Why is there a Lighthouse in Cedar City?
Posted: August 16, 2018 | Author: Southern Utah University | Read Time: 1 minutes
Standing at 88 feet tall, developers claimed the Cedar City Providence Center Lighthouse was the tallest inland lighthouse in the United States when constructed in 2000. The lighthouse is 450 miles away from the nearest ocean, it's never guided any ships, and it doesn't have a lighthouse keeper.
So why does Cedar City have a landlocked lighthouse?
There are quite a few rumors claiming they know why or how the lighthouse was built. One story says that it was originally a lighthouse in Europe that was disassembled and transported to Utah and rebuilt at its current location. Another site claims it is, or was, a church.
The lighthouse was originally built to be an icon that would set Providence Center apart from other developments in Utah. But there's also an underlying reason for its construction. According to Thomas A. Pugh, managing partner of the Providence Center and CEO of Quantum Construction, it was built in preparation for a big earthquake when California may drop off into the ocean, at which time the lighthouse in Cedar City, Utah will be the only lighthouse standing on the 'new' Pacific Coast of the United States.
What do you think?
This article was published more than 5 years ago and might contain outdated information or broken links. As a result, its accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
Tags: Cedar City
