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Renovations at Massachusetts' Long Island Lighthouse, which were started during the summer of 1998, have been completed by the United States Coast Guard.
The renovation work involved repairing several cracks in the exterior brick of the tower. The repair work required removing numerous courses of brick from the exterior portion of the tower, repairing and restoring damaged areas, re-bricking and repointing the affected areas, and then painting the entire tower.
Extensive restoration work was also performed on the cast iron cupola during the project. This work involved removing all the old coatings, repairing and restoring the catwalk, support railings, and replacing the lantern room glass. Repairs to the entrance building, including a new roof, and painting of all interior and exterior surfaces were also completed.
Long Island is a small spit of land that extends from the eastern portion of the city of Boston out into Boston Harbor, and the island is still owned by the city of Boston. At the end of the spit of land is a large headland area where the lighthouse tower is located. The first tower to be built here was in 1820. It was rebuilt several times thereafter. The current 52 foot tower was built in 1900 and offers spectacular views of Boston Harbor.
The island is now part of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, a new national park that includes 31 islands including Little Brewster Island which is home to Boston Light, the oldest light station in the United States.
This story appeared in the February 1999 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.
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