United States lightship WAL 539
Encyclopedia
Lightship WAL 539 (numbered LV 118 when built) was the last lightvessel
Lightvessel
A lightvessel, or lightship, is a ship which acts as a lighthouse. They are used in waters that are too deep or otherwise unsuitable for lighthouse construction...
constructed for the United States Lighthouse Service
United States Lighthouse Service
The United States Lighthouse Service, also known as the Bureau of Lighthouses, was the agency of the US Federal Government that was responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of all lighthouses in the United States from the time of its creation in 1910 until 1939...
before it became part of the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
. It is currently preserved in Lewes, Delaware
Lewes, Delaware
Lewes is an incorporated city in Sussex County, Delaware, USA, on the Delmarva Peninsula. According to the 2010 census, the population is 2,747, a decrease of 6.3% from 2000....
as a museum ship.
History
This ship was built to replace LV-44, badly damaged in the New England Hurricane of 1938New England Hurricane of 1938
The New England Hurricane of 1938 was the first major hurricane to strike New England since 1869...
, for the Cornfield Point station. Patterned after the LV-112
United States lightship Nantucket (LV-112)
The United States lightship Nantucket , also known as Lightship No. 112, Nantucket, is a National Historic Landmark lightship that served at Lightship Nantucket position...
, it has a hull unlike that of any of its sisters; it is in effect a single ship class. Propulsion was diesel, with a set of diesel generators and compressors providing power for the beacon and auxiliaries. The light was a duplex 375mm lantern on a single mast, at 57 ft. above the water line. Dual diaphones were provided for a fog signal, as well as a bell and radiobeacon. A radar unit was installed in 1943. The crew complement was fourteen, to serve on a two weeks on/one week off basis. When the lighthouse service was merged into the coast guard in 1939, it was renumbered WAL 539.
Stations served were as follows:
- 1938-l957: Cornfield Point, Connecticut
- 1958-1962: Cross Rip, Massachusetts
- 1962-1972: Boston, Massachusetts
Unlike most US lightships it remained on station during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. A severe storm in December 1970 damaged the ship, leading to its decommissioning on November 7, 1972. Upon retirement it was donated to the Lewes Historical Society and placed on display in Lewes
Lewes, Delaware
Lewes is an incorporated city in Sussex County, Delaware, USA, on the Delmarva Peninsula. According to the 2010 census, the population is 2,747, a decrease of 6.3% from 2000....
, painted for the "OVERFALLS" station, though it never served there. The ship's condition deteriorated and a failed attempt in 1999 to sell it led to the formation of a separate group, the Overfalls Maritime Museum Foundation, to take over the maintenance and restore the vessel. It remains in Lewes and is available for tours.
The lightship was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1989, and in 2011 was further designated a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
.
See also
- List of National Historic Landmarks in Delaware
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Sussex County, Delaware