North Pier Lighthouse, Erie, PA
Posted by: 
hykesj
N 42° 09.356 W 080° 04.291
17T E 576707 N 4667506
Erie’s north pier light was one of five Mid-Atlantic lighthouses featured on a set of U.S. postage stamps issued in 2021.
Waymark Code: WM15566
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 10/18/2021
Views: 5
This lighthouse is one of three located in Erie, Pennsylvania. It stands on the end of a long pier at the eastern end of Presque Isle, a curved peninsula that forms a natural harbor. Why call a peninsula an isle? Well, if you knew French, you’d know that ‘presque isle’ translates as ‘almost an island.’
The north pier lighthouse began life in 1828 as a simple wooden tower topped with a whale oil beacon. It was built in response to mariner’s complaints that the land-based lighthouse (built in 1818) was not always visible and didn’t mark the channel entrance. It was upgraded to a sixth-order Fresnel lens in 1854, shortly before being destroyed when rammed by the schooner ‘Pilgrim Progress.’
The rebuilt tower, which is the current structure, has been twice moved further out on the pier. Finally, in 1940, steel plates were added to enclose the formerly open tower and it was given its distinctive black and white paint scheme. The lighthouse is now fully automated and features a solar-powered optic.
Stamp Issuing Country: United States
Date of Issue: 6-Aug-2021
Denomination: (55c)
Color: multicolored
Stamp Type: Single Stamp
Relevant Web Site: [Web Link]
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