West Virginia to Get a New Lighthouse, Pigeon Point Lighthouse Restoration Begins
Before I get into the news I’m going to share with you, I want to remind you of an event any lighthouse enthusiast shouldn’t miss. One of the most visited lighthouses in Maine, Cape Neddick Lighthouse, also affectionately known as The Nubble, has its annual Christmas lighting ceremony this Saturday, November 26, 2011. Shuttle service will be provided from Ellis Park at Short Sands Beach. Santa will be there, cookies and hot chocolate served and of course the countdown to the lighting ceremony. If you’re near enough, it’s an event you don’t want to miss. If you’re fortunate enough to get there, look for me and say hello, I’ll be there.
Now, imagine a new lighthouse being built in West Virginia. When this came across my desk, I felt some mixed emotions about a new lighthouse being built in West Virginia. My thoughts were is this nothing more than some marketing gimmick? What in the name of all that’s holy will it look like? My fears were alleviated as I read the alert I received.
The lighthouse being built will be modeled after the lighthouses of the golden age of lighthouses. Many different entities have collaborated on the project. Steve Keblesh, the person leading the effort is dedicated to the lighthouse having an authentic look and appeal. Keblesh said he has long wanted to build a tower for the sweeping views it will offer of Summersville Lake. Keblesh and his wife are the owners of Summersville Lake Retreat.
The structure is making use of what will be a repurposed wind tower. Seems the wind tower to be used was destined for the scrap yard when rainy weather and bad timing caused it to go over a hill. The tower remained structurally sound but unsuitable for use as a wind tower. Now the wind tower is going to be an integral part of what will be a 100 feet tall lighthouse. You can read the full story at The State Journal.
Last, but not least, Pigeon Point Lighthouse has seen the beginning of what is expected to be an 11 million dollars renovation project. The Fresnel lenses which was in the lighthouse has been removed and is being restored. Pigeon Point has been closed for several years because of its deteriorating condition, termed unsafe by Steve Sycoc, superintendent of International Chimney. It was International Chimney that moved Cape Hatters Lighthouse in North Carolina inland half a mile in 1999 to protect the lighthouse against erosion.
With the lens removed, there will be less stress on the structure of the lighthouse. The weight of the lens was causing the deterioration to accelerate. Now that the lens has been removed, once the monies needed are raised, International Chimney will remove the upper third of the lighthouse so they can shore it up with new steel bands and bracing. The lighthouse will then be rebuilt with the original bricks.
The 2,000 pound lens, which was removed by restoration experts from around the USA, had been in the lighthouse since it was put into service in 1871. The lens consists of 1,008 prisms which are shaped like a beehive and rotate on a brass assembly like is found in a grandfather clock. Lampists as they are called, have spent the last two weeks methodically going through the painstaking process of inspecting, cleaning and resetting each of the prisms from the 10 feet tall lens.
As I learn more of the efforts at Pigeon Point Lighthouse, I’ll be posting what I learn here. I commend the lighthouse enthusiasts who are devoting time and energy to see this lighthouse renovated and safe for public tours once again. And I wholeheartedly agree with Jim Woodward, one of the nation’s top lighthouse restoration experts who said, “These need to be preserved just like the Spirit of St. Louis or the Wright Flyer. It is beyond technology. It is industrial artwork.”
The Christmas shopping season is upon us, whether we like it or not. Many of us have that person on our list we find it all but impossible to buy for. Let me suggest you do some shopping online. The vendor featured here has gifts to please even the most discriminating person on your shopping list.
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