History Of The Light House

An article containing a brief history of the light house.
By Paul R. Wonning
© 2005

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The romance of the sea fills the mind with many images - white capped waves crashing to shore, the shrill cry of the seagull above the rushing surf, and the sharp scent of salt spray in the air. Part of this romance includes the solitary image of the lighthouse guarding the shore, its comforting rays of light creating a welcome beacon to mariners braving the ocean in their wind tossed vessels.

The lighthouse has a long history, beckoning to seamen through the long ages of time. Homer chronicles the use of beacon fires along the coast of the Mediterranean in both the Iliad and the Odyssey, written in the ninth century BC. These beacons are reckoned as the first lighthouses used. They would have been bonfires built in the open on coastal hilltops, fired with wood, marking the coastline for ships as they sailed near the shore. Some of these would have had roof structures protecting them somewhat from the vagaries of the weather. This type of signal fire was used by mariners during antiquity by the Greeks, Egyptians, Phoenicians, and other seafaring peoples.

Around 285 BC one of the most renowned lighthouses of the ancient world was erected to mark the harbor of Alexandria in Egypt. Called the Pharos of Alexandria, the lighthouse stood 200 feet above the waves. Soundly constructed, it was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World, as listed by the Greek Antipater of Sidon in the second century BC, joining the Pyramids, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and The Collusus of Rhodes as the most magnificent achievements of man during that long ago age. This impressive structure stood until the 14th Century when it was destroyed by an earthquake.

The Romans made extensive use of lighthouse towers during their centuries of empire. Eventually more than 30 lighthouses were in service from ports in the Black Sea to Dover. A fragment of one at Dover, England still survives.

Wood fires or torches were the primary illuminants for these early lighthouses until the first century AD, when candles or oil lamps came into use. Panes of glass or horn protected the flames from wind and rain. Most of the lighthouses during this time served as guiding lights placed at the mouths of harbors, guiding seamen to sanctuary in the dark, featureless night.

When Roman might failed, commerce declined among the sundry peoples of the Mediterranean Sea, and lighthouse construction faltered. It wasn’t until around 1100 AD that an increase in commerce from an emerging Europe saw the need for more lighthouses. The two most advanced seafaring nations at the time, France and Italy led the way. It is worth noting that one of the leading European ports of this period was Genoa, Italy, home of Christopher Columbus. His uncle, Antonio Columbus, was light keeper for the Laterna Lighthouse of that city. The lighthouse keeper’s duties during this time included keeping the reflecting lenses clean, keeping the beacon lit, and removing accumulated soot from the windows. By 1600 there were around 30 key lighthouses in Europe and many minor ones.

The rise of German trade in Europe at this time bolstered the construction of more lighthouses on the northern coasts. The Hanseatic League, a trade federation consisting of most of the chief German cities, caused at least 15 new lighthouses to be constructed on the German and Scandinavian coasts. During this period coastal churches and chapels were also used as beacons to ships at sea.

Around 1700 lighthouse construction increased at much higher pace as the needs of blossoming world trade dramatically increased sea traffic. It was at this time that lighthouse construction in the open sea was successfully mastered. Electric lights began to replace gas lights towards the end of the nineteenth century.

Today a multitude of navigational aids has diminished the need for the lighthouse, although they are still an important element in marine traffic. There are an estimated 50,000 lighthouses in existence worldwide today.