Lighthouses usually are thought of as solitary and remote structures, warning the mariner of dangerous rocks, shoals or reefs, or marking the entry to a river or harbor. Today most light stations have been automated by the Coast Guard, and the proud coastal structures of former years have been replaced by sterile rotating aerobeacons on monopoles. However, by staying overnight in lighthouse inns or hostels, you can recapture the heyday of the manned lighthouse era, when mariners' lives depended on the skill and fortitude of the keeper.
The narrow chambers with slanting walls, the spiraling steps to the top of the tower, the great prism, with its somber rotating light, the panoramic water view -- all evoke the years when keepers, without modern amenities, often lonely and sometimes stranded by storms for weeks at a time, kept their beacons flashing to avert maritime disaster.
Four lighthouses, three in the United States and one in Canada, offer luxury accommodations either in the lighthouse or the keeper's house; four others, operated as youth hostels, offer more Spartan, though no less scenic, lodging.
The Keeper's House, Isle au Haut, Maine
This inn, run by Jeffrey and Judy Burke, is unique on the East Coast. The lighthouse station was built by the Coast Guard in 1907. The Burkes bought it in 1986 and have remodeled it as a living museum where guests can experience the beauty and solitude of an earlier period. Jeffrey Burke explains the reason for their project: "The lighthouse is symbolic of a whole era of American history. . . . The fact that they're threatened to some degree now strikes a chord in most people's hearts."
The Burkes have kept the way of life once led by the keeper intact, and there are no telephones or electric lights. The mail boat from Deer Isle to the Isle au Haut brings guests directly to the inn. Lodging at the Keeper's House includes mail boat passage and all meals. A typical gourmet dinner begins when the fog bell summons guests to dinner at sunset. Candlelight and gas lights provide evening illumination. There are six rooms plus a cottage. The light is still maintained by the Coast Guard.
East Brother Light Station, Point Richard, Calif.
This light station is on one of four rocky islands marking the straits separating San Francisco and San Pablo bays. It is one of the earliest lighthouses on the West Coast (built 1873-'74) and is the oldest of the 17 lighthouses built in and around San Francisco still in operation. In 1969, the light and fog signal were automated and the buildings closed. At this time, East Brother was successfully nominated to the National Register of Historic Places, but the buildings remained boarded up for another decade.
In 1979, East Brother Light Station Inc. was formed as a non-profit organization to preserve the Light Station for perpetual use. The island's facilities have been beautifully restored. East Brother actually is a self-contained environment with living quarters, lighthouse, fog signal, machine shop building, storage building, cistern and pier-tramway. The buildings have a turn-of-the-century appearance, and the facilities, as much as possible, are self-sufficient, relying on natural resources.
There are four guest rooms, furnished with Victorian antiques. All proceeds go toward maintaining the buildings. In addition to the bed-and-breakfast program, activities include picnics, educational tours, classes, seminars, retreats, fishing, wildlife observation and historical research. There is a game table and plenty of reading material.
Big Bay Point Lighthouse, Big Bay, Mich.
This 1896 lighthouse is owned and operated as a bed-and-breakfast inn by Norman (Buck) Gotschall, a former teacher and real estate broker, and his wife Marilyn. The lighthouse contains a 9-foot-high, 1,500-pound Fresnel lens, which is of great interest to specialists.
The Gotschalls have entertained lighthouse aficionados from as far away as France and India; 85 percent of the guests are from out of state. It has a one-mile shoreline on one of the world's largest freshwater lakes, Lake Superior.
Several years ago, the Coast Guard announced it intended to destroy the lighthouse, but a group of preservationists rallied and prevented it from being torn down. Although it is privately owned, there are provisions made for free public visitation for two hours each Sunday. There are 19 waterfalls within 10 miles of Big Bay.
The sense of being divorced from civilization is strong on stormy nights; sometimes the moan of the Marquette Horn, 25 miles away, can be heard every 30 seconds around the clock. The lighthouse is situated on a rocky cliff. The interior has exposed brick; there are six guest rooms and 7 1/2 baths.
West Point Lighthouse, Prince Edward Island, Canada
This lighthouse inn is an example of preservation at its best. Carol Livingstone, granddaughter of William Anderson MacDonald, the first lighthouse keeper (called "Lighthouse Willie"), was the moving spirit behind a community effort to save the lighthouse, abandoned once the Canadian Coast Guard put in electricity.
"Everybody is willing to do their bit for the lighthouse," she says. A community grant made possible its conversion into an inn. One room is especially for honeymooners, with a whirlpool bath and a high lace canopy over the bed; honeymoon rates include champagne, a fruit basket and Continental breakfast.
The West Point Lighthouse also houses a museum of lighthouse history, filled with some of the original keeper's furniture, a craft shop in which local women display beautiful needlework, and a restaurant.
Hikes through the nearby hollows, planned by history researchers and environmentalists, leave from here. The nearby beach and the isolated position of the lighthouse make this an unusual and appealing place to stay. There are 10 rooms.
Lighthouse hostels
Youth hostels are open to people of all ages, provided they are members of the American Youth Hostels or the International Youth Hostel Federation organizations. Originating in Europe, hostels provide an inexpensive, friendly atmosphere.
Check-in usually is between 4:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.; hostels are closed between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Hostelers provide their own linens and clean up after themselves. Nightly prices for members in lighthouse hostels range from $6.50 to $9. To join, write American Youth Hostels, Box 37613, Washington, D.C. 20013-7613; telephone (202) 783-6161.
Lighthouses offering hostel accommodation are:
Point Montara Lighthouse: 18th Street at Highway 1, Montara, Calif. 94037; telephone (415) 728-7177. The Point Montara Fog Signal and Light Station was built in 1875 and used as a naval training station during World War II. The embankments, munitions locker and radio room are open for exploration. Open all year.
Tibbetts Point Lighthouse: Cape Vincent, N.Y. 13618; telephone (315) 654-3450. The lighthouse guards the entrance into the St. Lawrence River. The tower was constructed in 1854 and the two-story residence dates from 1800.
Lighthouse Road in Cape Vincent is popular with walkers and jTC bikers, who view the sunsets, the ice piled high on the shore during spring breakup, or the silhouettes of the great ships passing down the St. Lawrence Seaway between the river and Lake Ontario. Open May 15 to Oct. 15.
Pigeon Point Lighthouse: Pescadero, Calif. 94060; telephone (415) 879-0633. This lighthouse, built in 1874, is the second tallest free-standing one in the United States. Naturalists lead nature walks and lighthouse tours. Open all year.
The Star-of-the-Sea AYH Hostel: Surfside, Nantucket, Mass. 02554; telephone (508) 228-0433. This once was a life-saving station dating from 1873. Not only is Nantucket one of the most beautiful of U.S. islands, it also is one of the most expensive to visit. Staying in a hostel makes a budget visit feasible, and brings the visitor close to the old whaling days when fleets of ships set sail from Nantucket. It was a long-established whaling center when Ishmael made his way there in Herman Melville's "Moby-Dick." Open April 29 to Oct.9.
If you go . . .
The Keeper's House: Box 26, Isle au Haut, Maine 04645; telephone (207) 367-2261. $225 per room (double occupancy); includes ferry, breakfast, lunch and dinner for two. Open May 1 to Oct. 30.
East Brother Light Station Inc.: 117 Park Place, Point Richmond, Calif. 94801; telephone (415) 233-2385. $295 per room per night (double occupancy); includes ferry, dinner with champagne and breakfast for two. Open all year, Thursday to Sunday nights.
Big Bay Point Lighthouse: 3 Lighthouse Road, Big Bay, Mich. 49808; telephone (906) 345-9957). $85 to $150 per room, according to location, per night (double occupancy); includes full breakfast for two. Open all year.
The West Point Lighthouse: O'Leary RR2, COB 1VO, Prince Edward Island, Canada; telephone June to September (902) 859-3605, September to May (902) 859-3117. $31.90 to $66 per room (double occupancy). Restaurant on premises. Open June 3 to mid-October.
For information about preserving former lighthouses, contact the Lighthouse Society, 130 St. Elmo Way, San Francisco, Calif. 94127; telephone (415) 585-1303.