Split Rock Lighthouse has the last operational Fresnel lens in the country remaining in the lens room of a lighthouse that still operates on its original mercury float and is rotated by a clockwork mechanism.

Last week one of the few people in the country who can be considered an old-school ”lampist”, Jim Woodward, along with Kurt Fosberg, cleaned the mercury and made adjustments to the lens, float, and rotating mechanism.  Since mercury is a hazardous material special certification and special care and equipment is required to prevent exposure to mercury vapors during the process.

Nearly two gallons of mercury was drained, and the mercury bowl and float cleaned, and the mercury replaced.  The very small surface area of mercury that is exposed to the air when the float is closed was covered with mineral oil to stop any mercury exposure to the air.

This was a fascinating procedure to watch especially in that the knowledge of the old classical lenses and their care is becoming a lost art.  This tune-up, along with restoration on the lighthouse itself, were completed in time for the 100 year anniversary of the commissioning of Split Rock Lighthouse which will be celebrated in 2010.

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At Split Rock Lighthouse we are all about involving the public in our programs.  Because the lighthouse has been an extremely popular tourist destination since the 1920’s there is a long history of people visiting, and recording their visits, to Split Rock.

Next summer, for the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the lighthouse, one of our staff had the great idea to invite the public to share family photographs of their visits to Split Rock over time.  This sounded like a fantastic way for visitors to get directly involved with the history of the lighthouse and to share some of their own personal history.

So, we are asking all of you who have photographs of Split Rock Lighthouse from before 1980 to share them with us at the historic site.  They will go into an exhibit in the visitor center next summer plus we will post them on the Split Rock Lighthouse website, www.mnhs.org/splitrock.  We are looking for any photos of your family at the lighthouse or scenic shots of the grounds or the lighthouse from your visit before 1980.  Why 1980?  Much of the restoration that was done at the site to bring the light station back to its original condition was done in the 1980’s so we are looking for older photos to show changes in the site before that time.  Also, we all know how digital photography change peoples ability to take hundreds, not dozens of photos, and we will just not be able to accomodate all the digital photos.

So, dig out your family vacation albums from years back.  Pop out your Split Rock photos and stand by for more information on submitting either the photos or scanning and emailing them.  Let’s see how far back we can go with peoples memories of Split Rock.

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Each July 31 all of the staff at Split Rock Lighthouse anticipate the date as it is the anniversary of the first lighting of the Split Rock beacon by Keeper Orren “Pete” Young.  That was 99 years ago!  After the two-year restoration project on the light station buildings I think Pete Young would be amazed how good the place looks after all those years.

It is interesting to think that 100 years ago, on this date, at this location, this rock dome overlooking Lake Superior was abuzz with up to fifty men working hard six days a week  to complete the construction of the light station by the end of the season.  By July of 1910 the lighthouse was complete and the third-order Fresnel lens was in place.  The last night of the month Keeper Young climbed the spiral staircase and lit the incandescent oil vapor lamp for the first time.

Tonight at sunset I will climb the steps in Keeper Young’s, and many other keeper’s footsteps and light the beacon for an hour at sunset.  That is one big birthday candle!

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In May 1909 a small army of workmen landed at the base of Stoney Point, the 130-foot cliff on which Split Rock Lighthouse was to be built. The early summer was spent dynamiting and clearing the point and by mid-summer they began construction on the ten buildings that would comprise the light station. Now, 100 years to the month, workmen are again climbing on scaffolding, laying brick, mixing concrete and painting and pounding nails on the same buildings. These latest efforts in 2009 are part of a two-year preservation project that began in 2008 to ensure that the light station is restored to its original condition for the Split Rock centennial which will be celebrated during the summer of 2010. In addition to the construction workers who are currently working on the lighthouse and fog signal building the staff at the historic site is also making preparations. We are anticipating that the historic site, and the North Shore in general, will continue to be a popular attraction this summer and next. In spite of the lazy economy the ’staycations’ concept seems to be proving out with a busy Memorial weekend at the lighthouse. Within the next two weeks the scaffolding will be removed from the lighthouse and all of the light station buildings will have a just-built freshness to them. Just in time for summer vacationers to get the great pictures of the lighthouse that they are looking for.

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