Avery Point Lighthouse...Six Years of
Uncommon Devotion
By Bob Trapani, Jr.
On the evening
of October 15, 2006 history was made in a grand and emotional fashion
when the Avery Point Lighthouse in Groton, Connecticut, was relit for
the first time since 1967, capping a six-year, $500,000 restoration that
in many ways was nothing short of amazing when considering the adverse
odds associated with the project at its outset in 2000.
The Avery
Point Lighthouse Society has not only demonstrated a relentless
dedication to saving the once severely endangered lighthouse, they have
also set a standard of excellence in the process by showing what an
unwavering commitment can accomplish despite
Photo by Ron Foster
Avery Point Lighthouse was relit during a
very historic moment on October 15, 2006
having to
constantly conquer obstacles throughout the arduous restoration process.
During the
activities leading up to the relighting ceremony on October 15th,
those who closely followed the efforts of the Avery Point Lighthouse Society
could plainly see what an accomplishment this project evolved into. Though
the beautifully restored beacon itself sparkled like a crown
Photo by Ron Foster
Avery Point Light stands as
tribute to the dedication and
passion of the APLS volunteers
jewel at the edge of the University of Connecticut’s
Avery Point Campus, it was the faces of the APLS volunteers that told
the real story – beaming with deserved pride as the festivities unfolded
into one memory in the making after another.
In many ways, the APLS volunteers actually outshone the
lighthouse the night of the relighting – for it took a group of
unbelievably dedicated people to make such a momentous occasion possible
in the first place. Those in attendance helped celebrate a specific
moment in time with the members of the Avery Point Lighthouse Society,
but lighthouse preservation is not just one moment
in time, but
rather a long and winding journey built upon a foundation of passion and
hard work, one achievement at a time.
Thus this amazing
journey could never have been adequately captured in an evening ceremony
where the audience and participants could only see the accumulative end
result of APLS’s passion, dedication and skills in the form of a restored
lighthouse. In order to completely understand the true essence and magnitude
of their accomplishment, all in attendance would
have also had to feel and know the group’s many
sacrifices and frustrations incurred over six years of laborious toil
where often times it was difficult at best to keep the faith that there
was indeed an unseen light at the end of a dream called Avery Point.
In the aftermath of the relighting ceremony, the three
chairpersons of the Avery Point Lighthouse
Photo by Ron Foster
Nearly 2,000 people were in attendance
to witness the relighting of the
Avery Point Lighthouse
each took an
opportunity to reflect on the group’s six-year struggle to save the historic
structure from the clutches of fate:
“Personally
the relighting of the lighthouse provided me with a great deal of
satisfaction knowing that we, the members of the Avery Point Lighthouse
(APLS), were responsible for not only saving a local landmark but also a
significant piece of maritime history,” said Jim Streeter.
Streeter went
on to note, “Everyone on the APLS Steering Committee has given so much of
themselves and their time over a six-year period in
Photo by Ron Foster
Jim Streeter, co-chair for APLS
pursuing
the restoration project. The relighting of the beacon showed what
persistence and a burning desire to pursue a project could result in. I
am so proud to say I am a member of this group. In my mind not only is
the Avery Point Lighthouse a memorial to light keepers and lighthouses
across America, but to those
who worked so
hard in pursuing their mission of saving, restoring and relighting it.”
Ron Foster
touched on what it meant to share their success with the community, saying,
“Up until the relighting ceremony the work to
save, restore and relight the lighthouse was shared by only a few people,
mainly the dozen or so members of the Avery Point Lighthouse Society. At
times it became very frustrating but we shared many good times together
along the way as well. It was a wonderful feeling to have hundreds of
people to share this dream come true with. After all, the reason we worked
together to relight the lighthouse was not for us but for
the many who will use it as a navigational aid, those who will learn
about our maritime history through it, and those who will visit it and
walk along the memorial walkway.”
The historic occasion was also a moment where those who
worked so hard for the beacon’s
Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
Ron Foster, co-chair for APLS
restoration suddenly found that the culmination of the experience also
stirred their innermost emotions. Ron Foster recalls his feelings during
that moment, noting, “It was a very emotional moment for me to listen to the
USCG band playing patriotic music, to look out over the crowd and to see
many familiar faces from the lighthouse community around the country, and to
watch our granddaughter, Lexis, push the ceremonial button with Ken Black
and Fran Mainella. When the button was pushed and our son, Joe, pulled the
cover off of the Carmanah LED lens, the emotions welled up and I found it
impossible to control the tears in the eyes and the lump in the throat. I
am proud to have been a part of this historic restoration project with the
dedicated volunteers of APLS.”
Dale Treadway of APLS observed the reactions of the audience with
admiration, saying, “It was wonderful to hear the crowd’s exclamations
Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
Dale Treadway, co-chair for APLS
when the light came on! I thought to
myself at the time that the greater percentage of the some 2000-plus
supporters in attendance who could be heard ‘oo-ing and ah-ing’ as the
beacon was relit were not even old enough to have seen the lighthouse
originally shine forth in service from 1944 to 1967! This experience at
the relighting ceremony, along with the
more than 6 years
of work during the restoration of the Avery Point Lighthouse, was the
culmination of a difficult, and at times frustrating, process, but to see
the green flashing beacon light up the night for the first time in nearly 40
years – well, it was breathtaking!”
The ceremony at Avery Point was not only about celebrating the beacon’s
restoration and relighting, but also about our nation’s lighthouse heritage
and its importance. You might say the event served as a bridge of sorts back
to America’s lightkeeping past, with the Avery Point Lighthouse standing
tall as a monument to the devotion and duty of those who trimmed the wicks
and kept the lights shining from the birth of our great country in an effort
to safeguard human lives and property.
Jim Streeter explains, saying, “Prior
to becoming involved in the Avery Point Lighthouse restoration project I
knew very little about lighthouses
and their operation. Like many others I looked at a
lighthouse for little less than its beauty. Over the past six years I
have learned so much about lighthouses and their keepers. These
structures and the people who kept them operational should go down in
history as heroes. I think about the hours the keepers and their
families spent in isolation to provide protection to maritime traffic.
The work the
Photo by Ron Foster
Tim Harrison, ALF president (right)
presents APLS co-chair Jim Streeter
with a replica of the lighthouse pennant during
the relighting ceremony, which was once
used by the United States Lighthouse
Service
keepers
performed was labor intensive and never ending. They received little public
attention or recognition for their efforts. Therefore I hope by officially
dedicating the Avery Point Lighthouse to the lighthouses and keepers it will
finally bring some well-deserved recognition to these important people and
structures.”
Ron Foster echoed Streeter’s sentiments, noting, “I found it fitting to
rededicate this sentinel to lightkeepers and lighthouses everywhere, not
just America. From the early keepers who, with their families, lived in
remote locations and raised their crops, livestock and children while
tending the lights, to the present day USCG who have manned the lights since
1939, the job these people performed was difficult and, many times, not too
rewarding. I think it is a fitting tribute to have this sentinel dedicated
to these fine individuals.
Dale Treadway concurred, saying, “I feel that this is a justly and richly
deserved honor to all of the stalwart beacons throughout this grand
Photo by Ron Foster
(L to R) Fran Mainella, director for the
National Park Service, Ken "Mr.
Lighthouse" Black and Lexis Foster represented the past, present and
future of America's lighthouse heritage during the relighting ceremony
country and to the men woman, and yes, at times, the
children of the keepers of these lights, who stood by their stations
under the worst conditions and the many who died in this service – they
deserve our praise and all the honors we can bestow on them.”
The successful restoration of Avery Point Lighthouse was
not just a “win” for APLS and the American Lighthouse Foundation, which
APLS is a chapter of. It was
also a
tremendous victory for the lighthouse preservation community nationwide.
Success breeds more confidence within the consciousness of the general
public, and donors in specific, all of which helps other lighthouse projects
around the country through positive awareness and the ability to derive the
diverse best practices that can often benefit other efforts far and wide.
The leadership of APLS realizes the restoration of Avery Point Lighthouse
can have a positive impact on the rest of the American Lighthouse
Foundation’s preservation projects, as well as those in the lighthouse
community around the country, and their hope is that their “win” can indeed
help others in the process. “This project will hopefully be a highlight in
ALF’s efforts to preserve our nation’s lighthouses and maritime history,”
said Ron Foster. “It should be a feather in ALF’s cap and serve to bring
other people into the movement to preserve more lighthouses for future
generations.”
Dale Treadway, who played an important role in bringing the plight of Avery
Point Lighthouse to the attention of the public through media outlets and
magazines like Lighthouse Digest, a publication that placed
the structure on their ‘Doomsday List’ back in 2000, is
also excited about what this project means. “We received the support of
the lighthouse community through ALF and were aided along our path to
achieve this wonderful end – the rededication and relighting,” said
Treadway. “Along the way ALF brought us in contact with the New England
Lighthouse Lovers, and they were a great supporter as well!”
Though the historic night when Avery Point Lighthouse was
relit has passed, the event now belongs to the ages and will forevermore
serve as a shining example to the
Photo by Ron Foster
Avery Point Lighthouse
lighthouse community as to what a determined and talented group of
volunteers can accomplish when they “stay the course” and work hard.
How would Jim Streeter, Dale Treadway and Ron Foster hope the public
remembers from this accomplishment? Streeter begins by noting, “I hope the
community and lighthouse enthusiasts will walk away from this historic event
with a desire to save and restore other lighthouses throughout America. The
Avery Point Lighthouse came so very close to being lost forever, but it now
stands tall in all its glory, thanks to the efforts and support of so many
people. Be persistent in your desire to save other lighthouses and never,
never give up.”
Ron Foster expresses his thoughts, saying, “I hope that they learned that
determination and steadfastness by a small group of individuals can make
Photo by Ron Foster
Avery Point Lighthouse
a difference when seeking to save our historic
buildings. I also hope that it helped to educate them more about our
lighthouses and maritime history, as well as give them a sense of pride
when they visit Avery Point and the memorial walkway.”
Dale Treadway concurred, noting, “I truly hope that
we have shown our
community and lighthouse enthusiasts that through community support, much
can be achieved by pulling together on what appeared to be a lost cause when
it was scheduled for a date with the wrecking ball at the close of the
1990s! There are many more lighthouses, as well as other historic
structures out there in need of help and I believe that we have proven that
a grassroots group with a can-do attitude can achieve miracles!
