|
|||
| FRIENDS OF THE SWAN'S ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE NEWSLETTER AND LIGHTHOUSE RESTORATION UPDATES March 2008 - Town Report April 2008 July 2007 HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLAN - SPRING 2007 |
|||||||||||||
![]() |
|||||||||||||
| The Swan’s Island Lighthouse is a great place to visit! The lighthouse stands on Hockamock Head and marks the entrance to Burnt Coat Harbor, and is sometimes referred to as the Hockamock Head Light or the Burnt Coat Harbor Light Station. The buildings and the 20 acre site are owned by the Town of Swan’s Island. The lighthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and some historic photos of the lighthouse are included in the Photo Gallery on this website.
The lighthouse was built in 1872. Today, there are four buildings at the lighthouse site. First and foremost is the brick light tower, still an active aid to navigation. In addition: The keeper’s house (built in 1872), is a wooden building that served as the home for lighthouse keepers and their families for about a hundred years. It is in the process of restoration (see below). The restoration focuses on the way the keeper’s house was in the 1930s, when it was occupied by the Chandler family, with their 11 children. The bell house (added in 1911), is now a short wooden building right by the water. Originally it was much taller. The bell rang with a mechanical system that used weights that had to be wound up every six hours. Later, the system was electrified, and later still, the bell was replaced with an automatic fog horn. The fog horn caused many complaints because it was extremely loud and somewhat erratic, and was quickly discontinued. The original bell is preserved in the village of Atlantic, and is on display outside the museum building near the ferry landing. The oilhouse (added in 1895), is a small brick building used to store the kerosene that fueled the light before it was electrified in the 1950s. In 2000, the Town selectmen created the Lighthouse Committee. The Committee is charged with restoring and preserving the lighthouse buildings. The first chair of the Committee was Roberta Joyce, who was a strong advocate for preserving the lighthouse as an important part of island history. The Friends of the Swans Island Lighthouse is a non-profit entity independent of the Town that assists the Town in managing the lighthouse complex. |
|||||||||||||
![]() |
|||||||||||||
Restoration Plans and ProgressThe Lighthouse Committee began the restoration of the lighthouse buildings by making urgent repairs to the keeper’s house. Over the past five years, the Committee has overseen extensive work to correct structural problems with floors, walls and support beams, plus work on the masonry foundation. With a new roof, new clapboards, restored windows and a new coat of paint, restoration of the exterior of the keeper’s house is now almost complete. |
|||||||||||||
|
The Committee believes that restoration of the lighthouse will benefit the island in many ways, including giving a boost to local businesses as more visitors come to enjoy the site. |
|||||||||||||
If you wish to contribute
|
![]() |
||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
![]() |