"Lighthouses are more useful than churches."
— Lighthouses

January 1, 1970

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Added on April 10, 2026
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MaritimeBuildings and structures
Original Language: English

Sources

Unknown; misattributed to Benjamin Franklin. Also quoted as “Lighthouses are more helpful than churches” or “A lighthouse is more useful than a church.” Although not by Franklin in this form, it may be intended as a paraphrase of something he wrote to his wife on 17 July 1757, given in a footnote on page 133 of Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Benjamin Franklin (1818). After describing a narrow escape from shipwreck he added: — The bell ringing for church, we went thither immediately, and wit