WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Senate today unanimously passed a resolution authored by Senators Angus King (I-Maine), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) that designates August 7th, 2014 as “National Lighthouse and Lighthouse Preservation Day”.

Senators King, Collins, and Schumer introduced the legislation in advance of August 7th, which marks the 225th anniversary of President George Washington’s signing of the Lighthouse Act of 1789. That legislation established the federal government’s role in supporting lighthouses, beacons, buoys, and public piers.

“For centuries, lighthouses have guided mariners across America’s coastlines and helped them return safely to dry land,” Senators King and Collins said in a joint statement. “It’s important that we recognize the tremendous role these iconic structures play in our maritime commerce and to preserve the legacy and history they embody. We are delighted that the Senate has declared this coming August 7th as National Lighthouse and Lighthouse Preservation Day.”