Pomham Rocks Light “Shines” at East
Providence Heritage Festival
Offshore lighthouses by nature have a
certain mystique – grand beacons standing tall and proud, but often just
out of reach of the general public. Pomham Rocks Lighthouse, which
exudes a majestic aura as it stands sentinel in the Providence River, is
one such icon. In order to effectively convey the importance and
splendor of an offshore light like Pomham
FPRL Photo
Anne Greene, Mary and
Nate Chace turn
on the symbolic red
light as the sun goes
down at the 2005
East Providence
Heritage Festival
Rocks, which
people cannot readily visit or touch – but dearly love just the same,
lighthouse preservationists must “bring” the lighthouse to the community.
The Friends of
Pomham Rocks Lighthouse, a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation,
understands this vital task and has set out to spread the word about their
efforts to restore this priceless treasure and share its rich history with
the surrounding East Providence community. During July 22-24, 2005, the
Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse participated in the popular East
Providence Heritage Festival – and shined a bright light on their favorite
beacon of the sea.
“This was our
first public appearance with a booth and our promotional items,” said Laura
McNamara, vice-president of the Friends of Pomham
FPRL Photo
Dave Kelleher and
Robbie Charbonneau
were ready to greet
visitors when they
stopped at the
Friends of Pomham
Rocks Lighthouse
booth.
Rocks Lighthouse. “Our lighthouse cookie
jar was a big hit! Visitors to our booth were able to drop a dollar
donation or more into the jar by lifting the lantern, at which time the
sound of a fog horn emitted from the cookie jar.” The lighthouse cookie
jar proved to be a favorite with all the children, while dad and mom
received an official Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse pen as
a token of the
chapter’s appreciation for a donation. The Pomham Rocks Lighthouse may be
water-locked, but thanks to the dedicated efforts of the FPRL, its message
will continue to resonate throughout the community as they work to save,
preserve and interpret this stately sentinel.
