Historically Famous Lighthouses: CG-232United States. Coast Guard
History
Historically Famous Lighthouses: CG-232
United States. Coast Guard
Lighthouses -- United States
Other stones were erected at 5-mile intervals and the west line of the
State of Delaware was set up. Soon after this Lord Baltimore died and
his death delayed things. Nothing was done for about 10 years, when
under a new agreement in 1760, between the then generations of Penns and
Baltimores, surveys were started again on this north line, the object
being to lay it out so as to hit the 12-mile circle, 81 miles above,
determined upon as the northern boundary of Delaware, with New Castle as
its center. The surveyors made such a poor job of it, despite several
efforts, after 3 years, that Penn and Baltimore in England hired Mason
and Dixon, two engineers of note, to go over to America, take charge and
do the job. They arrived in 1763, accepted the lower or east and west
line across the peninsula as correct, reran the north line and ran the
line from the northeast corner of Maryland west, for about 223 miles.
This is the generally understood Mason and Dixon’s line. They also ran
the north and south line which is the western boundary of Delaware. Five
years were occupied in this and not until 1768 was the last stone set,
which ended the controversy of nearly a century.
By 1857 the site for the lighthouse had been selected and marked and the
tower was completed early in 1859, being first lit on August 1, 1859.
The total cost was $23,748.96.
In 1932 a strip of land 60 feet wide, extending east and west across the
site, was deeded to the State of Delaware for roadway purposes and in
1940 about three-fourths of the site was sold including the entire
northern wooded half and 2.71 acres of the southern half.
The white lighthouse tower now stands 0.3 mile inshore on the coast, the
tower being 83 feet above water and the top of the lantern 87 feet above
ground. A 25,000-candlepower light flashes white every 3 seconds and is
visible 15 miles at sea. (1) (2)
_FLORIDA_
AMERICAN SHOAL LIGHTHOUSE
Off shore, visible from Overseas Highway at Saddlebunch Keys.
[Illustration]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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