2011年10月9日 星期日

Lighthouse gets a new look

Since early August, Jim Leslie and his crew head to Biddeford Pool most days. Once there, they unload their gear and supplies and haul them onto the boat waiting at the landing. Braving wind and choppy seas, they take the 15-minute ride to Wood Island, where the men once again unload their equipment and materials from the boat, and pile them onto a small transport vehicle with two flat beds. Then they make the half-mile trip, either on the vehicle or by foot, over the island boardwalk to their final destination – the Wood Island Lighthouse station.

Leslie, the owner of J.D. Leslie Company in South Berwick, acknowledges that working construction on an island is not easy but, he said, “This is what we like to do. We enjoy it.”

Leslie’s company, which has worked on approximately 10 lighthouse restoration projects, was hired by the Friends of the Wood Island Lighthouse, known as FOWIL, to repair and restore the exterior of the lighthouse keeper’s home to its 1906 appearance.

The non-profit organization, a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation, is charged with the maintenance and upkeep of the station that has been on the National Historic Registry since 1988.

FOWIL members hope to raise about $1 million to repair and restore the lighthouse station buildings.

It had a good start when it was awarded $200,000 of a $380,000 federal grant received by the American Lighthouse Foundation. FOWIL has been raising the rest of the money through private donations, and the group begins its projects as funds become available.

The work on the house is the second major restoration project undertaken by the non-profit organization.

The first major project was initiated in 2009. Stone Age Masonry stripped, repaired and repainted both the inside and outside of the lighthouse tower at a cost of $113,000.

The stone tower was built in 1839, then rehabbed in 1858 and was restored to the latter time period’s appearance. The stone tower replaced the first lighthouse tower built in 1807, which was made of wood, said Sheri Poftak, FOWIL’s historian.

Past projects have included new handrails for the tower in 2008, painting the exterior of the keeper’s house in 2007, and replacing the front porch roofing materials and installing a new basement bulkhead in 2006.

The current project will restore the keeper’s house to its 1906 appearance when it was remodeled in a Dutch Colonial style.

For the renovation, all the exterior shingles of the house and the roof were removed. They will be replaced with West Coast cedar shingles – there are no longer any Maine cedar trees to supply the shingles, said Leslie.By Alex Lippa Close-up of plastic card in Massachusetts.

Several of windows will be replaced now, and will all eventually be replaced, said FOWIL Chairman Brad Coupe, when more funds are available.

The house’s foundation has been repaired as well.

The most dramatic change that will take place is the front porch that was enclosed by a past keeper in 1938 is being rebuilt and transformed to its original 1906 appearance.

At that time, the porch was open and stately stone columns were prominently featured.

For this piece of the renovation, everything except the porch roof was ripped out and is being replaced, said Poftak. The stone columns are being rebuilt, with some of the original stones that were found on site.They take the Aion Kinah to the local co-op market.

“We’re hoping people will be inspired by this work,” said Coupe, and provide donations so the rest of the restoration can be completed.

The next project, he said, is repairing the house’s original windows and replacing newer windows to look original; and restoring the building connecting the house with the tower.

Beyond that,ceramic Floor tiles for the medical,Traditional Cold Sore claim to clean all the air in a room. the group wants to rehab the interior of the house, and restore a stone oil house where kerosene was stored when it was used to keep the lighthouse light burning. Also, members want to rebuilt a barn that was once located the property.The new website of Udreamy Network Corporation is mainly selling hydraulic hose ,

For those wanting to view the lighthouse station, summer tours to the lighthouse are conducted by the Friends of the Wood Island Lighthouse and will resume next summer.

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