The nonprofit
American Lighthouse Foundation has officially announced that two additional
Maine lighthouses have now come under their auspices.
In making the
announcement, Tim Harrison, president of the Wells, Maine, nonprofit
American Lighthouse Foundation, stated, “Thanks to
our working
partnership with the United States Coast Guard, the American Lighthouse
Foundation has been granted the opportunity to care for the 1872
Whaleback Light at the mouth of the Piscataqua River near Kittery, as
well as the 1905 Ram Island Ledge Lighthouse in Casco Bay off of Cape
Elizabeth, Maine.” The
Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont
Whaleback Lighthouse
Maine
addition of these
two lighthouses brings a total of twenty-two lighthouses under the auspices
of the American Lighthouse Foundation, eleven of them being in Maine.
Although Whaleback
and Ram Island Ledge are not the type of lighthouses that the public will be
able to readily access, the American Lighthouse Foundation stated that they
are committed to utilizing these historic structures in a creative
educational fashion that benefits their surrounding communities and
safeguards the future of the lights at the same time. As part of this plan
they hope to partner with youth and environmental nonprofit organizations
whose missions include a connection to the sea. By doing so they hope to be
able to enhance the public’s awareness and appreciation for lighthouses like
Whaleback and Ram Island Ledge, which in turn will help to ensure their
long-term preservation.
Bob Trapani, Jr.,
Executive Director of the American Lighthouse Foundation, said, “Unlike most
of their counterparts on land, many of America’s offshore lighthouses are
endangered and in need of critical
Photo by Jeremy D'Entremont
Ram Island Ledge Lighthouse
Maine
restoration.
These rugged sentinels that stand out in the water off our coastline
have performed invaluable service to the mariner over the last century
and a half, but now the future of these beacons is shrouded in a fog of
uncertainty as few nonprofits or government agencies are willing or
capable of
stepping forward
to help the U.S. Coast Guard care for them.” However, the group admits that
the inherent accessibility challenges and higher costs associated with
preserving a water-locked lighthouse versus a land-based light will be
difficult.
Despite such
challenges, the nonprofit group believes that offshore lighthouses deserve
to be saved stating that each structure, when constructed, was an
engineering marvel in its own right. Just as important, says Harrison, is
that the memories of the light keepers who served at these beacons must be
preserved for future generations. He added, “These men kept the lights
burning bright through horrific storms and complete isolation and are some
of the most dedicated people who have ever served our country.” Harrison
went on to say they are now trying to locate photographs, memories and
stories about the keepers who served at these lighthouses. The group hopes
that descendants of the keepers from the old Lighthouse Service will come
forward with the stories and photographs.
Although other
offshore lighthouses surrounded by water are under their auspices, such as
Halfway Rock Lighthouse in Casco Bay and Boon Island Light off the coast of
York and Kittery, the American Lighthouse Foundation has taken on a daunting
and expensive task of trying to save these vital slices of Maine’s maritime
past. But the group is also no stranger to offshore preservation projects
with restoration projects well underway currently at two island lighthouses
and one at the end of a mile long breakwater.
Harrison said,
“The American Lighthouse Foundation’s commitment to the preservation of our
nation’s lighthouse heritage is an extremely costly mission. Since we do not
receive any federal or state funding, we depend wholly on the generosity and
ongoing financial support of the general public. We need public and
corporate help to save lighthouses like Whaleback and Ram Island Ledge for
future generations.” As the year comes to a close Harrison said he hopes the
public will be generous with year-end donations “to keep the lights
shining.”
