Historic Lighthouse Lamps Database

 

Fourth Order Funk Heap Lamp
Fourth Order Funk Heap Lamp. Image courtesy Tom Tag

At the Maritime Heritage Conference held in San Diego, California, in 2007 a proposal was made that the ALCC should try to determine the types of lighthouse lamps still in existance and their current locations. Tom Tag the Technical Advisor to the U.S. Lighthouse Society was given the management of this project and became, at the same time, the Chairman of the ALCC Artifacts Committee. Tom formed a group of very knowledgable people from across the country to investigate lighthouse lamps in their areas as follows:

Kim Fahlen
Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Connecticut, Rhode Island

Chad Kaiser
California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Hawaii, Maine

Kathleen McCormick
Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Massachusetts

Terry Pepper
Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan

Anne Puppa
Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York (Atlantic coast)

Luchaire IOV Lamp on display at Fairport Harbor Lighthouse, Ohio. Image courtesy Tom Tag.
Luchaire IOV Lamp on display at Fairport Harbor Lighthouse, Ohio. Image courtesy Tom Tag.

In October 2010, the first draft of this important project was completed, and then released to the public on the ALCC website.

The collection of data did not stop and each year the Lighthouse Lamp Listing was revised and extended. We are currently at revision 5. The database is currently maintained by Fresnel Lens expert Chad Kaiser of the New Dungeness Lighthouse is Washington State.

The Historic Lighthouse Lamps Database is accessible through the U.S. Lighthouse Society website. For more on the history of lighthouse lamps visit Tom Tag’s Lamp section.