The Not-So-Lonely Lighthouse

“We had to figure out a way to keep the money coming in,” explains Anderson. “Before the B & B, the society was deeply in debt. I went to the East Coast, checking out quite a few other [lighthouses] that had been converted into B & Bs or museums.” Today The Lighthouse is so popular it’s often hard to get a room.

Before radar, three keepers took eight-hour shifts at the desk in the tower to record ships and weather reports while monitoring the lights. Prior to 1970, when 230,000–candle power electricity replaced 30,000– candle power kerosene, they also had to polish the lenses to remove soot, in addition to keeping wood in the boiler and making sure the foghorn was working. When the light was automated in 1970, human beings no longer had the arduous task of using ropes and weights to turn the beam.

“Big ships don’t need foghorns now—or light,” Anderson notes. Most lighthouses closed as radar advanced. However, some small ships don’t have the same technology, and skippers say it’s nice to see the light when they’re pulling into port.

The U.S. Coast Guard gave Two Harbors’ original Fresnel lens to the Great Lakes Historical Society in Vermilion, Ohio. According to Anderson, the GLHS would give the lens back if another could be found to replace it. “We need to get the original back here to display,” he says.

With electricity, heating, and automated lights, there wasn’t really much for us to do. We woke up early, but innkeeper Regina (who lives off-site) was there making coffee and didn’t need our help with breakfast. The outside trough was empty so we filled it with dried corn, and in no time deer were two feet away, digging in and staring blankly at us until we brought them seconds. Zack raised the American flag on the front lawn, and we relaxed in the Adirondack chairs with a cup of coffee.

The scene was postcard picturesque as the sun came up and ships sailed in. The red painted-brick lighthouse was brilliant against the blue sky. I was beginning to accept the sixty-degree day as we headed out for a walk along the shore. Back inside the cozy dining room, the Scandinavian breakfast began with a warm, spicy soup of dried berries, fruits, cinnamon, and whipped cream. Then came eggs, sausage, pecan scones, and strawberry jam.

We said goodbye to the other guests after we received certificates for completing our “duties.” I asked Tim Jost, a regular, if this visit was as good as his others. He smiled and said he’d call soon to make reservations for the next one. Whether  the  weather is stormy or unseasonably warm, the faithful keepers say they’ll return  to relax, “work,” and take home yet another certificate.