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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 2007 Exterior Restoration of the Rockland
Breakwater Lighthouse
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By Warren
Kincaid, Project Coordinator
Friends of
the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse
As of now at
the close of 2007, when you look at the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse,
you think, “What a nice paint job!” However, this thought grossly
understates the magnitude of what it takes to complete a project that we
prefer to call “The exterior |
Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse
looks great again, thanks to a 2007
exterior restoration project
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restoration of all
wood and painted surfaces of Rockland’s foremost landmark.”
Unlike an ordinary paint job, this project dates back some
five years ago when an entire hazardous material abatement project was
completed. Part of that expensive project included a survey to determine the
strength and thickness of lead based paint on every square inch of the
exterior surfaces. That survey gave us a “topographical map” of lead based
paint on the entire building. This map was the foundation enabling our
primary contractor, Maine Coast Construction, to craft a plan not only to
stabilize and repaint the lighthouse, but also to ensure that the job met
the requirements of the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), and to
secure the building’s continued public function and longevity.
Underneath that shiny new paint is an army’s worth of work.
All of the trim and wooden gutters were evaluated for rot and future
replacement |
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Photo by Ted Panayotoff
Maine Coast Construction performed
expert craftsmanship on the exterior
before repainting
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only where
necessary. Of course, after 103 years, most of the joinery needed
attention. It would have been fairly easy to replace entire pieces of
trim and gutter but in keeping with our goals of maintaining historical
accuracy, only those areas beyond hope were replaced.
Most of the
wood and trim that you see is still 103 |
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years old, and
counting. Of course, this approach requires that the replaced trim exactly
match the original portions removed. Custom milling is the only way to
accomplish this. Again, you can’t just walk in to a hardware store and
request custom work. Mill cutter heads must be remanufactured in order to
duplicate the original patterns. Expensive is the only term that applies.
The rest of the trim and gutters were stripped of as much of the many, many
old layers of paint that human endurance would allow.
The wood shingled surfaces received the same treatment as
well. Luckily, the original shingles survived the test of time. Aside from
needing to be stripped and prepared, no shingles were beyond restoration.
Once |
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| stripped of old paint and repaired, the
wooden surfaces of the entire building were then treated to two
penetrating coats of SHPO approved primer. After a thorough drying, two
coats of approved heavy-duty exterior white paint covered the primer. In
addition to this, the recently installed wood |
Photo by Ted Panayotoff
Careful attention was paid to maintaining
the historical integrity of the keeper's dwelling
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shutters were
treated with two new coats of Chromate Forest Green paint, both inside and
out.
Weather was our taskmaster as no paint could be applied
unless the moisture content of the wood was below the paint manufacturers
recommended limits. Do you know how hard it is to have extended dry weather
out at the end of a mile long breakwater? Nearly impossible is the answer,
and no contractor wants to see his crew sit around waiting for good weather.
Maine Coast Construction (MCC) took this into consideration
when choosing the sub-contractor who would actually swing the paintbrushes.
In |
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Photo by Ted Panayotoff
The exterior restoration was
completed in late fall 2007
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addition to this MCC took on the task of getting all SHPO
pre-aprovals for the entire project. This is not as easy as it sounds. A
thorough knowledge of restoration techniques is required.
From beginning to end this project was a year in the
planning, preconstruction and |
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final application.
The actual hands on time began in May 2007 and ended in early October.
Recovering from the cost will take considerably longer. Through the generous
contributions of a grant from The 1772 Foundation, the support of local
businesses, income from private donations and gift shop sales, we have
completed a $37,000 project. This cost does not reflect the $25,000
hazardous material abatement project.
Because of the efforts of the Friends of the Rockland
Breakwater Lighthouse, Maine Coast Construction, those who helped in any way
and the support given, the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse stands proud.
Those who sail by as well as those who walk out surely notice the
difference. What they can’t notice is the depth of work required to truly
restore a historic building. However, doing it right will keep the
Lighthouse on Rockland’s horizon for decades to come. And that is where the
real value is.
Posted: 3/11/2008 |
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