Grand Turk Lighthouse
| Grand Turk Lighthouse | |||
| Grand Turk | |||
 Grand Turk Lighthouse | |||
| Location | |||
| Location: | 21°30’42"N, 71°8’1"W | ||
| Characteristics | |||
| Height: | 60 feet | ||
| Tower shape: | Tapered cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern | ||
| Tower marking: | white tower and lantern | ||
| Light: | Fl W 7.5s. | ||
| Focal height: | 108 feet | ||
| Range: | 18 nautical miles | ||
| Admiralty No.: | J4812 | ||
| History | |||
| Built 1852 | |||
| Architect: | Alexander Gordon | ||
| Information | |||
| Owned by: | Turks and Caicos National Trust | ||
| Website: | T&C Museum | ||
Grand Turk Lighthouse is a lighthouse on Grand Turk Island, amongst the Turks and Caicos Islands. The structure stands 60 feet tall and overlooks North Creek.
The lighthouse was completed by the architect Alexander Gordon in 1852 to alert sailors of the shallow reef. Brighter kerosene lamps and a more powerful Fresnel lens were added by the Chance brothers in 1943 and remained in use until 1972 when the lighthouse was electrified.
Today, the lighthouse and lighthouse-keeper's house are a historic site under the protection of the Turks and Caicos National Trust.
Location
The lighthouse stands on Lighthouse Road on the coast of Grand Turk. It is situated on a small limestone hill overlooking the shallow reef that extends from the northern end of the island.[1] The building and an attached kerosene storage house[2] overlook North Creek. This creek is said closely to resemble the description that Christopher Columbus gave for the first island he stumbled upon in the search of the New World in 1492.[3]
Donkey trails lead from the lighthouse to the beach beneath the bluff.[4] Mangrove trees on the coast nearby help prevent erosion by retaining the sand.[1]
History
By the 1850s, the island's salt trade had been waning because vessels were reluctant to sail to Grand Turk due to difficulty with navigation.[5] Therefore A Mr Frith secured the building of the island's first modern lighthouse in 1852, to alert sailors of the shallow reef, and enabling the trade to resume.
The lighthouse was designed by the architect Alexander Gordon.[6] It was constructed in the United Kingdom and was shipped in pieces to the island.[4] In its heyday, a lighthouse keeper stayed all night at the lighthouse to monitor the lamps and slept during the day in the small keeper's house at the side.[7]
The lighthouse was automated in 1972, and is still functional.[8] The lighthouse and lighthouse keeper's house are now a historic site under the protection of the National Trust.
The site around the lighthouse is known as 'Grand Turk Historic Lighthouse Park', which is a visitor attraction, and a viewpoint has been provided for watching whales[8]
Description
The lighthouse is a white-washed structure made of cast-iron, measuring 60 feet tall. It initially had eight small Argand oil lamps, with reflectors magnifying the light by 450 times, driven by weights and machinery.[6]
The reflectors were constructed by Devill & Company of London in 1851. As the original lamps were not powerful, on dark, turbulent nights they could often not be seen, which led to shipwrecks off the coast even after the lighthouse had been established.[7] Brighter kerosene lamps and a more powerful Fresnel lens were added by the Chance Brothers of Birmingham[2] in 1943 which improved the situation.[6]
In 1972, the lighthouse was electrified and provides a bright beacon light to guide ships.[1][7] The original lens is now on display in the Turks and Caicos National Museum.[9]
The guard's house is where the guard would keep awake in the night to refill oil and kerosene lamps so that they would not get extinguished due to lack of oil. This house has small windows, likely designed to restrict light entering the building so that the guard could sleep more peacefully during full daylight.[1][7]
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Grand Turk Lighthouse) |
- Landmarks: Turks and Caicos Museum
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Grand Turk's Imperial Lighthouse". Reefnews geography. http://www.reefnews.com/reefnews/oceangeo/grndturk/gt_lght.html. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Grand Turk Historic Lighthouse". Historical Marker Database. http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=40367.
- ↑ "Grand Turk Lighthouse". Turksandcaicostourism.com. http://www.turksandcaicostourism.com/activities-grand-turk.html. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Turks & Caicos Islands. Fodor's Travel Publications. 28 December 2010. pp. 32–. ISBN 978-0-307-92805-4. https://books.google.com/books?id=dgrdOy3ZfTcC&pg=PT32.
- ↑ Sadler, H. E. (1981). Turks Islands landfall. H.E. Sadler. p. 19. https://books.google.com/books?id=q3ZqAAAAMAAJ.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "The Salty Side of the Grand Turk Lighthouse". Lighthouse Digest. June 2007. http://www.lighthousedigest.com/Digest/StoryPage.cfm?StoryKey=2661. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 "Grand Turk's Imperial Lighthouse". Reef News. http://www.reefnews.com/reefnews/oceangeo/grndturk/gt_lght.html. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Grand Turk Lighthouse: Turks and Caicos Tourism Department
- ↑ Frommer's (29 May 2012). AARP Caribbean. John Wiley & Sons. p. 701. ISBN 978-1-118-26665-6. https://books.google.com/books?id=eSQoi_9_waEC&pg=PT701. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
- Grand Turk Lighthouse The Lighthouse Directory.(Rowlett)
