Beheaded Lighthouse Relit
By Sue Clark on Oct 26, 2007 in News 
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Sandy Neck Lighthouse in Barnstable, MA, beheaded (literally) by the Coast Guard in 1931, was relit October 20 as a private aid to navigation after spending more than half of its years in darkness. When it was decommissioned due to shifting sands, and the light was no longer at its orginal entrance to Barnstable Harbor, the Coast Guard removed the lantern room to prevent light reflecting from it and possibly confusing sailors with its replacement tower, a skeletal tower at the end of the beach.
Just after sunset, a cell phone call from Lila Lorusso began a countdown and directed the removal of the curtain and revealed the new solar powered light. Lorusso, widow of Barnstable philanthropist Paul Lorusso, had made the final donation allowing the light to be relit in time for its 150th anniversary. And after more than half its life spent in darkness, a fireworks display lit the night sky behind the proud beacon. A whale watching tour boat from Hyannis brought more than 200 people for the ceremonies.
Funded entirely by private donations, the restoration was hindered by the problem of where do you find a lantern room? The Sandy Neck Lighthouse Restoration Committe was finally aided by a group halfway across the country. The Great Lakes Lightkeepers Association had uncovered the remains of a lantern room at St. Helena Island Lighthouse station in the Straits of Mackinac (Michigan) and had serendipitously made a mold from it and lent it to the Sandy Neck group.
After five years, the lantern room was ready to be placed atop the tower. However, there were last minute problems with the panels not fitting quite together but were solved with a little Yankee ingenuity at a machine shop. The restoration then ground to a halt until Mrs. Lorusso stepped forward with her second donation to the group allowing the solar powered lamp to be purchased and installed. The next round of funding will be needed to restore the oil house to its original condition.
The lighthouse and attached keeper’s house has been privately owned by the Hinckley family since 1950, and is managed by Kee Hinckley and Ken Morton. Morton and Hinckley have been working with the Cape Cod chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation during this restoration. The photos in this post are kindly provided by Kee Hinckley and more are available for viewing on his Flickr photostream.
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