A caisson lighthouse (also referred to as a sparkplug lighthouse, or bug light) is a type of lighthouse whose superstructure rests on a concrete or metal caisson. Caisson lighthouses were developed in the late nineteenth century as a cheaper alternative to screwpile lighthouses. The caisson design was also more efficient as it could better withstand harsh weather, and was not as fragile. Caisson lighthouses usually have living quarters made of cast iron, although some brick examples are known. The two American nicknames were later coined because of the structure's shape.
Gallery
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Wolf Trap Light
a caisson lighthouse in the Chesapeake Bay -
Butler Flats Light
stands in open water about 15 feet (4.6 m) deep, about 1,800 feet (550 m) from land -
Greens Ledge Light
stands in open water about 10 feet (3.0 m) deep, about 1 km from land -
Sakonnet Light
is on a small rock
See also
Media related to Lighthouses built on caissons at Wikimedia Commons
References
- ^ Rowlett, Russ. "Sparkplug Lighthouses, 1871–1926". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
- Jeremy D'Entremont, "The Lighthouses of New England," Commonwealth Editions, 2003.
- Tim Harrison i Ray Jones, "Lighthouses of the Mid-Atlantic Coast," Globe Pequot Press, 2002
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