Groups To Work Together To Save Whaleback Ledge
By Sue Clark on Dec 26, 2007 in Featured, News 
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Three Groups Combine Efforts
Whaleback Ledge Lighthouse in Maine (but off the coast of Portsmouth, NH), may have some saviors after all. The Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation, have agreed to take over stewardship of the lighthouse if the ALF is awarded the deed to this historic lighthouse sitting on an outcropping of rocks at the entrance to Portsmouth Harbor. Other groups that have expressed interest in the lighthouse are Beacon Preservation in Ansonia, CT and Lifewise Community Service Projects in Hampton, NH. The lighthouse is currently in the process of being excessed by the government to interested non-profit groups.
Access Is Difficult
At first, the American Lighthouse Foundation declined to put in their application, because of the difficulties of reaching this lonely outpost for renovation purposes. But after the Portsmouth Lighthouse group, led by well known lighthouse historian Jeremy D’Entremont (website), stepped up to offer help, the ALF directors changed their mind. Plans include placing a removable dock for easier access. And although there is a core group of volunteers ready and able to help, more will be needed to make this work.
The Other Applicants
Six applicants originally expressed interest, including PETA, but only the three noted above have completed the preliminary applications. And the other two are putting their support behind the ALF and Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Light and have withdrawn their applications. But they still have expressed an interest in working in partnership in preserving this beacon.
“I think this is a great success story, with three different entities communicating well and working together,” Casey Jordan, president of Beacon Preservation said of the three applicants. “We really want what’s best for lighthouses. It’s sad if a lighthouse acquisition becomes a competition.”
Whaleback would have been the first lighthouse project for LifeWise, who envisioned the structure being used for research. They still would like to be able to conduct studies into how the land along the coast affects the ocean. They’d like to be able to install non-obtrusive scientific monitoring instruments at the light that could take constant readings of things such as water temperature and wave velocity.
Beacon Preservation President Casey Jordan said she sees the potential for other research, particularly tidal energy studies. “We don’t want to go around collecting lighthouses because it sounds cool,” she said. “(We’re hoping) Whaleback will kind of be our stepchild — we certainly want to be involved as much as they would like to allow.”
Future Implications
With lighthouses, particularly inaccessible offshore ones being excessed by the government at a record pace, this three way partnership could serve as a model for future preservation and restoration efforts. No one entity can do it alone, we’re all in this together to save these historic beacons. Kudos to the three groups recognizing this, and working together so well to see that this historic light will continue to educate and guide future generations.
Photo Credit: Whaleback Ledge Lighthouse by sskennel on Flickr.
Information in this story provided by the Portland Press Herald
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