Summer is upon us, and work continues inside and outside on Pigeon Point Lighthouse. Throughout the spring, a variety of “change orders” have been generated as walls continue to be opened, metalwork removed, new materials evaluated, and questions of how to proceed are discussed. 

On the outside, the lower two iron belt courses have been removed, and the old crumbling masonry is being trimmed off. The first wooden templates have arrived and been fitted into place. Once the fit is confirmed, these pieces will travel back to the Alabama foundry to produce the marine grade stainless steel components.

The brackets that supported the lower gallery have been sheared off to make way for their replacements. As those begin to arrive, the masonry surrounding them will be replaced as the new components are installed.

Work on the lantern room, curtain wall and roof has been completed. The roof appeared like an ice cream sundae with a cherry on the top. All the windows were replaced, the framing, drip trays and handholds were refurbished and painted.  The view is spectacular.

Inside, one of the more humorous aspects of the restoration relates to the hallway flooring. The original ceramic tiling has been stripped of the many layers of paint, and a new coating selected. This product is produced by a Kansas City-based company called Tnemec, or CEMENT spelled backwards. The color chosen is called — apropos of the Kansas City origin —“BBQ Sauce.” It won’t taste so good, but it should look terrific when completed! We can wait to see the next phases of restoration!

— Julia Barrow, Special Projects Coordinator