The Seagirt Lighthouse
The keepers assigned to Sea Girt Lighthouse were a colorful and diverse group.
Major Abraham Wolf, a former Union Army major, was Sea Girt’s first keeper, posted in 1896. With a military bearing and a striking impression in his sharp uniform, coupled with a no-nonsense approach toward his duties, he served as one of the finest in the Lighthouse service. Wolfe served seven years at Sea Girt Lighthouse and by the end of his tenure was in his early 70s, making him the oldest keeper on active duty. Sea Girt Lighthouse is the last live-in lighthouse built on the Atlantic Coast.
Being a lighthouse keeper was not a 9-to-5 job. It was anything but. A typical tour of duty began before dusk and continued well past dawn. The keeper tended to routine but essential duties, made repairs as needed, and was always prepared to respond to any emergency, including shipwrecks.
And at any time, “It shall be the duty of light keepers and their assistants, and officers and crews of vessels of The Lighthouse Service, to give or summon aid to vessels in distress, whether public or private, and to assist in saving life and property from perils of the sea whenever it is practicable to do so.”
Keeper Wolfe will describe his duties and experiences and how he came through the Civil War into the Lighthouse Service. It should be an interesting discussion of a little-known part of our coastal navigation system before computers and satellites.
SUNDAY, JULY 24, 2022 AT 3 PM @ The Bradford Area Public Library
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