The nation’s last historic lighthouse turns 300 years old

[TexasTowelie]

David L. Ryan/Globe Staff
Lighthouse keeper Sally Snowman waved to tourists coming by boat to the island for a tour.

LITTLE BREWSTER ISLAND — Dozens of visitors piled off a tour boat with their heads angled uphill toward Boston Light. A 76-step climb awaited them, but before they could summit the nation’s oldest light station, the historic site’s keeper wanted a word.

“If anybody has any space issues, get over it,” Sally Snowman told the crowd, drawing a laugh with her warning to the claustrophobes. It’s never been roomy in the 89-foot granite tower, but as Boston Light’s 300th anniversary approaches next week, it is on pace to smash its seasonal attendance records.

The interest and publicity surrounding the milestone has made for a busy year at the nation’s last manned lighthouse. Normally, Snowman has one volunteer member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary there to help, but on a cloudy Friday morning, Boston Light had a staff of four.

It’s hard work maintaining the grounds, which underwent extensive renovations last year. And it’s just as challenging to ensure visitors are safe and respectful of a delicate, storied site that still serves as a navigational aid in Boston Harbor even as it has become a travel destination.

Read more: http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/09/09/historic-boston-light-greets-record-crowds-tricentennial-approaches/TNMCGZlZtyZcDfaQuOQ4bM/story.html

[anamandujano]

1. I wish I were there now.