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A historic lamp that was once used to light Delaware’s Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse has been donated by Bob Savage to the Lewes Historical Society in Lewes, Delaware.
The 55mm Luchaire Incandescent Oil Vapor (IOV) Lamp was a replacement in United States lighthouses for the earlier Argand style of lamps because Luchairie IOV Lamp produced three times the light output. A similar IOV lamp manufactured by Chance Brothers of England was also used in American lighthouses.
The lamp was saved by Floyd B. Savage when he served as a Coast Guard keeper at the Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse from 1945 until his retirement in 1951. When he was ordered to dispose of the lamp, he had the foresight to save it for future generations. The light had been passed down to Bob Savage who felt that it should not remain in his family’s private collection, but should be on display for the general public to view and learn from. Bob felt that it was best to have it on display as part of a permanent exhibit in the town where the light once shined. This is not the first lighthouse artifact to find a home with the Lewes Historical Society. Also on display at their Cannonball Museum is the Fresnel lens that was once used in the Fourteen Foot Bank Lighthouse.
Floyd B. Savage, a native of St. Martins Neck, Maryland, served an illustrious 25 year career in the U.S. Coast Guard. Before he served at Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse, he had been stationed at the Ocean City Coast Guard Station in Maryland, Isle of Wight Coast Guard Station, and the Coast Guard’s Indian River Life Boat Station. He retired as a Boatswain’s Mate First Class.
This story appeared in the
Jan/Feb 2014 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.
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