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American Lighthouse Foundation, Inc.
P.O. Box 565
Rockland,
Maine 04841
Phone: 207-594-4174
Fax: 207-596-1091
info@lighthousefoundation.org
The American Lighthouse Foundation is a
Non-Profit 501(c)(3) Organization dedicated to the
preservation of America's historic
lighthouses & lightships and
their heritage.
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The Sky is the Limit for
ALF and Rippleffect at
Halfway Rock Lighthouse
By Bob Trapani, Jr.
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| Halfway Rock Lighthouse rises up out of
the sea with a strength and presence few other structures can match –
and for good reason. The 76-foot lighthouse stands sentinel
approximately ten miles offshore in Casco Bay atop dangerous rocky
ledges that lurk |
Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont
The wave-swept ledge at Halfway Rock
makes the location a difficult one to
access
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precariously close
to the shipping lanes. Because of the light’s isolated location, Halfway
Rock is naturally subject to the unabated wrath of powerful seas and storm
winds that press mightily against its rugged granite construction. Though
built to absorb the force of unprecedented gales and mountainous seas,
Halfway Rock Lighthouse still requires a full restoration to ensure that
this stalwart beacon continues to stand tall at the head of Casco Bay for
present and future generations to come.
The same inherent
challenges that faced engineers and workers during the beacon’s construction
in 1871 – and later the lightkeepers who |
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Photo courtesy of Tommy Dutton
Despite the boat ramp at Halfway Rock,
landing is still precarious because of the
half-submerged rocks.
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served at the lighthouse until 1975, remain today. Simply
accessing this remote, sea-swept site is a challenge that must be
contended with by modern day preservationists seeking to maintain and
utilize the lighthouse site.
Cultivating effective and sustainable interest in saving
an offshore lighthouse is |
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always challenging, but especially for a lighthouse such as Halfway Rock
that cannot be seen from shore. The American Lighthouse Foundation believes
that, despite such dilemmas, these irreplaceable maritime icons deserve to
be preserved – and shared with the public whenever possible. In fact, in
many cases, the only way an offshore lighthouse will be preserved and
utilized in a method that benefits the community educationally and
culturally is to forge creative partnerships that have a similar connection
to the sea.
The American Lighthouse Foundation is thus teaming up with the
Portland-based nonprofit, Rippleffect, in order to enhance the utilization,
awareness – and ultimately, the preservation of Halfway Rock Lighthouse.
Rippleffect’s mission is centered on helping youth through outdoor
experiences in Casco Bay. According to their web site, |
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“Rippleffect
is an innovative, community-based nonprofit organization which utilizes
experiential education to empower Maine youth and help them to become
responsible stewards of themselves, their environment, and their
community.” The account goes on to state that the organization’s mission
“is to promote positive youth development through learning adventures in
living classrooms.”
By forging
partnerships, the heavy burden of lighthouse preservation is made that
much more manageable for a nonprofit like |
Photo courtesy of Tommy Dutton
The boat ramp leads right up to Halfway
Rock Lighthouse
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ALF, and appealing in
value to the public – especially in the eyes of the community who is asked
to financially support the restoration and programs at an historic site like
Halfway Rock. Integrating educational, cultural and self esteem programming
that has a positive effect on 21st century youth through
Rippleffect helps ensure the value of offshore sites like Halfway Rock. In
turn, the value-added community benefit enhances the wide appeal and
excitement for restoring such a timeless icon along Maine’s rocky coast.
Rippleffect executive director Aaron Frederick reflects on preserving
lighthouses stating, “The Halfway Rock Light represents a continuation |
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Photo courtesy of Tommy Dutton
Halfway Rock Lighthouse
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of the legacy
of ancient Rhodes, Grecian mariners, and the likes of Aristotle and
Pythagoras; a mysterious structure used to save lives and beckon wayward
seaman to safety. Though the light’s role is changing significantly on
the present day Maine coast, we have the opportunity to steer the course
of the future of these lights, and the possibilities are very exciting.”
Mr. Frederick
goes on to describe the possibilities associated with Rippleffect’s
partnership with the American Lighthouse Foundation, saying, “Imagine a
nautical |
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outpost, approachable
only by sea kayak and paddle powered craft that brings back the glory of
Maine lighthouses inhabited by salty, solitary keepers and families of hardy
souls. Imagine a destination reached by Maine students that allows them to
study the seal and harbor porpoise populations of Casco Bay, study astronomy
from the perfect ocean observatory, and overnight in the small keeper cabins
and lighthouse towers.”
The American Lighthouse Foundation and Rippleffect initially began working
together in 2004 and is presently only scratching the surface of |
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the potential
that exists between the two organizations collaborating at Halfway Rock
Lighthouse. “In 2004, the first intrepid group visited Halfway Rock,
after receiving a key from ALF president Timothy Harrison,” says
Frederick. “In August 2005, fifteen Rippleffect students visited the
Halfway |
Photo courtesy of Tommy Dutton
The winding cast-iron staircase inside
the brick-lined lighthouse
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Rock site on two
different expeditions to photograph the facility and determine what projects
need to be tackled to make it a hospitable classroom and campsite.”
In addition to Halfway Rock, one of ALF’s newest lights – Ram Island Ledge
off Portland Head in Casco Bay, will also have the opportunity to be
integrated within the missions of the two nonprofits. “Rippleffect’s
curriculum is already broadening the minds of regional youth to the rich
cultural history of our unique coastline,” says Frederick. “This curriculum
would be expanded exponentially with the addition of these outpost
facilities (Halfway Rock and Ram Island Ledge).”
Rippleffect and the American Lighthouse Foundation are hardly the only
benefactors of the working relationship between the two organizations. |
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Photo courtesy of Tommy Dutton
A Vega VRB-25 optic serves as
the main light with an emergency
lantern hanging from the
lantern's cupola
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Maine youth that participate in Rippleffect’s outdoor
living classroom programs are also huge winners. The lasting learning
experience and self-confidence they obtain from visiting Halfway Rock
Lighthouse – not to mention a better understanding of the environment
around them, simply cannot be overstated.
Neil Rudnick, Director of Adventure for Rippleffect,
talks about the physical challenges each youth conquers simply to reach
the lighthouse, saying, “I’ve taken two groups and they’ve been about 6
paddlers each, plus two guides.” Rudnick goes on to say, “the goal has
been simply to reach Halfway Rock, which is some 11 miles out
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in the bay.
Paddling to Halfway Rock is a challenge that tests our student’s ability to
put many different concepts together. It is also considerably more dangerous
than any other paddle we do because of the exposed conditions, increase in
shipping traffic that is not used to looking out for sea kayakers and a
difficult landing once we reach the ledges.”
For the students that have conquered their “Mount Everest” in reaching
Halfway Rock Lighthouse, the feeling is nothing short of exhilarating. The
youth typically make the comments ‘cool’ and ‘I can’t believe I’m here,’
while others ask the Rippleffect guides if the lighthouse is haunted.
Rudnick explains the excitement of the students, saying, |
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“Everyone I’ve been with feels very much like an
explorer. It is obvious that the lighthouse has not been inhabited for
some time. Combine that with the age of the fixtures, technology, and
purpose of the light and it creates a truly exotic and singular
experience for our students.”
Some people – even in |
Photo by Neil Rudnick
A youth paddles his kayak to Halfway Rock
Lighthouse as part of Rippleffect's outdoor living classroom projects
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the
lighthouse community, wonder if the effort to save and preserve America’s
remote offshore lighthouses is worth the daunting financial and volunteer
investment. The answer is an unequivocal ‘yes’ when seeing the enthusiasm of
Rippleffect students and hearing how these lighthouses are helping to
transform the lives of our youth through the experiential and environmental
programs offered by a nonprofit like Rippleffect. “Our mission, being
promoting youth development through learning adventures in living classrooms
makes Halfway Rock Light the |
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Photo by Neil Rudnick
The modern FA/232 fog
signal equipment on the
gallery outside the light's
lantern room
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ultimate learning adventure
in a living classroom,” says Rudnick. “It combines natural history,
anthropology, ecology, adventure and wonder.”
As the American Lighthouse Foundation and Rippleffect
expand on their working relationship moving forward at Halfway Rock and
Ram Island Ledge Lights in 2006, the sky is truly the limit as to how
these guiding lights can continue to maintain tremendous value in the
fast-moving world of the 21st century – and thus be preserved
for future generations. The bygone keepers of old at Halfway Rock would
be proud of the fact that Maine youth are seeking out ‘their’ light and
that in doing |
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so, the quest is
helping ‘guide’ the students on an experience that will last a lifetime.
To learn more about the efforts of Rippleffect, visit
www.rippleffect.net |
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