Plans to commence a $1.1 million project to repair and renovate structures at Boston Light in order to honor the 300-year service and iconic value of Boston Light to the Coast Guard’s maritime heritage have been announced.
The project, outlined during a public presentation by lighthouse keeper Sally Snowman, is intended to preserve the structural integrity of the lighthouse tower and surrounding buildings and assists in preparing for the light station’s upcoming tricentennial celebrations in 2016.
The ongoing refurbishment plan includes an underground storage tank remediation, a new exterior coating to the lighthouse, new cedar roofs on all structures, new windows in the lighthouse keeper’s quarters, and painting of all structures. A new sewage treatment plant and temporary roof repairs have already been completed.
The lighthouse projects and other tricentennial preparations have been organized through the Boston Light Tricentennial Planning Group which includes members from:
• U.S. Coast Guard
• National Park Service
• Boston Harbor Island Alliance
• Coast Guard Auxiliary
• Friends of Boston Harbor Islands
• City of Boston
• Boston Marine Society
• Hull Lifesaving Museum
“Boston Light, America’s first lighthouse, is an iconic symbol of our nation’s rich maritime tradition,” said Capt. John O’Connor, commanding officer of Coast Guard Sector Boston. “Boston Light’s 300th anniversary in 2016 is an opportunity for us to celebrate the history of this national treasure and to highlight its contribution to the evolution of aids to navigation. Please follow us in the planning and join us in the celebration of Boston Light’s tricentennial.”
Boston Light was established on Sept. 14, 1716. It became a National Historic Landmark in 1964. In 1989, Congress decreed Boston Light be operated on a permanently manned basis. It remains the last U.S. Coast Guard-manned lighthouse in the country and is still a major aid to navigation at the entrance to Boston Harbor.
Due to the ongoing repairs, Boston Light will not be open for public tours during the summer of 2014.
For more information, visit www.bostonharborislands.org