Corporate and Private Donations Make the Difference

Last year, Lighthouse News reported that Hurricane Katrina damaged New Canal Lighthouse’s restoration plans were put on hold for lack of funding. Well, that has changed with some big donations from corporate sponsors along with individual outpourings of money. The Gambit Weekly reports that the Lake Ponchartrain Basin Foundation (LPBF) has enough money to start putting the pieces of this damaged lighthouse back together. Restoration work on an adjacent building and the establishment of a new foundation for the lighthouse itself will be the first steps in turning this almost lost landmark and former US Coast Guard station into a museum and educational center. Foundation officials hope to attract local students, historian buffs and of course, tourists.

Red Tape Causing Problems and Delays

Because the lighthouse, built in 1890 as the third incarnation of a beacon at the canal, is owned by the Coast Guard, it was not eligible for funds from FEMA to repair the damage wreaked by the hurricane. Although the process of transferring ownership began before Katrina, it hasn’t been completed and the required permission to shore up the damaged building (see photo below) wasn’t received until after a second storm completely collapsed it off its foundation, as in the photo above.

The foundation finally secured a lease in 2006 from the Coast Guard, and with that, was able to make arrangements for the reconstruction and operation of the facility. But stymied by a lack of funds, last year the foundation stated plans would be put on the shelf.

A donation from Shell Oil has helped to change all that. Although the foundation is still $500,000 dollars shy of their goals, at least the initial work can now start. The remaining amount needed will be used for landscaping and to purchase artifacts for the museum when it’s finished.

Frank Glaviano, vice president of production for Shell, says the oil giant decided to support the LPBF’s efforts in recognition of the importance of preserving New Orleans’ cultural icons after Katrina. The company’s donation will help launch repairs on both the lighthouse and the auxiliary building.

“New Orleans can’t just be a great place to visit; it has to be a great place to live,” Glaviano says. “It is a great tourist destination, but those of us who want to have businesses here also want a great place to live and to raise our families, and that means more than just bricks and mortar. We have to preserve and promote the culture of New Orleans, because that’s what makes us who we are.”

Glaviano compares the lighthouse’s significance in West End to that of the Carousel or Storyland in City Park. It’s an essential part of New Orleans’ culture and the memories of those who live here, he says.

Development Contributed To The Destruction

What is so sad about this case is that were it not for the development around Lake Ponchartrain (and other areas of the country) the lighthouse might have survived the winds of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which blew it off its foundation (photo below). Destroying the protective wetlands and putting homes and businesses around the area made it vulnerable to the devastating storm surges.

The original lighthouse was barely more than a light placed atop a cypress tower and was placed into service in 1839 after the New Canal was dug by hand by Irish immigrants. More soil was moved out of it than came out of the Panama canal. Tragically, it was estimated that 8,000 lives were lost during the canal’s construction due to dysentery and malaria.

The entire area around the lighthouse was a cypress swamp. There were no homes or businesses, and the seawall around it wasn’t even built until the 1930s. The original lighthouse began to rot, and was replaced by a one story building that survived until 1890, when the present one was built. The new, taller lighthouse was built also because of development. The Southern Yacht Club had moved into the area and their buildings blocked the view of the light.

The new lighthouse has survived storms in the past, including the 1915 hurricane, which brought a 12-foot storm surge and 130-mph winds. In fact, Keeper Carolyn Riddle (one of five female lightkeepers at the station) received commendations for keeping the light lit during this storm. Damage from a 1926 storm caused the Lighthouse Service to put the light on concrete piers. According to LBPF Deputy Director Ann Rheams:

“It went through several storms, including the storm of 1947, which was a tough one,” Rheams says, adding that the old building also survived Hurricane Betsy without sustaining any damage.

Originally standing 1,000 feet offshore, landfill projects in the area filled in the gap, bringing the land to the lighthouse. The area around it is known as Lakefront Park.

Photo Credits:

• New Canal Lighthouse Before and After the collapse by Rosevines. Some rights reserved.
• Someone Left the Light On by dsb nola. Some rights reserved.

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