Lighthouse Keepers

Wife of Hermann Engel, the First Assistant Keeper of the Point Bonita Light-Station, and mother to three children: Ray Engel, El Engel, and Norma Engel. Norma would go on to write a book detailing her parents’ adventurous lives titled Three Beams of Light.

Adam Gaskins was the first primary keeper of the first Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, beginning in 1803.

William Fuller Hatsel was the first primary keeper of the third Bodie Island Lighthouse.

Peter Gregory Gallop was the longest serving Bodie Island Lighthouse keeper, serving from 1878 to 1906.

Charles Haywood Fulcher served as assistant keeper of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse from 1906 to 1920, one of the longest serving keepers on record.

Tilman F. Smith was the second-longest serving keeper of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, serving as both assistant and primary keeper from 1878 to 1897.

Benjamin T. Fulcher served as assistant keeper of the first Cape Hatteras Lighthouse from 1845-1860, and primary keeper from 1860 into the Civil War.

Benjamin C. Jennett was primary keeper during the transition from the first to second Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.

Unaka Benjamin Jennette was the longest serving primary keeper, and final keeper, of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.

Lloyd Vernon Gaskill was the final Bodie Island Lighthouse keeper, serving from 1919 to 1939, when the US Coast Guard assumed control of the Bodie Island Light Station.

"Would You Rather Be A Fire Lookout Or A Lighthouse Keeper?" Acadia National Park is participating in the National Writing Project's "Daily Sparks: Writing Prompts With Rangers." Watch, write, and respond online or by postcard.

María Arcadia Alipás Israel’s experiences embody the nature of the work at the old Point Loma Lighthouse during the initial decades of California statehood. She lived and worked in the lighthouse for 18 years, for a time as assistant lighthouse keeper, and her presence is still evident at the site today through displays of her craftwork.

Raspberry Light is one of nine island lighthouses within Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. While these islands are challenging to reach, you can take a virtual tour of the Raspberry Island Lighthouse in 1920 with keeper Lee Benton and experience the joys and challenges of living on an island in Lake Superior. Keeper Benton tells stories about the community of keepers and their families who lived on these remote islands ensuring the safety of passing ships.