Posted Oct. 3, 2007
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Liston Range Front
Lighthouse
Photos by Barb Moulinier
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When Liston Range was established in 1906, this handsome
Greek Revival home was constructed as the front lighthouse. |
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The house is a spacious
two-story four-square. It has a central stairway leading
to the watch and lantern rooms and a serious amount of hardwood trim
throughout that had to be kept gleaming by the keeper's wife. |
| It's decorated with mementos of its days in
the lighthouse service and preservation certificates. A ship model
built by Keeper Harry A. Spencer Sr. graces the mantle of the living
room fireplace. |
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Although the house has witnessed many a
storm, the view from the watch room on this day was of lush green, calm
waters, and the quiet village of Bay View. |
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| Although most of the original lighting
apparatus is long gone, there is a lens in the lantern room -- placed
there when the house was first sold into private hands in 1954.
That's DRBLHF Board Member Red Mouloinier on the walkway outside the
lantern room. |
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The first private owner was Kathleen Herbert (L), a
widowed ornithologist, who bought it at a Coast Guard auction.
When her family later sold the house, it was purchased by Dr. William
Duncan, son of the first keeper George Washington Duncan. Dr.
Duncan -- seen in the picture on the right with Harry Spencer Jr. (in
the hat) -- recently sold the property to its third private owner. |
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| In 1953, the old lighthouse was abandoned by the Coast Guard and the
light was placed on an angle-iron tower closer to the Delaware
River. Last year, that tower too was abandoned, demolished, and
replaced with this seriously-no frills iron platform. |
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