Hull Lifesaving Museum Presents:
Boston Light, 1716-2016
Maritime History Symposium
Hull, MA, September 21, 2016-
On Saturday, October 15, 2016, the Hull Lifesaving Museum will host a Maritime History Symposium at the Nantasket Beach Resort, 45 Hull Shore Drive, celebrating the 300th Anniversary of Boston Light, America's First Lighthouse.
The symposium will feature a performance by the United States Coast Guard Academy Shanty Singers, "The Idlers," a keynote presentation by Light Keeper Sally Snowman, and presentations by four regional historians and researchers on the light's rich history:
- The original Boston Light Tower was destroyed during the Revolutionary War when British ships evacuating Boston Harbor left an explosive device to blow up the lighthouse. The top of the original lighthouse was used to supply ladles for American cannon during the war.
- The Schooner Calvin F. Baker wrecked off Boston Light during the treacherous Portland Gale of November 27-28, 1898. Five survivors of the wreck clung to a small portion of the forward deck for more than 30 hours before being rescued by the crew of the Point Allerton Lifesaving Station.
- On April 11, 1932, Keeper Ralph Norwood and wife welcomed their "Storm Child" to Boston Light. Baby Georgia Norwood was nearly born during an April Nor'easter, prompting heroic efforts by the Hull Coast Guard and Doctor Sturgis to reach the lighthouse. The story made newspaper headlines across New England.
These stories and many more will be included in the symposium's presentations. The schedule of events is as follows:
Saturday, October 15, 2016, 9 am - 3 pm Nantasket Beach Resort, 45 Hull Shore Drive, Hull MA Registration: $10, payable to the Hull Lifesaving Museum
8:30 Registration & Coffee
9:30 Welcoming Remarks & Performance by the Idlers, the United States Coast Guard Academy Shantey Singers
10:00 Brilliant Beacons: A History of the American Lighthouse, Eric Jay Dolin, researcher, journalist and author of Leviathan and When America First Met China: An Exotic History of Tea, Drugs, and Money in the Age of Sail
10:30 Keynote: Boston Light 1716-2016, Sally Snowman, Keeper of Boston Light, and author of Boston Light A Historical Perspective, and the new Images of America book, Boston Light
11:15
Family Life at Boston Light,
Jeremy D'Entremont,
lighthouse historian, author of New England Lighthouses: a Virtual Guide,
www.newenglandlighthouses.net,
and numerous books, including
Everyday Heroes: The True Story of a Lighthouse Family
with
Seamond Ponsart Roberts.
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Keeper Ralph Norwood with Storm Child Georgia
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12-1:30 Lunch on your Own
1:45 Tenders & Other Vessels of the Lighthouse Service, CDR Tim Dring, USNR (Ret.), President, United States Lifesaving Service Heritage Association and United States Coast Guard Historian's Office Researcher
2:30 Boston Light Shipwrecks, Victoria Stevens, Curator, Hull Lifesaving Museum and developer of the Boston Harbor Shipwreck Website, www.bostonshipwrecks.org.
For more information or to register, please contact Victoria Stevens at 781-925-5433 or email [email protected]
. Registration is available online at www.hulllifesavingmuseum.org.
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