A tower that burns a light to guide ships and warn them away from danger — one of civilization's oldest pieces of shared infrastructure, perfected through some of the boldest engineering ever attempted, and now fading into symbolism as satellite navigation takes over the work
A lighthouse burns so that ships can find danger before danger finds them. The sailor who sees it may not know who built it or who tends the flame. It saves strangers — but it has never been only charity. Lighthouses also guarded trade, ports, navies, and the revenue that flowed through them, and who should pay for them became a long argument. Still, a structure whose plainest purpose is to keep unknown others off the rocks in the dark is a rare thing to build.