Lighthouses history is the history of the construction and development of lighthouses. These structures, which can be towers or buildings, are used as navigation aids by maritime pilots to guide ships safely across oceans and inland waterways. Lighthouses were not always used on the oceans, but were also used in the inland waterways.
Lighthouses have long served two main purposes: warning ships of danger and guiding them into harbors. They are a symbol of society’s efforts to reduce the dangers of seafaring. However, their construction and maintenance were often precarious and the lighthouse keepers often put their lives on the line.
Early lighthouses used coal or wood as fuel for their fires. However, coal and wood are very combustible, and the glass surrounding braziers tended to blacken and require cleaning regularly. Eventually, lighthouses began to use oil lamps, usually vegetable oil. In 1784, Swiss engineer Joseph Argand invented the oil lamp, a light source that did not produce smoke or soot.
Lighthouses were not built in massive numbers until the seventeenth century. Initially, most lighthouses were harbor lights that served as homing beacons for boats. Later, major coastal lighthouses were built to warn mariners of dangerous reefs, currents, and rocks. In the 18th century, twelve lighthouses were built in Britain’s American colonies. The first was built in Boston Harbor, Massachusetts.