Talk:Round Island Passage Light

Lighthouses Mid‑importance

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Michigan Low‑importance

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Lighthouse?

I don't know where the thought that a structure cannot be called a "lighthouse" unless it has keeper's quarters arose, but it has poked itself up here. For the record:

Bowditch, certainly the most authoritative American source on navigation defines:
- Lighthouse: A distinctive structure exhibiting a major navigational light.
Maloney, Elbert S. (1978). Dutton's Navigation and Piloting (13th ed.). Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. pp. 130–131. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help) in a three paragraph discussion, says
- The same structure may also house a fog signal and radiobeacon equipment, and contain quarters for the keepers. (emphasis added)
"Historic Light Station Information and Photography: Michigan". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. Archived from the original on 2017-05-01. lists the subject without distinction as a lighthouse and shows its photograph as "Round Island Passage Lighthouse"
Light List, Volumes 1-7. United States Coast Guard. 2009. uses the word "lighthouse" as generic for shore based lights
- "Lighthouses are placed on shore or on marine sites and most often do not show lateral markings. They assist mariners in determining their position or safe course, or warn of obstructions or dangers to navigation. Lighthouses with no lateral significance usually exhibit a white light."
The article Lighthouse makes no such distinction.
Rowlett, who has 12,000 lighthouses listed on his site, explicitly calls it a "lighthouse" in two places.
- "Lighthouses of the U.S.: Michigan's Eastern Upper Peninsula". Russ Rowlett. 2010-03-12.
All my British references are silent on the subject -- they tend to use the word "light" rather than "lighthouse" when speaking generically.
In search for the refs above, I found nothing that even hinted at the contrary position.

. . . . Jim . . . . Jameslwoodward (talk • contribs) 18:19, 12 March 2010 (UTC)[reply]