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63-567: Hillsboro Point was designated as hazardous for the safe navigation of ships in 1855 and federal designation was sought. A request for a lighthouse at the inlet was first made in 1884. The request was repeated yearly and rejected 17 times. In 1901, the United States Lighthouse Board persuaded Congress to authorize the construction of a lighthouse in the dark area between Jupiter Inlet Light and Fowey Rocks Light . The official order approved on February 12, 1901, called for

126-506: A "first-order light at or near Hillsboro Point...at a cost not to exceed $ 90,000." No appropriation of funds was made in 1901 and in 1902 $ 45,000 was appropriated. The full funding to build the lighthouse was appropriated on March 3, 1903. Initially a site on the south side of the inlet was selected, however it was not feasible, so a site on the north of the inlet was chosen. The owner of the property did not want to sell at first but after beginning condemnation proceedings, an agreement to purchase

189-425: A clear night. The light assembly rotated on a liquid mercury reservoir, allowing up to one rotation per 15 seconds. The mercury was contained in a doughnut-shaped base and required filtering every 10 years to remove salt that accumulated. Rotation was driven by a weight on ropes through a gear mechanism. The amount of weight determined the speed of rotation. The weight had to be hand cranked back up about each hour and

252-423: A finial can be a floral or foliated element called a bouquet. Smaller finials in materials such as metal or wood are used as a decorative ornament on the tops or ends of poles or rods such as tent-poles or curtain rods or any object such as a piece of furniture. These are frequently seen on top of bed posts or clocks. Decorative finials are also commonly used to fasten lampshades , and as an ornamental element at

315-427: A general detailed report and programme to guide legislation in extending and improving our present system of construction, illumination, inspection, and superintendence. The Lighthouse Board resulted from this mandate, and its original members consisted of William B. Shubrick , and Samuel F. Du Pont , U.S. Navy; James Kearney, U.S. Topographical Engineers; civilian academics Alexander Dallas Bache , Superintendent of

378-468: A half. Several times a night fuel was carried by hand up the 175 steps. The kerosene lamp was replaced with four 250 watt incandescent bulbs in the 1920s. At 550,000 candlepower , it was then the most powerful lighthouse on the east coast of the United States. The electrical system was upgraded in 1932 allowing the same amount of light to be generated with three bulbs instead of four. This is about

441-749: A national historic marker commemorating the Hillsboro Inlet Light Station, commissioned by the Daughters of the American Revolution was dedicated in the Hillsboro Inlet Park across the inlet from the lighthouse. Surrounded by water on three sides and on the other by the Hillsboro Club which restricts access to its property, the lighthouse is only available to tours four times a year conducted by

504-661: A number of complaints, the U.S. Congress removed the responsibility for the construction of six new light stations from the U.S. Treasury Department's Fifth Auditor ( Stephen Pleasonton ), and transferred it to the supervision of the United States Army 's, long-time construction agency, the Corps of Engineers . When it became clear that this would not alleviate the underlying problems in the Lighthouse Establishment, Congress then felt compelled to deal

567-557: A number of hearings into existing navigational aids administration. On March 3, 1851, the United States Congress passed "An Act Making Appropriations for Light House, Light Boats, Buoys, &c." Section 8 of the act stated: The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized and required to cause a board to be convened at as early a day as may be practical after the passage of that act to be comprised of two officers of

630-521: A rum-runner when the coast was clear. United States Lighthouse Board The United States Lighthouse Board was the second agency of the U.S. federal government , under the Department of Treasury , responsible for the construction and maintenance of all lighthouses and navigation aids in the United States , between 1852 and 1910. The new agency was created following complaints of

693-527: A single point, or bindu. There are two guldastas, or finials, per facade at Humayun's Tomb . Finials are decorative elements in a variety of American domestic architectural styles , including French colonial , Georgian , Victorian , and Romanesque Revival . Roof finials can be made from a variety of materials including clay , metal , or wood . A folklore tradition in the eastern United States portrays finials as discouraging witches on broomsticks from landing locally. A "ball-style" finial

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756-491: Is a 737 square foot (68.5 m) building on a 12 in (30 cm) brick foundation with an asphalt shingle roof. It was originally used as an administration building then as quarters for the crew until 1974. The garage building is 750 square feet (70 m). It is a wood frame single story structure with a redwood shingle roof. First used as a stable by the beach patrol it later housed a government vehicle, when assigned. Both were built in 1907. The timer and generator building

819-448: Is an element marking the top or end of some object, often formed to be a decorative feature. In architecture, it is a small decorative device, employed to emphasize the apex of a dome , spire , tower , roof, or gable or any of various distinctive ornaments at the top, end, or corner of a building or structure. A finial is typically carved in stone. Where there are several such elements they may be called pinnacles . The very top of

882-523: Is as wide as the range of designs with brass, stainless steel, various woods, and aluminum being employed with a variety of finishes such as 'satin steel' and 'antique brass'. The durability, strength, and machinability of modern alloys have lent themselves to increasingly intricate and dazzling designs. During the various dynasties in China, a finial was worn on the tops of the hats civil or military officials wore during formal court ceremonies. The finial

945-707: Is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 . It is described by the Coast Guard as formerly the lighthouse keeper's quarters. The Inlet House is three-bedroom, two bath, two-story house. It can also accommodate 7 and is closest to the Hillsboro Inlet Waterway. Located directly behind the Inlet House is The Bungalow a 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 -story, one and a half bath, one bedroom building that can accommodate 4. On August 9, 2014,

1008-542: Is often mounted to the top of a stationary flagpole . The United States Army , Navy , Marine Corps , and Coast Guard employ a variety of different finials depending on the flag in question, the Marines and Coast Guard deferring to the Navy's protocols. Public garden (park) railings often end in finials, and wooden posts tend to have turned wood finials. Turned wood finials are used on various pieces of furniture. While

1071-405: Is threatened by coastal erosion . Hurricane Irma washed a large amount of sand from under the foundations of the lighthouse and displaced the barefoot mailman statue. Half of the land the lighthouse sits on was washed away. Irma damaged the building and the site. The footings and foundation were fractured. The preservation society is raising funds for a plan to build a granite spur jetty to protect

1134-420: Is wood and clapboard . They have gabled roofs with a cross gable. One of these three homes was demolished in 2005 with plans to rebuild it in a new location. It had been bought by the Hillsboro Club in 1936, when a third lightkeeper was no longer needed, and moved 150 feet (46 m) north. The building had suffered structural damage and the club planned to erect a modern building in its location. The barracks

1197-412: The imperial palace . In Java and Bali , a rooftop finial is known as mustaka or kemuncak . In Thailand finials feature on domestic and religious buildings . Hti is a kind of finial found on Burmese Buddhist temples and pagodas . On Buddhist stupas , the layered umbrella (Skt. chhatra ; Pali: chhatta ) tiers have cosmological significance as representing the realms of heavens or

1260-566: The Arcura became a war prize. In 1974 the lighthouse was fully automated. One United States Coast Guardsman was assigned to remain on site to maintain the light and grounds. The assistant keepers' homes were converted to guest quarters for senior coast guard and other senior military officers. The Hillsboro Inlet Light Station was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on February 16, 1979. The lighthouse and buildings are little altered from their original construction in 1907. In

1323-537: The 20th century, these finials have been replaced by "bulbous domes". Other terms for roof finials include: Tunjuk Langit and Buah Buton ( East Coast ) as well as Buah Gutung ( Kelantan and Terengganu ). The Makhota Atap Masjid finials are made of mixed concrete, and the Buah Buton are made of wood. In Japanese architecture , chigi are finials that were used atop Shinto shrines in Ise and Izumo and

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1386-717: The Atlanta Machine Works, Atlanta, GA for $ 26,747. Work commenced in August 1905 working off plans for identical towers on Cape Fear, Cape Charles and Hog Island (of the three, only Cape Charles remains). Documents from the Foundry and William Craighill (District 7 & 8 Engineer in charge of the project) detail numerous errors which may have helped in the demise of the Cape Fear light. In the 1920s, errors in reporting began several myths that persist to this day. Among

1449-649: The Coast Guard $ 30,000. Once again on August 18, 2000, the light was turned on. As of 1999 the fresnel lens was one of nine in active use in the United States. On June 13, 2003, the Hillsboro Inlet Light was commemorated with a 37¢ U.S. postage stamp. An art show in 2004 at the Pompano Beach civic center featured works "inspired by the lighthouse, its station keeper's dwellings, monuments, beach and flora". The Hillsboro Lighthouse Preservation Society (the preservation society) took over maintenance from

1512-592: The Coast Guard in 2008. The Coast Guard considered turning the light off or obscuring a portion of it to prevent guiding hatchling sea turtles away from the ocean in 2012. Also that year a bronze statue of the Barefoot mailman , James "Ed" Hamilton, was erected at the base of the lighthouse. It replaced a concrete and marble one created in 1973. The earlier sculpture stood outside the Barefoot Mailman Restaurant until it closed, moving to in front of

1575-601: The Hillsboro Inlet town hall and then in 2003 to the lighthouse grounds. The new bronze cost about $ 30,000. Both sculptures were the work of Frank Varga . As of 2013 recreational quarters were still available for senior military officers. The Morale, Well-Being and Recreational Cottages facility consists of the Keeper's Quarters, Inlet House and The Bungalow. The Keeper's Quarters is a three-bedroom, two bath, two-story house that can accommodate 7 occupants. The first floor

1638-542: The Navy of high rank, two officers of Engineers of the Army, and such civil officers of scientific attainments as may be under the orders or at the disposition of the Treasury Department, and a junior officer of the Navy to act as Secretary to said board, whose duty it shall be under instructions from the Treasury Department to inquire into the condition of the Lighthouse Establishment of the United States, and make

1701-536: The U.S. Coast Survey, and Joseph Henry , Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution ; and Lt. Thornton Jenkins, U.S. Navy, who acted as secretary. These men attracted others of similar quality to lighthouse duty, both on the board and in district offices. The country was organized into 12 lighthouse districts, each having an inspector (a naval officer) who was charged with building the lighthouses and seeing that they remained in good condition and that

1764-433: The cities of Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach and Lauderdale-by-the-Sea , led to the restoration. The Hillsboro Lighthouse Preservation Society was co-founded in 1997 by Harry Cushing and David F. Butler as a part of the campaign. About 200 people joined the preservation society at that time. The historical value of keeping the lens in the lighthouse and the importance of the bright light as an aid to navigation were cited in

1827-668: The construction of the first lighthouses on the west coast. By the time of the Civil War, all lighthouses had Fresnel lenses. Previously, under the Establishment, the local collectors of customs were in charge of the lighthouses and other aids to navigation. In time, all duties regarding aids to navigation were taken from them. The Board demanded that only those who could read were to be appointed as keepers in order that they be able to read their written instructions. These instructions were detailed and covered everything possible about

1890-440: The effort to persuade the Coast Guard to restore the light. The cost of the restoration was $ 143,000. The old mechanism contained 400 pounds (180 kg) of mercury which was replaced by a specially designed ball bearing system. The mercury was removed in 1995 by Chemical Waste Management of Pompano Beach at a cost of $ 32,500. The lead based paint sandblasted off and epoxy paint applied by Worth Contracting of Jacksonsville, Florida

1953-436: The end of the handles of souvenir spoons . The charm at the end of a pull chain (such as for a ceiling fan or a lamp ) is also known as a finial. Decorative roof-finials are a common feature of Malaysian religious and residential architecture. In Malacca , Malaysia , there are 38 mosques with traditional roof finials, with layered and crown-shaped designs, which are known as Makhota Atap Masjid . On mosques built after

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2016-534: The final blow to Pleasonton's administration. The ensuing congressional investigation took more than four years to effect a change in the administration of navigation aids along the American coasts. During that time, congressional appointee, Lt. Jenkins of the United States Coast Survey conducted interviews with pilots and mariners, engaged in domestic and foreign research, and was involved in

2079-648: The inception of federal government control. In 1910, the Lighthouse Board was disestablished in favor of a more civilian Lighthouse Service , under the Department of Commerce and Labor ; later the Lighthouse Service was merged into the United States Coast Guard in 1939. By 1847, the United States Congress became serious about reforming the Lighthouse Establishment which had been in existence since 1791 and in response to

2142-471: The keeper's house, were the first children of record born at the Hillsboro Inlet. The lighthouse beach patrol spotted a German U-boat in 1943, during World War II. The submarine was reportedly sunk, but no wreck has been documented. Later that year a freighter, the M.S. Arcura aroused the suspicion of a lighthouse keeper. The ship was being used as a raider and was crewed by German nationals and carrying arms. The crew were transported to Port Everglades and

2205-603: The land was reached. The 3 acre (1.2 ha) parcel was purchased for $ 150 from Elnathan T. Field and Mary W. Osborn of Middleton, New Jersey who had bought the land for 70 cents an acre (0.4 ha) from the Trustees of the Internal Improvement Fund. Soon after the light was operational unexplained reports of fires in the Everglades began to come in. The cause was the lens, when stopped in the morning at just

2268-406: The lens was in operation. After a few years the inspectors became overloaded with work and an engineer (an army officer) was appointed to each district to tend to the construction and maintenance of lighthouses. The Lighthouse Board moved quickly in applying new technology, particularly in purchasing and installing new Fresnel lenses and constructing screw-pile lighthouses . The Board also oversaw

2331-526: The lighthouse in World War I barracked in one of the storehouses. During the 1926 Miami hurricane J.B. Isler stood a 32-hour watch, keeping the light burning while fearing the lighthouse would fall. It stood but 20 feet (6.1 m) of sand was washed out from under it, according to Mary Ella Knight Voss, daughter of a prior lightkeeper. The storm also damaged the dwellings and carried away the boathouse and wharf. Isler's son George and daughter Ruth, born in

2394-528: The long-held myths are the origins of the tower which stated that this lighthouse was built by a Chicago steel firm for the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair . It was then disassembled and moved to Hillsboro Inlet. The J.H. Gardner Construction Company of New Orleans, Louisiana cleared the land, laid the foundations and re-assembled and erected the lighthouse. The construction is held together with bolts there are no welds. Iron piping held together with 192 special cast iron joints and 80 tension rods with turnbuckles make up

2457-467: The nation's waterways. Iron buoys were introduced to replace the more expensive copper-clad wooden buoys. The Lighthouse Board also began printing changes made in aids to navigation as a Notice to Mariners . Several advances in the technology of fog signals were made during the 1850s. In 1851, an experimental air fog whistle and reed horn was installed at Beavertail Lighthouse at the entrance to Narragansett Bay , Rhode Island . At first this sound signal

2520-519: The next five decades several advances in lighthouse construction technology took place including the development of the exposed screwpile lighthouses, exoskeleton lighthouses, waveswept interlocking stone lighthouses, iron caisson lighthouses, and breakwater lighthouses. In the 1850s the Board prescribed color schemes for the buoys, as well as range lights and day markers; and the buoy system was standardized. Classification systems were also developed to mark

2583-585: The operation of lighthouses, leaving little discretion to the keeper. The Board struggled to eliminate politics from its activities, and slowly the organization became a professional career agency, helped greatly by the Civil Service Reform Acts of 1871 and 1883. Keepers became civil service employees in 1896. Most important, the Board was constantly mindful of advancing technology and took advantage of new types of lighthouses, buoys, or fog signals, as well as improvement in lighthouse optics. Over

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2646-489: The preservation society via boat. In some U.S. government drug operations the lighthouse served as a vantage point. It is known locally as the "Big Diamond". Ralph Krugler the official historian of the preservation society is preparing a book on the history of the lighthouse. He intends to correct many of the inaccuracies that have been reported (he states even the list of keepers in bronze on the lighthouse isn't accurate) and relate stories uncovered in his research. The lighthouse

2709-528: The purpose of finials on bed posts is mostly decorative, they serve a purpose on curtain rods, providing a way to keep a curtain from slipping off the end of a straight rod. Curtain rod finials can be seen to act much like a barometer of public taste. Many designs hark back to the Gothic and Neogothic of architectural finials, while other contemporary finials reflect minimalist , Art Nouveau , and other traditional styles of decor. The use of different materials

2772-421: The right position, it would focus the sunlight west towards the wetlands. A landward baffle was installed. This also shielded nearby residents from the bright light at night. Lightkeepers would assist shipwrecks using three 12 to 20 horsepower gas boats. The wives of the lighthouse keepers would make sea grape jelly to trade for pickled vegetables from local farmers. Four Coast Guard signalmen were stationed at

2835-601: The same year. The cost of this cleanup was $ 98,000. The large light was relit on January 28, 1999. One month after the lamp was relit the bearing system, designed by Collins Engineering of Chicago, failed. It was redesigned by the Coast Guard Civil Engineering Unit, with sixty 2 inch (51 mm) balls in 68,000 US gallons (260,000 L) of oil. The redesigned mechanism was built by the Torrington Company of South Carolina and cost

2898-543: The second half of the 20th century, this inlet became an increasingly busy waterway. Hillsboro Inlet Light is considered one of the most powerful lights in the world with a beam that can be seen for 28 nautical miles (52 km; 32 mi). The octagonal iron pyramidal tower was built by the Russel Wheel and Foundry in Detroit Michigan after entering the lowest bid at $ 24,000. The only other bid came from

2961-425: The shipping industry of the previous administration of lighthouses under the Treasury's Lighthouse Establishment , which had had jurisdiction since 1791, and since 1820, been under the control of Stephen Pleasonton . The quasi-military board first met on April 28, 1851, and with its establishment, the administration of lighthouses and other aids to navigation would take their largest leap toward modernization since

3024-524: The site. The first keeper, appointed March 3, 1907, was Alfred A. Berghell. His title was Captain of the United States Lighthouse Service . Bergell's work exceeded the expectations of a keeper, he rescued many stranded seafarers and saved numerous lives. The first assistant keepers were Henry A. Keys (First Assistant) and Robert H. Thompson (Second Assistant). In 1911 Thomas Knight became lightkeeper. His four children grew up at

3087-533: The station and were educated at a school there. At the time there were no established roads along the beach and it was a day-long trip to reach the nearest town, Pompano Beach about 1 mile (1.6 km) away. Knight's monthly salary was $ 125, the First Assistant B.F. Stone was paid $ 115 and the Second Assistant J.B. Isler $ 110. A local story is that Knight would signal his brother Eugene Knight ,

3150-566: The statue, under the Lighthouse Board's care from 1886 to 1902, marks the beginning of the "modern age" in lighthouse illumination. In 1900, the Lighthouse Board began converting lighthouses to electric service; however, because of the lack of direct access to power lines, the conversion came about slowly. This article contains information created by the US Federal Government and is in the public domain . Finial A finial (from Latin : finis , end) or hip-knob

3213-503: The structure. It is supported by eight concrete foundations in a 40-foot (12 m) circle with a ninth at the center. It is an iron skeleton framework with a central column and a watch house. The inner column has circular stairs and space for the weights that were used to rotate the lens. It stands 132 feet (40 m) tall. It was lit on March 8, 1907. It is one of the oldest structures in Broward County. A description published at

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3276-485: The three houses. The oilhouse stored barrels of kerosene as the primary fuel for the light. In 1977 the complex was made up of a lighthouse, light keeper's quarters, senior officer recreation quarters, shop and garage building, timer and generator building, and a barracks building. Four of these were in use by the coast guard to operate the station. The keeper's quarters and recreational quarters are one-story wood frame vernacular buildings on brick piers. The construction

3339-518: The time electric utility wires were erected in the Hillsboro area. Two 1,000 watt xenon high pressure lamps were installed in 1966, bringing the light to 5.5 megacandelas , making it the third most powerful lighthouse in the world at that time. In 1977 it was the most powerful light in Florida. In the 21st century it has been claimed that the beam from the Hillsboro Inlet Light is the most powerful in

3402-407: The time read, "The structure is an octagonal pyramidal, iron skeleton tower with central stair cylinder; the lower third of the structure is painted white; the upper two-thirds and the lantern are painted black. There are three white 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 -story light-keepers dwellings in a row, about 100 feet to the northward of the light tower and a red brick oilhouse about fifty feet to the westward of

3465-411: The tower. There is also a boathouse near the inlet with boatways sixty feet long." The paint scheme was selected for daytime visibility, the lower portion white to stand out among trees, the top black to contrast with the daytime sky. The lighthouse has a cast iron roof with a finial . The main entrance faces north and has double doors in a vestibule. There is an iron balustrade separating the lantern from

3528-461: The trunk of a cosmic tree. Even the stupa itself (comparatively smaller) can be a finial to a Stupa or other Buddhist religious structure . The kalasha is a finial on Hindu temples . In the Dravidian style of temple architecture , the kalasha is placed on top of a dome with an inverted lotus flower shape in between. There may also be lotus petals at the top, before the kalasha narrows to

3591-425: The watch room. The interior is iron with wood paneling and wood floors and ceiling in the watch room. The watch room has five two over two double hung sash windows . Its second-order bivalve Fresnel lens emits a light measuring 5.5 megacandelas and is placed 135 feet (41 m) above sea level. Although the order authorizing the lighthouse specified a first-order light, a second-order light and rotating mechanism

3654-454: The world. Automated in 1974, the light acts both as a coastal navigational aide and as a support to local water traffic. The G.W. Brown Construction Company of West Palm Beach, Florida was contracted in 1905 to build the support buildings on the site, for a cost "not to exceed $ 21,500". Three dwellings, an oilhouse, a storehouse, a wharf, outhouses, walks and fences were built. There were three lighthouse keepers who lived with their families in

3717-488: Was an ordinary locomotive whistle, enlarged and modified and blown by steam from a high-pressure tubular boiler. The second was a reed-trumpet, and in 1866 the third variation, a siren-trumpet. Although the fog bell signal was still used for warning vessels over short distances, other fog signals started to supersede the smaller bell signal. Bells were also used on buoys; later whistling buoys were invented by J. M. Courtenay and were first in use in 1876. The first gas-lighted buoy

3780-433: Was built in 1942 and is 342 square feet (31.8 m). In 1992 the big light was turned off, due to the failure of the rotating mechanism, and a smaller temporary light (a Vega 25 rotating beacon ) was installed on the railing. This light was only visible for 10 nautical miles (19 km; 12 mi). The Coast Guard had planned to remove the original fresnel lens but a successful local campaign, including resolutions from

3843-412: Was contracted for from Barbier, Bernard and Turenne of Paris, France at the cost of $ 7,250. The lens is 9 feet (2.7 m) in diameter and weighs 3,600 pounds (1,600 kg). It consists of 356 individual hand ground glass panels in a brass frame. The original light was an incandescent oil vapor lamp fueled with kerosene. At 370,000 candle power it could be seen from 35 miles (56 km) away at sea on

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3906-458: Was installed in 1882. The gong buoy was invented in 1923. In 1876, under the management of Chief Clerk Arnold B. Johnson , the Lighthouse Board began to circulate and maintain traveling lighthouse libraries . These libraries would continue to be in service until the 1930s. In 1886, a new technology was tested in the illumination of the Statue of Liberty —electricity. The electrical lighting of

3969-458: Was powered by a horse-operated treadmill and later by an internal combustion steam engine. Around 1851, mechanically rung fog bells were introduced. The striking mechanism was governed by a weight attached to a flywheel, and later internally run by clockworks. The strokes of the fog signals were timed deliberately to afford each signal a unique sound characteristic. The bell signal was gradually replaced by three variations of that instrument. The first

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