fU 





n- 



V 



beacons, buoys and pub- 

 lic piers erected, placed, 

 or surtk before the pass- 

 ing of this act, at the 

 entrance of. or within 

 any bay, inlet, harbor, or 

 port of the United States, 

 for rendering the navi- 

 gation thereof easy and 

 safe, shall be defrayed 

 out of the Treasury of 

 the United States." Thus 

 the Lighthouse Service 

 Avas one of the earliest 

 established by the Fed- 

 eral government, though 

 it has been conducted 

 tmder several different 

 forms of administration. 



The maintenance of 

 bghthoi^ses, buoys, and 

 other navigational aids 

 was. at the organization 

 of the government. placed 

 under the Treasury De- 

 partment, and the details 

 of lighthouse work were 

 directed personally by 

 the Secretary of the 

 Treasury — Alexander 

 Hamilton — by whom 

 many of the earlier pa- 

 pers are signed. This 

 work was during two 

 later periods placed under the Commis- 

 sioner of Revenue. 



In 1820 the administration of the light- 

 houses devolved upon the Fifth Auditor 

 of the Treasury, who was popularly 

 known as the general superintendent of 

 lights. Mr. Stephen Pleasonton dis- 

 charged these duties for 32 years. In 

 1852 Congress established the United 

 States Lighthouse I>oard, composed of 

 three naval officers, three army engineers, 

 and two civilians, with the Secretary of 

 the Treasury as ex-offxcio President of 

 the Board. The Chairmen of this IJoard 

 were Admirals in the Navy, with the 

 single exception of Prof. Joseph Henry, 

 who was Chairman from 1871 to 1878. 

 In 1910 the present Bureau of Light- 

 houses was established by Congress, 

 under charge of a Commissioner of 

 Lighthouses and other executive officers 

 appointed by the President. The Light- 

 house Service is now a part of the De- 

 partment of Commerce and Labor, to 





AX liXDGRSI'MENT 13Y rUIvSIDENT J KFFKRSOX, IX HIS OWX 

 IIAXDWRITIXG 



Expressing his opinion of the responsil)ility of lignt-keepcrs (see 



page 15) 



which it was transferred from the Treas- 

 ury in 1903. 



Under the act of 1789, 13 lighthouses 

 were ceded to the United States by the 

 several States, though apparently but 

 eight of these were in actual operation 

 at the date of the act (these are the eight 

 first named in the list). The following 

 are the lighthouses ceded, most of which 

 are standing at the present time, although 

 much altered : 



Portsmouth Harbor, X. H. 



Boston, Mass. 



Plymouth (Gurnet). ]\Iass. 



Brant Point, Nantucket Island, Mass. 



Beavertail, Newport, R. I. 



Sandy Hook, N." Y. 



Cape Ilenlopen. Del. 



Charleston. S. C. 



Portland Head. Maine. 



Newburyi)ort Harbor. Plum Id., ^lass. 



Cape Ann. Thatcher Island, Mass. 



New London Harbor, Conn. 



Tybee, Ga. 



