Gibbs Hill Lighthouse
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Location: | Gibbs Hill, Bermuda |
---|---|
Construction: | cast iron |
Year first lit: | 1846 |
Automated: | 1964 |
Tower shape: | Conical tower |
Height: | 117 feet |
Range: | 40 statue miles |
Characteristic: | 10 second flash interval |
The Gibbs Hill Lighthouse is the taller of two lighthouses on Bermuda, and the first of only a few lighthouses in the world to be made of cast-iron. This is because at that time, steel still was not able to be bent. While it is certainly not extremely tall in lightouse standards, the hill that it stands on is one of the highest on the island. The light on Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, therefore, is 362 feet high. Single-engined airplanes can see its flashes from over 100 miles away. The lighthouse has 185 steps to the top in eight flights. Until 1964, most of the light was run by hand, but in June of that year, the whole system was automated and runs on electricity. Sixty-thousand people ascended the lighthouse in 1985, and it continues to be a popular tourist attraction.
At the base of the tower is the Lighthouse Restaurant and Tea Room, serving from tea from 9 to 5 each day, and dinner until 6:30.