martha's Vineyard is a island off the 46 00:03:37,300 --> 00:03:38,820 Southern part of Cape Cod 47 00:03:38,820 --> 00:03:44,340 It's just under 87 and a half square miles with a population of 20,000 and that swells to over 48 00:03:44,660 --> 00:03:51,380 200,000 in the summer so permanent residents or like and tourists but Martha's Vineyard is really 49 00:03:51,380 --> 00:03:56,300 It's a summer. It's a summer. It's an affluent summer live-in island 50 00:03:57,140 --> 00:04:00,180 So Martha's Vineyard also includes the adjacent 51 00:04:01,620 --> 00:04:02,820 Chapa 52 00:04:02,820 --> 00:04:10,620 Chapa Chapaquidic Island so that that's I felt something coming that I hadn't checked the pronunciation of but 53 00:04:11,460 --> 00:04:14,380 It's pretty big chunk over here Chapaquidic 54 00:04:15,100 --> 00:04:18,940 How you get to huh? Yeah, I agree. Okay Chapaquidic 55 00:04:19,580 --> 00:04:22,860 You get there through Edgar town, but you still have to take a ferry 56 00:04:22,860 --> 00:04:28,660 It just runs constantly 24 7 so nice maybe not 24 7 at least all day 57 00:04:28,660 --> 00:04:35,940 It runs. Yep, can't swim it. So technically they're separated islands, but it's in when people talk about Martha's Vineyard 58 00:04:35,940 --> 00:04:40,740 It's included. It's so close. The first settlement on this island was Edgar town 59 00:04:40,740 --> 00:04:43,540 Which is why we're talking about it first called Great Harbor in 60 00:04:44,380 --> 00:04:46,380 1642 when the settlement was founded by 61 00:04:47,340 --> 00:04:52,820 Thomas Mayhew who was the son of Thomas Mayhew who had a son named Thomas Mayhew 62 00:04:52,820 --> 00:04:54,820 Oh 63 00:04:56,540 --> 00:04:57,820 Gosh 64 00:04:57,820 --> 00:05:03,420 But Thomas Mayhew the first had excellent relations with the existing Native Americans on this island 65 00:05:03,660 --> 00:05:08,080 And I think he went back and forth and kind of had built up trust in a relationship with them 66 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:13,460 So his son Thomas Mayhew the second was the one who started the settlement and continued these 67 00:05:13,940 --> 00:05:16,940 this excellent relationship with the Native Americans there and 68 00:05:18,260 --> 00:05:22,700 They were so friendly in fact that when their people 69 00:05:22,700 --> 00:05:25,540 Started the King Phillips war later on in the century 70 00:05:25,820 --> 00:05:32,040 They decided not to partake with their people on the mainland in this war against the English colonies 71 00:05:32,580 --> 00:05:39,020 The King Phillips award King Phillips King Phillips war. Okay, was that the Declaration of Independence? I 72 00:05:40,300 --> 00:05:42,300 Don't know history 73 00:05:46,460 --> 00:05:49,700 I didn't know it either actually King Phillips is referring to a 74 00:05:49,700 --> 00:05:54,700 Native American chief who took the name Philip. So I'm pretty sure 75 00:05:57,220 --> 00:06:02,560 King Philippe King Phillips. Yes, I don't know what I don't know history 76 00:06:02,780 --> 00:06:06,900 Sometimes called first Indian War Peta McCombs rebellion 77 00:06:06,900 --> 00:06:12,300 I feel like that was how they referred to it in my history class when I was a child. Okay 78 00:06:13,100 --> 00:06:14,860 armed conflict 79 00:06:14,860 --> 00:06:16,460 in 80 00:06:16,460 --> 00:06:22,060 1975 between a group of indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands and the English New England colonies 81 00:06:22,500 --> 00:06:24,500 War is named for Metacomet 82 00:06:26,180 --> 00:06:33,180 It's a hundred adopted the English name Philip because of the friendly relations between his father and the Plymouth colony 83 00:06:33,660 --> 00:06:36,500 Okay, so hundred years before the Declaration of Independence 84 00:06:36,980 --> 00:06:41,740 Okay, kind of interesting not a hundred years. He said 1670s, right? Yeah 85 00:06:41,740 --> 00:06:46,140 Yeah, 1776. Oh, you 86 00:06:46,780 --> 00:06:53,420 Know why I got you know, I got thrown off. I was thinking 1716, which is when the Boston light went into service 87 00:06:55,060 --> 00:06:58,420 That's what really matters to me so 88 00:07:00,220 --> 00:07:05,740 War King Philip King Phillips war. Yeah, so that was started by this 89 00:07:05,740 --> 00:07:11,820 Tribe of Native Americans. I don't know what it's called when it's like the certain like Cherokee 90 00:07:12,420 --> 00:07:18,220 But there were separate groups of Cherokee people. Yeah, so I don't know what you call it the umbrella 91 00:07:18,380 --> 00:07:22,940 Someone would know but I don't anyway just all of that is to say that 92 00:07:23,860 --> 00:07:28,020 English and Native American on Martha's Vineyard were very kumbaya and 93 00:07:29,100 --> 00:07:33,300 We're not each other's throats. Nice. Yeah, that's nice. I don't know when that ended 94 00:07:33,300 --> 00:07:35,820 Maybe it never did I don't have to go that far. I don't know 95 00:07:35,820 --> 00:07:40,700 I wonder if there's still a native presence or if that's so there is yeah, they actually this 96 00:07:41,860 --> 00:07:46,060 Gosh, what is it? Like what do I refer? I that's why I like 97 00:07:48,260 --> 00:07:50,700 Section of native like there's a name for it 98 00:07:50,700 --> 00:07:57,100 Anyway, these Native Americans still are recognized on in this area of America. Okay still being 99 00:07:57,100 --> 00:08:03,340 I said didn't rename the island from Chepa Chepa aquatic. Yeah, I'm sorry everyone 100 00:08:04,060 --> 00:08:09,980 It's part of who we are not being able to pronounce anything and winging it last second 101 00:08:10,700 --> 00:08:16,580 Anyway, so the island today has five lighthouses and the first was actually not in Edgar town 102 00:08:16,580 --> 00:08:18,820 Which I think is interesting since it was the first settlement 103 00:08:19,820 --> 00:08:23,900 But that's not the one I'm covering today. I'm covering the one in Edgar town. Okay. Okay 104 00:08:23,900 --> 00:08:27,620 I'll cover the other one later the the other ones gay head lighthouse 105 00:08:27,620 --> 00:08:35,180 it was the first one and they named it that because the clay cliff that they saw was colorful and 106 00:08:35,660 --> 00:08:41,620 So the cheerful so they named it gay headlight in the head because lots of places are the head of 107 00:08:43,020 --> 00:08:45,020 land mass 108 00:08:46,860 --> 00:08:50,860 I'm holding up my arms and pointing different directions as if these are peninsulas 109 00:08:50,860 --> 00:08:52,860 I'm looking at the peninsula 110 00:08:54,260 --> 00:08:57,900 But they're the first order lens for that lighthouse is in the Martha's Vineyard 111 00:08:58,380 --> 00:09:03,620 Museum that we're gonna go to so we get to see a first order lens. Nice and that's the og is gay head. Yes 112 00:09:04,460 --> 00:09:09,020 So and and there's a stamp for the lens itself. Oh cool 113 00:09:09,020 --> 00:09:12,820 No, did we see a picture of this and we're doing our research? I think so 114 00:09:12,820 --> 00:09:16,660 I bet yeah, so we've done some you guys may or may not have heard at this point 115 00:09:16,700 --> 00:09:19,260 We're doing some research on traveling to Cape God 116 00:09:19,260 --> 00:09:23,380 We are going to go this summer. It's gonna be a great time. We're gonna see lighthouses 117 00:09:23,380 --> 00:09:28,420 We're gonna have the food that the locals tell us are good. At least that the internet tells us is good 118 00:09:28,420 --> 00:09:32,580 Yeah, you guys tell us what's good. Let me know if there's a golf course that can hit up as well 119 00:09:32,580 --> 00:09:37,660 Oh, no, there's so many it needs to be public. He needs to be able to rent clubs and 120 00:09:39,460 --> 00:09:45,100 It's any anywhere in Cape Cod, I looked at Martha's Vineyard, I don't think that's the one there's only one for 121 00:09:45,100 --> 00:09:49,060 On Martha's Vineyard, oh one's public. Okay, but either way 122 00:09:49,060 --> 00:09:52,940 I would like to hear that at the lighthouse lowdown at gmail.com 123 00:09:53,060 --> 00:09:59,280 Yes, please send us recommendations actually send us recommendations for literally anything because we are pretty busy 124 00:09:59,280 --> 00:10:05,820 Like we're packing this trip full of stuff to do but we can make like everything's flexible 125 00:10:07,140 --> 00:10:09,660 On a trip so yeah, just red ball it out 126 00:10:10,660 --> 00:10:13,140 No, I can't I can't rally 127 00:10:13,140 --> 00:10:16,020 I had your town tell us about it. Okay 128 00:10:16,700 --> 00:10:20,060 So Edgar Towne Harbor was a hub of whaling 129 00:10:20,860 --> 00:10:24,140 Oh, hence the need for a lighthouse and also kind of why 130 00:10:24,780 --> 00:10:31,100 Like kind of points to where the the affluent part of this island came from is that like some of the money for a while? 131 00:10:31,100 --> 00:10:38,140 Yeah, that's right. Like a solid. What was it? I think a solid quarter of all whaling ships left this harbor 132 00:10:38,140 --> 00:10:39,140 Wow 133 00:10:39,140 --> 00:10:44,180 It was a it was a hub up. So in 1828 Congress approved 134 00:10:44,740 --> 00:10:50,900 $5,500 for a lighthouse at the end of a pier in the harbor. Oh the quality of this photo is not very good 135 00:10:52,660 --> 00:10:54,660 Look at this photo 136 00:10:56,180 --> 00:10:58,180 Well our 137 00:10:58,300 --> 00:11:03,940 65 inch screen it's a little blurred out. Yeah, that's that was a failure on my part. But anyway, this is a picture of 138 00:11:04,740 --> 00:11:06,100 Moby Dick 139 00:11:06,100 --> 00:11:13,140 Moby Dick the whaling yes story. Oh, yeah was based out of Nantucket. Oh, no way 140 00:11:13,140 --> 00:11:20,100 Okay, so that's the island that's next. I was wondering if twenty five percent of whaling ships left from yeah, Edgar Towne 141 00:11:20,100 --> 00:11:25,540 Wow, that's interesting and tuck it is the I'd have to read more. This is a super super quick Google 142 00:11:25,540 --> 00:11:31,180 Yeah, maybe they lived in Nantucket and the harbor was actually familiar to you. Is that why you decided to look that up? 143 00:11:31,180 --> 00:11:36,540 No, just the only whaling book story. I know is Moby Dick. Wow, what a coincidence 144 00:11:36,940 --> 00:11:41,740 Anyways, I'm sorry to interrupt you you're good in this picture. It's hard to tell but this is the 145 00:11:44,780 --> 00:11:46,780 I got a shirt 146 00:11:48,140 --> 00:11:51,980 This is the first light it's super different from what we see today 147 00:11:51,980 --> 00:11:58,140 And I'll get into the whole story of that but this the original one was a two-story dwelling with a lighthouse tower coming from the center 148 00:11:58,140 --> 00:12:00,140 So it's integral 149 00:12:00,140 --> 00:12:05,420 the pier wasn't built for another year and a half after the light was lit at the end of 150 00:12:06,060 --> 00:12:11,900 1828 and so for a while the keepers had to row back and forth from the beach to 151 00:12:12,700 --> 00:12:17,820 Light so and it was on wooden piles or like wooden ears. Yeah 152 00:12:18,980 --> 00:12:25,840 So so it's pretty shallow where it's at then. Mm-hmm. Yeah, it's not very deep. I guess that makes sense for a lighthouse. Yeah 153 00:12:25,840 --> 00:12:27,840 Oh 154 00:12:28,640 --> 00:12:30,640 That's not true 155 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:34,000 Give one example, okay 156 00:12:34,960 --> 00:12:36,960 I don't have an example 157 00:12:37,280 --> 00:12:42,080 I was thinking I thought of standard rock where it's like in the middle of a lake and so i'm like it wasn't shallow 158 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:47,920 But it was on a reef that was like dangerously shallow. Yeah, so I just I thought of that one as well 159 00:12:48,960 --> 00:12:50,960 So the pier was 160 00:12:51,020 --> 00:12:52,640 1500 feet long 161 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:58,880 Wow costs $2,500 to build which is crazy because that's like half the cost of the lighthouse a great deal you think 162 00:12:59,840 --> 00:13:02,880 I don't know less expensive than that. It's just a wood like a wooden 163 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:05,280 Walkway. Yeah 164 00:13:05,280 --> 00:13:07,360 But an integral lighthouse is a house 165 00:13:08,720 --> 00:13:13,840 With a light lantern room. Yeah, you know, so I guess I don't know 166 00:13:13,920 --> 00:13:20,320 They're pretty good at building houses. The walkway was called the bridge of size, which I looked up because 167 00:13:20,320 --> 00:13:26,880 People would go to this bridge to watch their family or husbands or whoever leave on their whaling ships 168 00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:33,200 And sometimes the expeditions were like five years long. So it's called the bridge of size. It's very sad. Si ghs 169 00:13:33,840 --> 00:13:39,120 Yeah, first keeper at edgertown harbor lighthouse was jeremiah. Damn it 170 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:44,480 I didn't look at my damn it. I didn't look up how to pronounce his last name. I think it was a bullfrog 171 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:47,040 um 172 00:13:47,040 --> 00:13:52,400 Okay, I typed it in it says to pronounce it as peas. So i'm just gonna pronounce it as peas 173 00:13:53,020 --> 00:13:55,020 p a s e 174 00:13:55,200 --> 00:14:00,880 Jeremiah served at edgertown for 13 years as the first keeper and then two years later 175 00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:04,560 He served for another six years. So he took a little gap 176 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:08,000 and apparently political party 177 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:09,840 before 178 00:14:09,840 --> 00:14:18,480 The lighthouse board was created was very important to lighthouse keeper placements. So if there was a change in power then the lighthouse keeper would change 179 00:14:19,040 --> 00:14:23,120 Interesting. I don't know if that was true for everywhere, but at least like maybe in these early lighthouses 180 00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:31,440 Yeah, so when the wig party was in power peas was replaced with sylvanus crocker both times 181 00:14:31,760 --> 00:14:33,760 crocker the big wig 182 00:14:33,760 --> 00:14:39,040 peas was a democrat and wig was like a more conservative party that died out but 183 00:14:39,040 --> 00:14:44,080 Every time so he served 13 years got kicked out for two by crocker and then 184 00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:49,760 He served another six years wig party went back into power and crocker came back in he was just waiting 185 00:14:49,760 --> 00:14:52,560 Yeah, he's just like come on. Come on. I don't have to do with my time 186 00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:58,800 Yeah, and actually another I read another instance. It's not exactly like this, but I read another instance at pimaquid point 187 00:14:58,800 --> 00:15:00,800 I didn't really mention it 188 00:15:00,800 --> 00:15:04,560 Another political party thing that marcus h hanna who 189 00:15:04,560 --> 00:15:11,920 I've heard of before and has his own section in that main lighthouse book that I showed you last time in the last episode 190 00:15:12,880 --> 00:15:18,480 He was really well known for being super brave and courageous like he got like awards 191 00:15:18,480 --> 00:15:24,800 He was in the civil war and he was like known for really putting his life in danger to save other people 192 00:15:24,800 --> 00:15:30,960 So he was awesome, but he was allegedly a stanker to work with he was like 193 00:15:31,760 --> 00:15:33,760 grumpy like he was 194 00:15:33,760 --> 00:15:37,600 He like he he when when you needed him he would save your life 195 00:15:37,840 --> 00:15:45,360 But any other time people are just like oh this guy. Yeah, so anyway, um, he wanted to be placed at a better light station 196 00:15:46,240 --> 00:15:53,680 Than pimaquid point so he allegedly used his status as a republican with president grant to move him to two lights 197 00:15:54,160 --> 00:15:58,000 Which is cape elizabeth. I feel like i've heard of two lights to be covered 198 00:15:58,560 --> 00:16:00,080 No, we haven't yet. Okay 199 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:06,240 But i've heard of it. Yeah, which effectively boots out the current head keeper who wrote in the log book quote 200 00:16:06,480 --> 00:16:12,800 Mr. Hanna from pimaquid light station will take my place but not with my consent. I am no longer a republican 201 00:16:13,360 --> 00:16:14,960 Oh my gosh 202 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:16,960 I'm like, oh shit 203 00:16:17,520 --> 00:16:23,360 So anyway political stuff came up often in keepers positions. Yeah, I did not know that 204 00:16:23,680 --> 00:16:28,800 I'm sure there's a lot of other instances but instances you're doing great. Take a sip of coffee 205 00:16:28,800 --> 00:16:34,420 Coffee today was provided by emily. Yeah, it's fantastic and uh captain cecil's atlantic 206 00:16:35,440 --> 00:16:36,560 Really? 207 00:16:36,560 --> 00:16:40,640 Wow run through the espresso machine. I did it was maybe not the smartest thing to do but 208 00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:43,680 I don't know. I really enjoy it. Yeah, I know it's a 209 00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:48,720 It's not pure coffee at this point, but it's good. What do you mean? Oh, well, it's got honey 210 00:16:50,240 --> 00:16:54,640 I'm a child. So I like that stuff. I went a little heavy on the sugar, but I think it's still 211 00:16:54,640 --> 00:16:59,600 A plus. Honey is basically liquid sugar as well. I know 212 00:17:00,640 --> 00:17:02,640 Anyway, that was just something i'd mentioned 213 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:04,560 1840 214 00:17:04,560 --> 00:17:09,360 The wooden beams holding up the lighthouse were really starting to rot away 215 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:12,000 And I mean that's over a decade 216 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:18,320 So that's pretty good for just wooden beams just sitting in the water. Yeah, they were replaced with a stone pier 217 00:17:19,120 --> 00:17:23,120 Let me pull a picture. You can see it at the bottom here. Pretty nice 218 00:17:23,120 --> 00:17:25,120 Pretty nice 219 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:32,000 Why is there a crack in the house where in the middle right there under the window 220 00:17:33,120 --> 00:17:34,880 Oh this yeah 221 00:17:34,880 --> 00:17:38,500 Um, probably some damage. There was lots of complaints 222 00:17:39,040 --> 00:17:44,980 That the room the house was leaking stuff because looking at it. You can actually tell it's not weatherproof 223 00:17:45,520 --> 00:17:50,080 Like this is not this is aggressive. Yeah, this is just a house on salt water 224 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:56,560 Just a house with no buffers or anything just on the water recently. What was the storm? 225 00:17:57,280 --> 00:18:02,800 Earth january we talked about the storm that affected. Oh, yeah east coast 10th and 13th. Yeah, but uh 226 00:18:03,360 --> 00:18:07,200 In some of those photos we talked about like sea walls that were built. Yes and 227 00:18:08,160 --> 00:18:12,320 Foundations like tall foundations. This house doesn't have this house would have been 228 00:18:12,940 --> 00:18:16,640 Decimated by a storm like that. Is that a poop pipe you think right there? I think so 229 00:18:16,640 --> 00:18:20,160 I think this might just be straight up open to the oh 230 00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:25,280 Let's go. I mean it's away from the town. You can see the town over there. Yeah, so there's some distance 231 00:18:25,360 --> 00:18:28,240 It would be broken up if you're dropping donations 232 00:18:30,400 --> 00:18:32,320 Keeping the fish happy 233 00:18:32,320 --> 00:18:37,440 Gross, I know i'm the worst the fog bell is also on that side of the house. That's kind of neat. Yeah. Yeah 234 00:18:38,400 --> 00:18:43,780 I was gonna I see a picture and I point it's a good eye because I I didn't really have anything to say about that in particular 235 00:18:44,560 --> 00:18:45,760 um 236 00:18:45,760 --> 00:18:48,800 But I thought it was cool that it was just on the side of the house like that 237 00:18:48,880 --> 00:18:51,600 I wonder how they actuated it. I don't know. I'm sure it was 238 00:18:52,240 --> 00:18:58,080 Through the top or maybe there's a hole in the side. I don't know. This actually is an add-on to the house 239 00:18:58,080 --> 00:19:02,800 So it's not like see a nice lightning rod running down water is a conductor 240 00:19:03,520 --> 00:19:07,680 So does the lightning rod run down into the water? You might as well 241 00:19:09,760 --> 00:19:12,880 Right, is that stupid? I don't know water is also 242 00:19:12,880 --> 00:19:16,880 Uh salt water particularly highly corrosive, which is why those 243 00:19:17,600 --> 00:19:20,320 Probably why those wood piers did not last very long 244 00:19:20,880 --> 00:19:22,240 so your 245 00:19:22,240 --> 00:19:25,360 Metal wire i'm just interested. I like to look it up 246 00:19:25,520 --> 00:19:30,080 Anyway, because I covered lightning rods previously but not on water. Yeah. Oh true 247 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:33,920 Makes a big difference. Sorry caffeine got me. You're good 248 00:19:34,640 --> 00:19:35,840 um 249 00:19:35,840 --> 00:19:41,840 My next point was that the official keeper's dwelling was not well suited for being on the water, which is what I see here 250 00:19:41,840 --> 00:19:48,160 So there was a quick turn over on keeper's and most preferred to stay somewhere on the shore rather than the light itself 251 00:19:48,640 --> 00:19:54,160 And I don't know if that had to come out of their own pocket or if that was I doubt that was supplied 252 00:19:54,720 --> 00:19:56,720 By the lighthouse board. Yeah 253 00:19:56,800 --> 00:20:00,640 Additionally the wooden pier did nothing to protect the harbor from shifting sands 254 00:20:01,280 --> 00:20:06,480 And that's something i'll mention later like a sand movement is like a big deal on this area 255 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:08,320 so 256 00:20:08,320 --> 00:20:12,720 The keeper sylvanus argued to build a breakwater instead of just having this walkway 257 00:20:13,280 --> 00:20:21,280 So in 1847 for four thousand seven hundred dollars a stone breakwater topped with a wooden walkway was built to help preserve the harbor 258 00:20:21,760 --> 00:20:27,760 And eventually they made like other improvements to the keeper's cottage including adding a fourth order for now lens 259 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:31,520 So that's nice. And then they added an oil house this fog bell 260 00:20:32,320 --> 00:20:35,680 Area that you pointed out. Yeah storage shed, etc 261 00:20:35,680 --> 00:20:44,000 Nice some riprap making it up. Yeah, they added some they oomphed it. What was that called again? Nathan told us? Oh, um 262 00:20:44,700 --> 00:20:45,920 revetment 263 00:20:45,920 --> 00:20:47,920 Yeah revetment revetment stone 264 00:20:48,560 --> 00:20:54,080 Cool after that there wasn't a lot of notes about it except for that. It was a quote-unquote tolerable place to live 265 00:20:55,200 --> 00:20:58,480 nice that is until it took significant damage from 266 00:20:58,480 --> 00:21:05,280 Um a hurricane in 1938 which was just referred to as the great hurricane. It was category five 267 00:21:06,620 --> 00:21:12,640 306 million dollars in damage, which is six point five billion dollars today 268 00:21:13,280 --> 00:21:17,920 And uh killed 800 people injured like 1700 people. So 269 00:21:18,720 --> 00:21:19,760 It was a big one 270 00:21:19,760 --> 00:21:20,640 dang 271 00:21:20,640 --> 00:21:22,320 it was a bad one, so 272 00:21:22,320 --> 00:21:26,240 The year after that the coast guard took over all the lighthouses 273 00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:31,200 And immediately destroyed this one because it would have been so costly to upkeep 274 00:21:31,840 --> 00:21:37,600 And they weren't going to have keepers there anymore or anything. So they were planning on building a skeleton tower 275 00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:42,240 Instead like in its place in the 30s. Oh 40s. It took over. Yeah 276 00:21:43,040 --> 00:21:46,880 so they were going to build a skeleton tower with a the beacon on top but 277 00:21:47,840 --> 00:21:52,240 The town hated that idea and so instead they took the 1881 278 00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:56,340 rear range light from cranes beach, massachusetts 279 00:21:57,200 --> 00:22:04,160 Uh dismantled it and brought it over instead which is the tower that we have today and it looks like it's just every other 280 00:22:04,800 --> 00:22:11,280 Cape cod lighthouse out there. Yep. It looks nice. I like this photo. Yeah, this is where it was located originally 281 00:22:11,360 --> 00:22:15,040 So this is a picture of it when it was still a background picture. Yeah 282 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:18,000 It is really nice very sharp 283 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:22,960 Old photo. I don't know what that's called. What's the railing style? Is that gothic? 284 00:22:23,840 --> 00:22:25,280 I don't know 285 00:22:25,280 --> 00:22:30,880 Old english the way that it's like slopes and then points down again is very gothic 286 00:22:31,520 --> 00:22:37,600 So I don't know the architecture words, but that's cool. We should look at the little portal windows. Yeah, big fan of those pretty cute 287 00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:41,280 So anyway, that was moved over to the end of the breakwater 288 00:22:41,520 --> 00:22:46,560 it's 45 feet cast iron all white except for a black lantern room and 289 00:22:46,560 --> 00:22:49,760 And has a fixed red light. Nice. We like that 290 00:22:49,920 --> 00:22:54,400 Well had a fixed red light when I was first moved over to Martha's Vineyard 291 00:22:55,520 --> 00:22:57,520 So it was originally at the end of the breakwater 292 00:22:57,760 --> 00:22:59,280 Which it doesn't look that way today 293 00:22:59,280 --> 00:23:04,080 And so I was like what happened that they put it at the end of the breakwater and then move it back in but 294 00:23:04,240 --> 00:23:06,080 What happened was? 295 00:23:06,080 --> 00:23:09,760 It said to sand eventually over time filled in the space 296 00:23:10,320 --> 00:23:14,560 Around the lighthouse and now it's like has it its own beach its own beach. That's cool 297 00:23:14,560 --> 00:23:19,360 But what actually happened was there was a series of hurricanes. I can't remember 298 00:23:20,160 --> 00:23:27,540 What year but a series of hurricanes destroyed sand from the eel pond barrier beach, which was northwest of edgertown 299 00:23:28,640 --> 00:23:30,080 Have a picture 300 00:23:30,080 --> 00:23:32,720 So on the left side, there's a picture of where edward 301 00:23:33,200 --> 00:23:38,720 Oh my gosh edgertown light used to be at the end of the breakwater and up here is this eel pond barrier 302 00:23:39,680 --> 00:23:40,480 like 303 00:23:40,480 --> 00:23:49,040 Which is now called lighthouse beach. There's a bunch of hurricanes which broke up that area and all the sand was like suspended in the water for a long time 304 00:23:49,600 --> 00:23:53,840 And then if you look on the right, there's a map of what it looks like today. So that is epic 305 00:23:54,080 --> 00:24:00,720 Isn't that awesome? So all the sand moved down over to edgertown harbor light and surrounded it and now 306 00:24:01,360 --> 00:24:02,880 edgertown harbor 307 00:24:02,880 --> 00:24:10,560 Called lighthouse beach is its own barrier beach for this little son of a steve. So that's yeah, that's awesome 308 00:24:10,560 --> 00:24:16,960 That's why there's no like streets probably on that mass is it's probably not it's probably sand. Yeah unstable 309 00:24:17,520 --> 00:24:20,000 So you're telling me that the lighthouse didn't move 310 00:24:20,720 --> 00:24:24,560 Yeah, but the sand moved I was joking around the breakwater earth 311 00:24:25,360 --> 00:24:29,600 You know, he was uh, he had some quote like what would it cost to buy the whole earth? 312 00:24:29,600 --> 00:24:35,620 I just thought it was funny. Sorry. I remind me. So there's a riprap pier. No breakwater breakwater 313 00:24:38,160 --> 00:24:40,160 Yeah, I mean it's kind of a uh 314 00:24:40,880 --> 00:24:43,680 appear right, yeah, but do you think that 315 00:24:44,620 --> 00:24:49,120 Accumulated the sand and then built up to what we have now this landmass 316 00:24:49,120 --> 00:24:53,360 Well, yeah, it's like the waves so the waves become saturated with sand as the waves 317 00:24:53,360 --> 00:25:01,200 Are hitting something then they release the sand and so that just piles up and piles up wherever the water is breaking on it 318 00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:08,080 So that's really interesting and you can see the breakwater from underneath the sand if you go see the lighthouse 319 00:25:08,640 --> 00:25:09,840 Wow 320 00:25:09,840 --> 00:25:12,640 Like it's it's just rock. So it's underneath 321 00:25:13,520 --> 00:25:18,000 All the all the beach. That's cool. Yeah, i'm really excited to see it 322 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:21,920 I can't wait so you can you can physically walk to it now not walking on the breakwater 323 00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:28,640 Mm-hmm. It's all sand. That's really neat. Yeah, the lighthouse was refurbished by the coast guard in 1985 324 00:25:28,800 --> 00:25:31,200 And I think they repainted it. It was looking a little rough 325 00:25:31,360 --> 00:25:35,200 So they gave it a new white coat of paint and did some other stuff to it 326 00:25:35,840 --> 00:25:41,200 And shortly after that, they changed it to a flashing red light every six seconds, which is what we have today. Still dope 327 00:25:41,360 --> 00:25:43,120 Yeah, almost a decade later 328 00:25:43,120 --> 00:25:48,400 The light was leased to Martha's Vineyard Historical Society for 30 years in 2007 329 00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:55,840 They received two hundred fifty thousand dollars from the community preservation act for a restoration. So they fixed fixed her right up what year? 330 00:25:56,620 --> 00:26:02,640 2007 nice. I know the economy crashed in oh eight like hardcore, but we've heard a lot of these restorations 331 00:26:03,440 --> 00:26:07,280 Have happened. I would say like 90 through 2010 332 00:26:08,080 --> 00:26:11,300 Which is I wonder where that came from a lot of the preservation 333 00:26:12,320 --> 00:26:14,320 Yeah, there was a lot of stuff happening 334 00:26:14,320 --> 00:26:20,720 In like the early 2000s, I'm thinking of Florida, California even um northwest ones 335 00:26:21,360 --> 00:26:25,440 Talked about they're all just like a lot of lighthouses were just neglected 336 00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:30,720 Yeah, and maybe people started to notice those things. Yeah 337 00:26:31,520 --> 00:26:34,800 And start fixing them up. Yeah. Well good quarter million. It's not a 338 00:26:35,360 --> 00:26:40,560 Not nothing. Yeah, nothing to sniff at especially on a shorter lighthouse tower. Yeah, what is this one 40 feet? 339 00:26:40,560 --> 00:26:47,520 45 thanks, but the light was transferred to the town of Edgar town in 2014. So now the town owns it 340 00:26:48,080 --> 00:26:52,960 That's upkeep on okay. Yeah, so five dollars to tour so you can go and check it out 341 00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:56,000 I'm pretty sure they said the door is just open all the time and you can 342 00:26:56,720 --> 00:27:02,960 Climb it drop a five in and there's a keeper there that will tell you the history and oh, that's cool 343 00:27:03,520 --> 00:27:05,760 So it's a probably a city 344 00:27:05,760 --> 00:27:10,480 It's city volunteer or city employee probably I was gonna say national parks 345 00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:14,800 But that's not that was true in the outer banks where we went to ochre cove 346 00:27:14,960 --> 00:27:17,840 Because that was a national park and cape cod is a national park 347 00:27:18,320 --> 00:27:24,800 I think martha's vineyard might be private. I think so. Yeah, that's probably right that might explain some of the wealth accumulation. Yeah 348 00:27:26,480 --> 00:27:33,120 Because cape cod has national park service like shops where you can get patches and stuff just like we did for cape cod or um 349 00:27:33,120 --> 00:27:39,360 Um cape hatteras and stuff. That is pretty I was waiting for you to make a comment on it really great photo. Um 350 00:27:40,400 --> 00:27:42,400 Looks a little bit of an orange light 351 00:27:43,280 --> 00:27:45,920 So it's just a glare. It's a long exposure photo 352 00:27:47,040 --> 00:27:49,040 Which is helps them capture the stars 353 00:27:49,600 --> 00:27:55,440 Um, but they also capture a lot of the light traffic of the city and the harbor right there. It looks like a boat 354 00:27:56,080 --> 00:27:57,280 and then uh 355 00:27:57,280 --> 00:28:01,620 They might have edited somehow to make that light tower orange-ish 356 00:28:01,620 --> 00:28:04,420 really pretty though, how you doing 357 00:28:06,580 --> 00:28:11,060 Good it's good. Sorry you got this drink you made me is uh 358 00:28:12,180 --> 00:28:15,060 Making me talk a lot nice. That's what we like 359 00:28:15,860 --> 00:28:18,580 I want to talk to myself the whole time. Everyone's like, uh 360 00:28:19,380 --> 00:28:21,380 No, the co-host is on 361 00:28:21,780 --> 00:28:24,020 The co-host is feeling chatty 362 00:28:24,020 --> 00:28:31,300 I am excited to go on this trip. Oh, I have so much fun. I've totally forgotten. Are we gonna see edgertown? Yes 363 00:28:31,460 --> 00:28:33,460 Okay, definitely see edgertown 364 00:28:33,780 --> 00:28:37,860 from there is where we'd go to cape podge, which is the one that i'm on the edge about because we'd have to 365 00:28:38,820 --> 00:28:42,820 Put in some effort do that's right. Do a lot of the fairies come in 366 00:28:43,380 --> 00:28:47,060 To edgertown. It's the kind of the main you said it's the main no 367 00:28:47,860 --> 00:28:50,660 It's they come north to most fairies 368 00:28:50,660 --> 00:28:54,580 there are some that come in here, but most of the fairies come into oak bluffs or 369 00:28:55,140 --> 00:28:59,220 there's like those two humps of land one is oak bluffs and one is 370 00:29:00,180 --> 00:29:02,180 vineyard haven or 371 00:29:03,700 --> 00:29:09,060 Yeah, I think that's what if it has to do with the depth of the water or political reasons at this point 372 00:29:09,060 --> 00:29:11,060 you know different towns are 373 00:29:11,060 --> 00:29:16,900 Trying to get the the port traffic. Yeah, I don't know and if they're worried about getting back and forth across 374 00:29:17,540 --> 00:29:19,060 between 375 00:29:19,060 --> 00:29:21,060 chapiquitic chapiquitic 376 00:29:21,780 --> 00:29:24,820 Other one and martha's vineyards the mainland 377 00:29:24,980 --> 00:29:30,660 I wonder if they try and reduce how much traffic is coming in so that it doesn't impede that. Yeah 378 00:29:31,540 --> 00:29:33,620 I do think they have a big bridge over there. I don't know 379 00:29:34,420 --> 00:29:36,420 I wonder what the ferry is like 380 00:29:36,500 --> 00:29:40,180 Um that really short one to chapiquitic island. I think it just goes all day long 381 00:29:40,260 --> 00:29:46,040 Yeah, and you can take your car over it too. So we had uh, it was fantastic 382 00:29:46,040 --> 00:29:53,020 Opportunity I was very fortunate to be able to do got to go to dawson city in the uconn in canada 383 00:29:53,900 --> 00:29:55,900 And so we rode our motorcycles 384 00:29:55,900 --> 00:29:58,860 On this highway the alcan alaska canada highway 385 00:29:59,260 --> 00:30:04,620 And then we got down to the water and I was the one in in front and my phone was navigating 386 00:30:05,180 --> 00:30:09,820 You know strapped to my handlebars and I've got this radio in my helmet. I'm talking to my dad my brother 387 00:30:10,300 --> 00:30:13,740 And I was like, well, how do we where's the bridge? Is the bridge gone? 388 00:30:13,740 --> 00:30:17,820 Is the where how do we get to this town? We're exhausted. It's the end of our day 389 00:30:18,860 --> 00:30:21,820 dusty inside of everything I can taste dust, but 390 00:30:23,020 --> 00:30:24,140 I see 391 00:30:24,140 --> 00:30:26,620 I'm an idiot. We're supposed to cross on a ferry 392 00:30:27,180 --> 00:30:34,380 To get into dawson city. Yeah, and the ferry is coming across the water and it's like glacial wash 393 00:30:34,460 --> 00:30:36,460 So it's like this this gray 394 00:30:37,100 --> 00:30:41,100 Water and it's rushing and so the ferry is aimed upstream 395 00:30:41,100 --> 00:30:46,460 And it's coming straight across and it took like three or four minutes for it to get across and then 396 00:30:47,180 --> 00:30:52,140 Unloaded and then we loaded which is his own story and then we got across and it's to go back the other way 397 00:30:52,140 --> 00:30:54,460 It's also facing upstream just to fight the current 398 00:30:55,100 --> 00:30:59,260 But this guy just does it all day long the guy's steering the boat. Yeah or lady 399 00:30:59,260 --> 00:31:03,500 I don't know, but the pilot was just totally accustomed to that current 400 00:31:04,140 --> 00:31:08,860 I wonder I was gonna say this job is probably really cool too. This ferry. It's not a river 401 00:31:08,860 --> 00:31:12,300 But it's funny how that's like a story everywhere. I wonder how the waters are here 402 00:31:12,300 --> 00:31:17,500 I would presume they're pretty calm if they built a lighthouse. That was just a house on the edge 403 00:31:18,140 --> 00:31:21,580 Well edgertown. I was looking at the map is the biggest 404 00:31:22,540 --> 00:31:26,780 land cove overall as the most protection from oh 405 00:31:28,220 --> 00:31:32,540 I'm looking at i'm just guessing. Yeah, but it's the largest like inlet of land 406 00:31:33,100 --> 00:31:35,340 There's the the other town that's up north. It's 407 00:31:35,340 --> 00:31:41,580 Another another ferry town. It's in another cove, but it's much more narrow province town province town 408 00:31:42,140 --> 00:31:48,220 It looks to be much more narrow. So it is very small. Yep. Yep. Yep. Yep. Yepers cool 409 00:31:48,220 --> 00:31:50,220 Very pretty very cool 410 00:31:50,220 --> 00:31:57,500 That's it edgertown harbor a classic story of replacing the original lighthouse with some other light 411 00:31:57,820 --> 00:32:03,820 It's like NASA light and they're so similar looking all the lighthouses on cape cod look very similar 412 00:32:03,820 --> 00:32:11,340 So it'll be fun to take pictures of them all a lot of them are this like steel banded tower. Yeah, I wonder if that's 413 00:32:12,280 --> 00:32:18,140 Practicality or I think it's just looks yeah. I mean the outer banks was like all brick 414 00:32:18,700 --> 00:32:23,340 Everything was brick. Yeah. Yeah, and they said something about um, when they moved this one 415 00:32:23,340 --> 00:32:29,100 They didn't include a brick lining that it had originally and maybe was outside of the steel. Yeah 416 00:32:29,100 --> 00:32:33,820 Outside of the steel. Yeah, so anyway, that's all 417 00:32:34,620 --> 00:32:39,100 Well, thank you should have had a history buoy. I think this would have been a perfect length, but 418 00:32:39,900 --> 00:32:41,180 It's a good length 419 00:32:41,180 --> 00:32:42,860 Rest assured 420 00:32:42,860 --> 00:32:44,540 And i'm saying it now 421 00:32:44,540 --> 00:32:47,500 Next episode i'm gonna have a history buoy 422 00:32:48,140 --> 00:32:50,140 No more disappointment for me 423 00:32:50,220 --> 00:32:57,020 Very good. You can send us an email at the lighthouse lowdown at gmail.com check out our instagram our linkedin 424 00:32:57,020 --> 00:32:58,860 our 425 00:32:58,860 --> 00:33:00,780 youtube and 426 00:33:00,780 --> 00:33:04,060 We have a lot of other I think that's it. Wait instagram 427 00:33:04,940 --> 00:33:12,380 LinkedIn twitter youtube no, i mean twitter's dead x now. No, we're not on x. We don't have facebook either linkedin youtube 428 00:33:12,940 --> 00:33:14,940 All the places you can listen to podcasts 429 00:33:14,940 --> 00:33:27,420 Yeah, that's it. We hope you enjoyed listening and we'll catch you next time on the lighthouse below