Soon to retire, the last lighthouse keeper in the U.S. fondly reflects on Boston Light

The last lighthouse keeper in the U. S. tends the Boston Light Beacon on Little Brewster Island in outer Boston Harbor.

After two decades on the job, Sally Snowman plans to retire this month at age 72. The historic Boston Light will be sold to a private owner who will be required to preserve the lighthouse.

Snowman spoke to WBUR's Morning Edition host Rupa Shenoy on land at the Hull Lifesaving Museum, wearing one of her homemade costumes she dons during tours on the island. The clothing is in the style of the 18th century, when the lighthouse was built.

Highlights from this interview have been lightly edited.

On why the lighthouse sits on Little Brewster Island:

"Boston Light [was] the first established light station in colonial America, the reason why it's where it is is because that's the turning point. [Ships] have to miss Boston Light, or the island, to come into Boston."

On why the island has always had a lighthouse keeper:

"Because it was totally automated in 1998, you didn't have to have anybody out there. The reason why it was staying manned was because there was a congressional law that said because it was the first established light station in colonial America, it shall remain manned."

On whether she felt she broke barriers as Boston Light's first woman keeper:

"Yes and no. For Boston Light, for 307 years, yes. But there were lighthouse women keepers way back when, but that was never really recorded or recognized. If they weren't the keepers themselves, they were with their families doing all the work that we never heard about.

"All we heard is about the lighting of the lamps and the maintaining of the fog signals. Well, what about everyday life? What about the requirement with the lighthouse service that the brass on doorknobs and things like that had to be cleaned? Everything had to be whitewashed, the white buildings and things like that. Well, who do you think did that?"

On how she adapted to life on the island:

"Because I thought it was only going to be a one-and-a-half year to two-year [job], I never really wanted to get settled into it. But although I say that, every year that I was on the island, the heartstrings connected a little bit more. So it's bittersweet. I know that the transfer is going to happen. I was aware of that back in 2003. But will I miss it? Am I missing it? Yes.

"Just being outside and being in nature and just being aware of all of this was pure bliss for me. And to me, Boston Light is a spiritual place. The energy out there is phenomenal. I spend a lot of time with that light. I just go up and sit on the floor and look up at the lens and, and sing to it and chant to it and be one with it."

On whether she thinks something is lost with the end of traditional lightkeepers: 

"Not necessarily, because the Coast Guard's mission is to have all their lighthouses transferred. There's not-for-profit agencies that have taken them. Sometimes the state takes them. Another federal agency, like the Park Service, takes them. So there's a wide variety of contingencies out there that are so much better at maintaining these land sites and landmarks than the Coast Guard.

"I believe we are all beacons of light. We are all lighthouses from our heart space."

Sally Snowman

"[T]hese new owners are doing a fabulous job in maintaining them, and they're telling the story. And many of them will dress up in costume to tell that story. So what we're doing is just turning a new page. What I see now is how do we preserve the history? And the way to do this is to do what we're doing right now, talking about keeping these places alive.

"I believe we are all beacons of light. We are all lighthouses from our heart space. So for me to be out there for 20 years, my energy is going to be out there. It's there."

On what's next for Snowman:

"I have interests beyond Boston Light, believe it or not. And I'm an energy worker, I'm a Reiki master, I'm a Kundalini yoga instructor.

"I have the Harmonic Sanctuary of Enlightenment. It's a small private practice where I do sound healing, drumming circles. I've done studies in Egyptian alchemy, in Native American traditions, and do ceremonies on those lines."