Magically Practical

Hereford Light

The Lighthouse near my cottage Beach House reminds me of the house they used in  the movie Practical Magic.

The styles are similar. I believe they are both called Victorian Gothic.
The lighthouse tower is similar to the "widow's watch" they both have pretty white picket fences,  lush gardens and the sea beyond.


House in Movie

Hereford

And for a picture of Hereford Lighthouse in 1911 Click Here

Glowing in the night!

Hereford lighthouse, Anglesea, NJ

This is actually a working lighthouse and at night it is all aglow. In the early 1960's it had fallen into disrepair and was a mess. It's windows were broken and the shutters falling off and crooked. It looked like the wacky shack. There is a legend that goes with the light house that the wife of the sea captain went a bit stir crazy waiting for her husband to return at the turn of the century. And that when she died her spirit stayed behind in the spooky lighthouse, still awaiting his return.. Every now and then as kids we thought we could see her ghosts in the window. The campaign to save it was launched in 1982 or there abouts and it has been beautified and bought back to its original splendor.

All these years later, People are always in and out, the lovely gardens, and although my kids didn't exactly fall for the ghosts story. It just wasn't practical to them!  But to their surprise one day they were taking pictures of each other in the lighthouse gardens and  later after dinner, when they looked at the pictures there seemed to be a mysterious shadow in the background.

And the house in the Practical Magic Movie

To my surprise, the grounds are also on a very, very similar lot. here is a link to the rendition of the grounds in the script. They specifically ask to not copy it or I would have included it here, it is surely worth a look though!
Below is the sattelite view of the lighthouse and gardens...I was dumfounded when I discovered this.  The lighthouse is among all the greenery. That is the lighthouse gardens. The rock seawall just recently got a pave over with concrete so people could walk along the ocean, a promenade, so to speak. But for years there were just mounds of rock seawall .. The settings in the script are so similar!!  To go see them CLICK HERE  Just the floor plans can not be reproduced..

Below is a rendition of the gardens, rocks and ocean beyond and part of the house, in the movie.

Of course this is my favorite lighthouse.  Below is a peak at the gardens at the lighthouse:

I have always been drawn to this area of the Wildwoods. When the kids were little we stayed at hotels near the boardwalk, for our weekly vacations. But I always came to this area, and stood at the seawall to take in the view. It is gorgeous. Now I am lucky enough to have a Cottage just steps away! Yes, magically, dreams really do come true.

That's a little bit of my story..

Joining in the Practical Magic blog party