New England Lighthouse Treasures

Since June 25, 2007, the icon of Maine’s commemorative Quarter has been encircled with scaffolding for work on a exterior Restoration project scheduled to last six to eight weeks. J.B. Leslie Masonry Contractors has removed the layers of paint to repair the fine-cut granite and re-point the mortar joints.

The American Lighthouse Foundation received a $50,000 grant from the Lowe’s Charitable Educational Foundation and the National Trust for Historic Preservation to start the $105,400 Restoration project. The Friends of Pemaquid Point Lighthouse have raised an additional $30,000 and the project needs $25,000 to complete the work by September.

The Town of Bristol owns, maintains, and operates the Keeper’s house and Fishermen’s Museum, Bell Tower, Oil House and the Lighthouse Park grounds at Pemaquid Point. Last year, a group of Bristol residents began investigating why the U.S. Coast Guard, who has owned the Pemaquid Lighthouse Tower since 1939, leased the Tower to the American Lighthouse Foundation (ALF) in 2000. The link to the full news story is: Lighthouse Lease Raises Questions in Bristol, Nov 15, 2006.

On Nov 27, 2006, Bristol residents formed a Lighthouse Committee to document the history of the mysterious ALF lease, how to acquire a license for their quintessential Lighthouse, and acquire ownership if the Tower becomes Coast Guard surplus. Apparently, the key dispute is between the U.S. Coast Guard and the Town of Bristol over the Coast Guard claiming the Town did not have the resources to steward the Tower of Pemaquid Point Light. And Bristol residents disagree. The town of Bristol, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the American Lighthouse Foundation should be able to resolve this issue in the best interest of preserving Pemaquid Point Lighthouse.

For more information and photos of the preservation work, please visit ALF’s Restoration at Pemaquid Point Lighthouse.

Lighthouse Background:
For more information, please visit the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse Guide.

Map Location:
For Google Map Directions, please visit the Google Map of Pemaquid Point Lighthouse

Hopefully by September, 2007, picturesque Pemaquid Point Light will be the restored glistening gem shining bright above the 40-feet high scenic striped granite (pegmatite) headland with reflecting tidal pools formed by the pounding surf below. Dean Pennala has captured a excellent photo of Pemaquid Point Lighthouse Reflection in a tidal pool.

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