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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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Planning to Keep Portsmouth Harbor Light in
Tip-Top Shape
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| Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse might not be
situated in a remote or wave-swept location, but that does not mean the
beacon is out of harm’s way. The light’s rather tranquil setting at the
mouth of the Piscataqua River is deceiving when it comes to gauging
maintenance and restoration needs required to ensure the |
Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont
Rough seas are whipped up by a
storm at Portsmouth Harbor Light
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1878 sentinel
remains in the best shape possible.
Storm tides
routinely inundate the area around the light station’s oil house, while
nesting swallows create quite a mess with droppings that have a corrosive
effect on the exterior underside of tower’s cast-iron lantern. A steady dose
of salt air subtly takes a toll on the tower’s cast-iron plates – with its
accumulative impact evidenced by the “pitting” and rust spots that over time
just “show up.” Factor in the dreaded problem of water penetration through
portholes and unknown areas within the lantern and it all adds up to issues
that must be addressed by the lighthouse committee of the Friends of
Portsmouth Harbor Light (FPHL), a chapter of the American Lighthouse
Foundation, on a regular basis.
FPHL president
Jeremy D’Entremont touches on how his chapter’s lighthouse committee breaks
down the maintenance and care that goes |
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Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
FPHL president Jeremy D'Entremont
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into preserving Portsmouth Harbor Light, saying, “I see
at least three types of maintenance that we do at the light station.
There's the constant maintenance, like sweeping and cleaning the
interior of the lighthouse. There's occasional maintenance, like
painting the woodwork on the oil |
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house and some of the interior surfaces in the lighthouse. And then there
are the major projects that might only happen once every few years, like
painting the exterior of the lighthouse or rebuilding the walkway.
Volunteers can do the first two types of maintenance, but the major projects
may require the hiring of a contractor.”
Though volunteers can handle a good deal of the minor lighthouse projects,
ensuring their preparedness and effectiveness doesn’t simply happen. It
requires a lot of thought beforehand, followed by what is |
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| often referred to as “gopher” work in
order to make the most of a volunteer workday. “Whenever a day of the
occasional type of maintenance is scheduled, it requires a good amount
of preplanning -- coordinating the schedule and keeping the volunteers
informed, and making sure there are enough supplies for the planned
work,” says D’Entremont. “No matter how much you plan, you can run into
unexpected needs, and a last-minute run to the hardware store might be
necessary. FPHL lighthouse committee member Ross Tracy has done a great
job staying on top of everything, and he's also |
Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
The FPHL are hoping to replace
the wooden walkway to the
lighthouse in 2006
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flexible and
creative. He realizes that sometimes, even when you plan as thoroughly as
possible, the needs turn out to be a little different when you're actually
on the site.”
Over the past six
years the Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Light have demonstrated their
faithful stewardship of this wonderful historic site and that commitment has
their lighthouse committee planning for this year and beyond. D’Entremont
talks about their immediate plans, saying, “For this year, we have completed
some maintenance of the "occasional" type. We are also hoping to have at
least one major project |
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Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
The FPHL is working to keep
the interior of the lighthouse
water-tight and preserved
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completed this year -- the rebuilding of the walkway. The
exterior of the tower hasn't been painted in several years. It still
looks good, but it's getting close to the point of needing new paint. We
haven't set an exact goal for that, but there's an excellent chance it
will happen this year or next year.”
Beyond the short-term goals of rebuilding the
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wooden walkway and
repainting the 48-foot light tower, the FPHL are looking to the future as
well. Long-term preservation plans call for a professional engineering study
being conducted on the lighthouse and oil house, as well as the replication
and installation of historically accurate finials on the lantern that once
adorned the exterior gallery. Of course all along the way the lighthouse
community can continue to count on the Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Light
performing their usual preventative maintenance work on the historic tower
and oil house – all the little things that volunteers can do that add up big
over time.
Photo by William Marshall
Thanks to the dedicated efforts of
FPHL volunteers, Portsmouth Harbor Light
will shine on for future generations
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Posted 5/3/06 |
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