Growing Up In One Of the Nation's Oldest Working Lighthouses

Haley Gallagher describes the Scituate lighthouse that her family rents as calm, cozy and homey.

Ten-year-old Haley Gallagher is playing hide 'n seek with her friend Sophia. Nothing unusual about that except they are playing in Haley's almost 200-year-old South Shore home on the sea, which just happens to be the Scituate Lighthouse at Cedar Point, Scituate Harbor. "We have the best hiding spots ever!" says Haley, "Especially the upstairs closets. There is a bottomless pit up there…"

For most of us enchanted by the romance and mystique of lighthouses and the sea, it is easy to envy this fifth grader. She plays in a magical world (one would almost expect her hiding place to take her into Narnia… it has that appeal). She lives in a picturesque "keeper's" cottage overlooking quite a back yard: a boat-filled harbor, small public beach, jetty, open sea and of course the pretty white lighthouse. Two kayaks are parked on the lawn. Beyond that is Haley's "playground," a beach filled with smooth flat rocks and sea glass. Her mother, Julie, collects the glass as well as the rocks in the shape of hearts.

Haley is the youngest resident of the lighthouse in 200 years!

Opportunity of a lifetime? The Gallaghers think so even though unique homes are not unusual for the family. Julie, and her husband, Bob, a history teacher at Marshfield High School, raised Haley in Scituate's Maritime Irish Mossing Museum. What's an Irish Mossing Museum? Irish mossing, Bob explains, was used in products that needed to congeal and dried right on the beaches of Scituate. According to the Scituate Historical Society, hauling the red algae, or Irish moss, from the sea floor was back breaking. The process is documented in the museum, which is open to the public.

Living in a museum: a history teacher's dream! Yet, Bob's ultimate wish stood just 500 yards from his childhood home.

Seeing the Light

In 2008, when 77-year-old lighthouse keeper, Ruth Downton, moved out of the Scituate Lighthouse after 22 years, the search was on for a new steward to care for the historic landmark.

Scituate Lighthouse Keeper " " How many lighthouses are left that you can live in? This is unique. Bob Gallagher

Out of the 100 people who applied to live in the house, 36 were interviewed.

They were asked questions such as, "Do you feel your furniture will be suited?" and "How would you use this opportunity?" They were told that no smoking and no pets would be allowed.

Gallagher got the attention of decision-makers at the Scituate Historic Society when he mentioned his plans to blog about their life in the lighthouse (oldscituatelight. blogspot.com) and build a curriculum for visiting elementary school students. Another plus: Julie has a gift with photography.

Since the light in the tower is now automated, the keeper is no longer required to man it (just change a bulb every six months) but he is responsible for duties such as putting up the flag, hanging up a wreath, maintaining flowers, updating the message board and other obligations.

The Gallaghers were more than up for the job. The seven-room cottage captured their hearts even before they looked out of their future bedroom window and saw the amazing view.

In Haley Gallagher's ten years, she has resided in three South Shore landmarks, a museum, a little red schoolhouse and now a lighthouse.

"One corner of the bedroom points to Dublin, the other corner points to Grenada (Spain)," Bob points out.

Officials agreed to make the Gallaghers the new ambassadors of the beloved landmark, making Haley, perhaps the youngest resident in 200 years. In exchange, the Gallaghers pay $900 in rent, money which goes directly back to the care and upkeep of the home.

As the Gallaghers waited for plans to finalize, they stayed in the town's "Little Red School House" the original high school in Scituate, before moving in February 2009.

Haley keeps a journal of her life on the sea, something that her principal at Jenkins Elementary School encourages. And she's written a book about the move.

Everywhere you look, there is plenty to write about. The home, built in 1811, has the original hand-planed pine floors. "You have to be careful in bare feet," says Bob, "The hand-cast nails will tear you up."

Bob's office also doubles as a museum where key historical items, such as the original fife from the Army of Two as well as a framed affidavit of the event (see sidebar) are displayed.

The only hallway in the house is the runway, the covered walkway connecting the kitchen to the lighthouse tower, the passageway to light, where you can walk in the footsteps of keepers before. In 2001, the Scituate Historical Society complete the Scituate Lighthouse Runway Exhibit with more than twenty panels documenting the history of the lighthouse.

"It's become home pretty fast," says Bob.

"I love it!" agrees Julie, "Being right by the beach."

Even during bad weather, says Bob, "the parade of fishing and sailing boats come into the harbor." The family has also had their fair share of rocks hurdled over the sea wall by waves into their yard and parking lot.

Yet Bob says the family is looking forward to "a true boomer" one of these days.

Last month, the family saw a double rainbow, over the ocean and lighthouse. Julie ran to the top of the lighthouse and took a photo.

"How many lighthouses are left that you can live in? This is unique," says Bob. His plans to stay until old age are backed by his statement, "They'll carry me out feet first!"

Rules of the House

"I know the impact living here has had on my daughter. A grandmother came from England and was talking to Haley about the coasts. She meets interesting people," says Bob.

"Some people thinks it's a museum. It's never lonely," says Haley, "There are cars here all day, all of the time."

This public life has prompted the Gallaghers to review safety procedures with their pre-teen.

"We had to emphasize how to be safe when you are surrounded by cats, dogs and people that you don't know. Sometimes people will press you for a tour," says Bob, who has had to teach his daughter that not everyone she meets can have one.

"I can't go in the lighthouse without permission," says Haley, "And I can't have parties."

When pressed, she explains, "You know the teenager, crazy, wild, breaking stuff-kind-of- parties."

Some rules, Haley will learn, apply even when you don't live in a lighthouse.

Carrie Wattu is editor of baystateparent and can be reached at editor@baystateparent.com.

Visiting Scituate

The Lighthouse: The keeper's house is a private residence, but the grounds are open all year. The tower is open only during occasional open houses on Aug. 8, 9 and 23.

Contact the Scituate Historical Society: 781-545-1083 or scituatehistoricalsociety.org

Lunch or Dinner: baystateparent recommends a casual lunch or dinner at T.K.O Malley's. There's a patio view and harbor dining. eattkomalleys.com

Scituate's Heritage Days 2009 will be held August 7 - 9. The annual event includes live music and entertainment, artisan crafts, kids' activities and historical site visits including an open house at the lighthouse. For more information, visit scituatechamber.org.

Maritime and Irish Mossing Musuem: 301 Driftway, Scituate. Open Sundays, 1 - 4 p.m. all year and Saturdays, 1- 4 p .m. in August. Adults, $4, Seniors, $3, and free to all persons under 18.

Army of Two

Captain Simeon Bates, the first keeper of Scituate Lighthouse, his wife and nine children lived at the house. During the War of 1812, Abigail and Rebecca, young daughters of the lighthouse keeper, prevented the British from sacking the town. Noting the approach of redcoat-filled barges from a British ship of war in 1814, the girls snatched fife and drum and hiding behind a thick cluster of cedar trees, made such a din that the British mistook them for an entire regiment and made a hasty retreat. Abigail and Rebecca Bates have gone down in history as "The American Army of Two" and their courageous act has been recorded in many textbooks and story books.

Reprinted with permission from the Scituate Historical Society