Photo By Garrett Dipuma | PENSACOLA, Fla. – The Pensacola Lighthouse and Maritime Museum celebrated National...... read more read more
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PENSACOLA, Fla. – The Pensacola Lighthouse and Maritime Museum, located onboard Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, and the U.S. Coast Guard celebrated National Lighthouse Day Aug. 7.
The family-friendly educational event featured free lighthouse tours, a 26-foot trailerable aid to navigation boat (TANB) static display, bounce houses, yard games and food.
“It’s great to have the support of our local Coast Guard,” said Pensacola Lighthouse and Maritime Museum Executive Director Jon Hill. “Without them we couldn’t make this happen.”
The 151-foot lighthouse has survived cannon fire, two lightning strikes and the 1886 Great Charleston Earthquake since being lit in 1859 and is still an active U.S. Coast Guard aid to navigation.
“We’re here to show off what we do in the area,” said U.S. Coast Guard Electricians Mate 1st Class Spencer Griswold. “We work from Orange Beach to past Destin maintaining the waterways for commerce.”
Hill said that the current lighthouse is actually the second in Pensacola; the first was established in 1824, but was deemed “insufficient, too short and light not bright enough,” by sea captains working in the area, so Congress appropriated funds for the current lighthouse and construction began in 1856 and lasted for two years. The lighthouse’s Fresnel lens was lit for the first time Jan. 1, 1859.
“It’s 151 feet and 177 stairs to the top and most everybody makes it up,” said Hill. “It’s been a great turnout, everyone’s excited for an event as the summer is winding down before school starts.”
The Pensacola Lighthouse and Maritime Museum is accessible through the NAS Pensacola West Gate, at the south end of Blue Angel Parkway.
NAS Pensacola, referred to as the ‘Cradle of Naval Aviation,’ is designed to support operational and training missions of tenant commands, including the Naval Aviation Technical Training Center (NATTC); Naval Aviation Schools Command (NASC); the Center for Information Warfare Training (CIWT); Marine Aviation Training Support Groups (MATSG) 21 and 23 and serves as the headquarters for Naval Education and Training Command (NETC).
| Date Taken: | 08.07.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 08.07.2024 15:17 |
| Story ID: | 478018 |
| Location: | PENSACOLA, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 73 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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