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American Lighthouse Foundation, Inc.
P.O. Box 889
Wells, Maine 04090
207-646-0245
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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New Walkway Dedicated at Portsmouth Harbor
Lighthouse
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On the bright,
crisp, early afternoon of Sunday, October 22, 2006, volunteers of the
Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse (FPHL)—a chapter of the American
Lighthouse Foundation—gathered with visitors in New Castle, New
Hampshire, to celebrate the completion of a new 84-foot walkway leading
to the lighthouse. The walkway project was made possible by a $15,950
donation by FPHL volunteers Kaye and Pat Heffernan, made in memory of
Kaye’s aunt, Josephine Pauk.
The history of
lighthouses in Portsmouth Harbor at |
Photo by William Marshall
At the dedication of the walkway on
October 22, 2006, Friends of Portsmouth
Harbor Lighthouse president Jeremy
D’Entremont spoke of the high level of cooperation between the group’s
volunteers, the Coast Guard, and the town of New Castle.
Left to
right: Jeremy D’Entremont, New Castle Selectwoman Gene Doherty,
volunteer Kaye Heffernan, and Senior Chief
Will
Lindsay of the Coast Guard.
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New Castle (once
known as “Great Island”) reaches back to 1771, when a wooden lighthouse was
erected on the grounds of a pre-Revolutionary British fort. A new lighthouse
was built in 1804, and today’s 48-foot cast-iron lighthouse was constructed
on the same spot in 1878.
The 1804 and 1878
lighthouses were built on a rocky outcropping called Pollock Rock. Since
1804, a succession of wooden walkways has enabled keepers and visitors to
enter the lighthouse. The walkway was rebuilt |
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Photo courtesy FPHL
An earlier version of the walkway can be
seen in this circa 1900 photo. The
lighthouse
was painted brown until 1902.
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and
reconfigured many times over the years; the most recent version was
around 15 years old. The walkway was developing structural problems that
were becoming safety issues, prompting FPHL to move forward with
rebuilding plans.
The
reconstruction was carried out in September by a crew |
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from Ricci
Construction of Portsmouth, the same company that carried out a restoration
of White Island Lighthouse in the Isles of Shoals in 2005. Butch Ricci of
the company worked with FPHL to plan the design of the walkway, which is
very similar to the one that preceded it. The deck of the new walkway is
Trex decking, a highly durable material that is composed of recycled wood
and plastic. The Ricci crew that carried out the construction work consisted
of Mike Dube,
Jean Dion, and Bob
Norris.
At the October 22
dedication, FPHL president Jeremy D’Entremont greeted the audience and
stressed the valuable partnerships FPHL has |
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with the U.S.
Coast Guard and the town of New Castle. The lighthouse is on Coast Guard
Station Portsmouth Harbor. D’Entremont introduced the station’s officer
in charge, Senior Chief Will Lindsay, who praised the dedication of FPHL
and called them the new keepers of the lighthouse.
New Castle
Selectwoman Gene Doherty commented on the fact that the open houses run
by FPHL have enabled thousands of New Hampshire seacoast residents to
see inside the lighthouse for the first time. The lighthouse has long
been a centerpiece of the local community, but few had the opportunity
to tour it until recent years.
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Photo by William Marshall
Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse
volunteer Kaye Heffernan explained why she donated the funds for the new
walkway in memory
of her aunt, Josephine Pauk.
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Kaye Heffernan
then spoke of her aunt, Josephine Pauk, a Navy veteran and lover of nautical
history. Following a ribbon cutting officially inaugurating the new walkway,
everyone was entertained by lively folk and Irish music by the duo
Shannachie, consisting of Pat Heffernan and Patrick
Keane. A large sheet cake bearing an historic image of the lighthouse and
walkway was shared along with other donated goodies, and a stream of
visitors toured the lighthouse for the remainder of the afternoon.
Photo by
William Marshall
The official ribbon cutting for the new
walkway symbolized the ongoing
cooperation of Friends of Portsmouth
Harbor Lighthouse, the town of
New Castle, and the U.S. Coast Guard.
To
read more about the new walkway and view photos taken during construction,
check out:
New Walkway Donated to Friends of Portsmouth
Harbor Light
Posted:10/4/06
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Posted: 12/1/06 |
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