FRIENDS OF THE SWAN'S ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE NEWSLETTER AND LIGHTHOUSE RESTORATION UPDATES

March 2008 - Town Report

April 2008

July 2007

May 2006

December 2005

HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLAN - SPRING 2007
Funded by a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation
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.


HISTORY

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 Progress

The 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 next step is restoration of the interior of the keeper’s house.  Downstairs, we plan a well-lighted, flexible, open interior with a small kitchen and handicap-accessible toilet.  Although some interior walls have been removed, the restoration will preserve a visible record of the original floor plan.  This space will be available for community use, such as weddings, meetings, performances, art exhibits and family gatherings.   A display area will explain the history of the lighthouse and the surrounding community.  Upstairs, the historic floor plan will be retained. Ultimately, we envisage an apartment that would be available seasonally to an on-site resource person who would be responsible for maintenance and security of the buildings and would also serve as a docent, explaining the history of the site and answering visitors’ questions.

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

...to restoration of the Swan’s Island Lighthouse

Please make out a check to:

Swan’s Island Lighthouse Fund
Send it to the Town of Swan’s Island
PO Box 11
Swan’s Island, ME 04685. 

A big thankyou --

The Committee has received several grants which have been critically important in financing the restoration work.  We would like to thank the following institutions for their grant assistance:

 

·       Virginia Wellington Cabot Foundation (two grants)

·       MBNA Foundation, Conservation Grants Program

·       Hart Family Fund for Small Towns, National Trust for Historic Preservation

·       State of Maine, Maine Historic Preservation Commission, New Century Community Program (2 grants)

·       Walmart Foundation

·       Maine Humanities Council (two grants)

·       Davis Family Foundation

·       International Masonry Institute (in kind donation – masonry work)

 

In addition, the Committee would like to thank all the Friends of the Swans Island Lighthouse whose generous gifts have made this restoration work possible!