Block Island North Light (RI) restoration wins award

Photo by Rob Gilpin

Block Island North Light was one of four restoration projects to win this year's Rhody Awards, which are chosen annually by Preserve Rhode Island and the Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission.

The restoration of the North Light began in 2008. The lantern was removed from the building and transported to Georgetown Ironworks in Massachusetts for a complete overhaul. After work on the building and lantern was completed, the lantern was returned to its home in the summer of 2009. A fourth-order Fresnel lens, on display for years in the lighthouse's interpretive center, was returned to the lighthouse's lantern room. A ceremony to relight the North Light as a private aid to navigation took place on Saturday, October 23, 2010. 



The award was presented on October 14 at the Rhode Island State House in Providence. The project was honored as "an effort that prioritizes materials conservation, environmental stewardship, and community involvement in historic preservation practice."

A complete list of the award recipients is available here.

Sheffield Island Light (CT) relit after more than a century

By Norwalk Seaport Association
 
Norwalk, CT - Thanks to the generous support of NRG Energy, Inc., the Norwalk Seaport Association will light the 143-year old Sheffield Island Lighthouse for the first time in over 100 years. A commissioning ceremony will be held on Monday, October 17, 2011 at 2:00pm to light the tower light, as well as to turn on the newly refurbished electrical system on Sheffield Island.

Staff from NRG’s Norwalk Harbor Station, Devon Station and CT Jet sites have worked closely with the Norwalk Seaport Association for the last two years, donating their time and expertise to rebuild the island’s electrical system. NRG also donated and installed a safe, sustainable, and environmentally-friendly solar photovoltaic (PV) generating system to power the island in place of the former gasoline-powered generators. The island’s old and obsolete lighting system was also replaced with low-energy lighting, and solar-powered walkway lighting was added for safety and accessibility.

A highlight of the project was the installation of a United States Coast Guard approved low-energy light in the Lighthouse tower. While the white light will not be used as an aid to navigation, it will be visible intermittently from the Connecticut side of Long Island Sound.

Norwalk Seaport Association President Tom Shrum says the project would never have happened without NRG. “We’re grateful to NRG for their generosity and the great work they’ve done. We have improved the lighting, accessibility and enjoyment of the island for our visitors, and it’s been done in an environmentally friendly way. The tower light is not only a symbol of a great partnership, but will be a welcoming beacon to our visitors and a reminder of the history and significance of the lighthouse.”

According to Les Ross, NRG’s Western Connecticut Plant Manager, “This project really captures what NRG is all about, so we were thrilled at the opportunity to play the central role. Our company and our people were able to contribute to a project that combines solar power, energy conservation, community support and historical preservation all at once.”

Activated in 1868, the Sheffield Island Lighthouse was in service for 34 years until its retirement in 1902. Today the lighthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is maintained, along with the island, as a museum and nature preserve by Norwalk Seaport Association volunteers.

Inspiring restoration project at Maine's Goat Island Light

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to attend the dedication ceremony on October 12 celebrating the completion of an amazing restoration project at Goat Island Light Station in Kennebunkport, Maine.

The station's historic fog bell tower (destroyed 1962) and covered wooden walkway between the house and tower (destroyed in a 1978 storm) have been completely reconstructed.








Here is a video of some of the celebration:

Reimbursement Act for Hurricane of 1938

My friend Seamond Ponsart Roberts of Louisiana, daughter of longtime Massachusetts lighthouse keeper Octave Ponsart, just sent me the fascinating document below. The hurricane of September 21, 1938, was the most devastating storm in recorded New England history; more than 700 people died in the region, including seven at lighthouses. Many lighthouse keepers requested reimbursement for their losses of personal belongings. To the best of my knowledge (and Seamond's recollection), none of them actually received reimbursement.

If anyone has more information on this sad footnote to history, I'd love to hear from you.

Special Maine Lighthouse Cruise this Saturday, Sept. 24!

COLLEGE OF THE ATLANTIC AND BAR HARBOR WHALE WATCH CO. PRESENT A LIGHTHOUSE TOUR BENEFIT CRUISE

Great Duck Island

Join COA faculty and local historians for a lighthouse and seabird history tour.

BAR HARBOR, ME—Maine’s outer islands hold many secrets, and its lighthouses are packed
full with stories. But there are an equal number of stories within the nests and burrows of the many
seabirds that shelter their young on these same islands—just ask John Anderson, College of the
Atlantic faculty member in biology.

Join Anderson and a host of his colleagues from 2:30 to 5:30 on Saturday, Sept. 24 for a benefit Lighthouse and Seabird History Tour. Proceeds will assist the college’s Marine Studies Program, and help with lighthouse and building renovations on Great Duck Island.

In addition to Anderson, the William H. Drury Chair of Ecology and Natural History, COA alumni, faculty, and staff Matt Drennan, Toby Stephenson, and Scott Swann, naturalists and natural storytellers all. Additionally, local historians Richard Sassaman and Zack Klyver will be aboard.

Each island has its own dramatic tale. Take Great Duck Island, one of COA’s two research stations. Its original boreal forest has been inhabited by waves of humans, from fishermen and farmers, to therapists and natural history researchers. And then there are the birds. Each summer Great Duck’s rocky fringe is home to hundreds of nesting auks, gulls, and ducks. Just beyond this granite shore stands a dense forest where, at the base of spruce trees, hoards of storm petrels burrow into the forest floor. Recently, eagles have been vying for space and dominion over this small island. Beyond the life-and-death dramas of birds and humans stands the abiding beauty of the island. As Stephenson, COA’s marine captain, notes, “The bold coast of Great Duck is back-dropped by the mountainous views of Acadia, the most majestic vista possible.”

Among the highlights of the cruise are the lights of Bear Island, Great Duck, Baker Island, and Egg Rock, in addition to Cranberry Island Life Saving Station and Thrumcap Island.

The journey will be aboard the Bay King III or Friendship V, of the Bar Harbor Whale Watch fleet. There’s a rain date for Sunday, Sept. 25. Feel free to bring lunch, though the snack bar, with snacks and drinks, will be open. The cost is $30 adults; $10 for those 14 and younger. Space is limited. To reserve seats, participants are asked to call the Bar Harbor Whale Watch Co. at 207-288-2386. A $5 reservation can be placed on a credit card with the rest to be paid in cash or check before embarking. Meet the boat at Harbor Place, 1 West St. in Bar Harbor.

Renovations completed to Neds Point Light, Mass.

Great to see that repairs and repainting have been completed at one of the prettiest lighthouses in Southeastern Massachusetts, Neds Point Light in Mattapoisett. Bravo to the Coast Guard and the local Coast Guard Auxiliary volunteers who care for the picturesque landmark in Veterans Memorial Park, and to the company that completed the work, Seacoast Scaffold and Equipment Corp.

Buzzards Bay / Vineyard Sound Lighthouse Cruise on October 1, 2011!

Join the American Lighthouse Foundation and Friends of Flying Santa on a cooperative fundraising lighthouse cruise of Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound!

 

 

 This unique 6-hour cruise will sail to 10 Massachusetts lighthouses: Palmer Island, Butler Flats, Clarks Point, Gay Head, Tarpaulin Cove, Nobska Point, Cleveland Ledge, Wing's Neck, Bird Island, and Ned's Point. This is a rare opportunity to see these historic offshore lighthouses up close, as well as the picturesque Elizabeth Islands.

The narrator will be lighthouse author and historian Jeremy D'Entremont. The boat will depart from New Bedford, Mass.,  at 10:00 a.m. 

 

You are welcome to bring a lunch. On board you will find a fully licensed beer and wine bar, espresso bar with lattes, cappuccino, coffee, and teas, also light snacks including fresh baked specialties and a selection of soft drinks and waters.

 

The Vessel 
19kt maximum speed
16kt cruising speed
Heated cabin
Upper deck with outdoor seating 

2 restrooms

All proceeds go to support the American Lighthouse Foundation and Friends of Flying Santa. Seating is limited so make your reservations today! 

 

Tickets are $65.00.  

Click here to purchase tickets.