Sandbar Lecture: Female Lighthouse Keepers

Old Baldy Foundation Educator and Collections Coordinator Jake Grossman will discuss the key roles women historically played in managing continuous lighthouse operations when crises made it impossible for male lighthouse keepers to serve. Lighthouse keeper jobs were some of the first non-clerical government roles available for women in a time when employment options for women were extremely limited. Grossman will highlight noteworthy 18 th and 19 th century women keepers, including Hannah Thomas, Rebecca Long, Catherine Moore, and others who warned ships of danger and guided them safely throughout maritime history.

Grossman graduated from Temple University with an undergraduate degree in history and a master’s degree in public history. He, his colleagues, and Old Baldy Foundation supporters
are committed to preserving and educating about the Old Baldy Lighthouse and the man-made history of Smith Island and the Lower Cape Fear.