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This past October 5, 1997, the historic and now restored, keepers house at Race Point Lighthouse in Provincetown, Massachusetts was dedicated as a restored national historic site.
In a project undertaken by the New England Lighthouse Foundation only two years ago the keepers house, which was once scheduled for demolition, has been totally restored. What's even more amazing is that the New England Lighthouse Foundation received no grant money, no federal money, no state money, no big business money, and no financial support or encouragement from either of the two national lighthouse organizations. Even the local chamber of commerce refused to help with the project. However, as you will recall from past issues of Lighthouse Digest, we did believe in this project and gave it full support.
Apparently, most thought that this remote lightstation surrounded by the ever shifting dunes of the Cape Cod National Seashore was beyond saving. However, lots of private individuals thought this station could be saved. And it was through hundreds and hundreds of small donations, most averaging $20.00, that saved this station. The sale of raffle tickets at fund raisers and the sales of coffee mugs and other souvenirs also helped. In the end, tens of thousands of dollars were spent on the restoration of this station that was almost lost to the elements.
The bottom line is that the restoration could not have been completed if it were not for the dedication and hard work a small band of volunteers. People like Jim Walker, Bill Fisk, Bill Collette, Russell Loud, and Richard Walker, who literally spent all of their free time for two solid years working at the keepers house. Our hats go off to them and their families. Without them this project could never have been completed. Others, to name a few would include: Sylvia Walker, Lynnette Blank, Jim Walker, Jr., Joe Lebherz, John and Lisa Simons, Dr. David Carlson, Sydney Bamford, Len Hadley, Dick Davidson, Spear Holloway, Doug Bingham, Kathleen Finnegan, and others. I'm sure we missed some people, and we apologize for not remembering someone.
Shown here are Donna Fiero and Tracey Deegan on the front porch of the Keepers House at the restored Race Point Lighthouse. Donna and Tracey grew up at Race Point while their father, Tom Branco, was stationed there. They said the restored house looks just like it did when they lived there.
They recalled that one winter they went weeks without water when the pipes froze. Their dad had to make the long trip to the Coast Guard Station to get trash barrels of water for drinking. Then he had to clean out the years of debris in the old cistern to collect water for bathing.
They told of how in the early 70's, when the hurricane hit the area they were trapped in the house while their grandparents were babysitting them and the other children. They remembered the buoy tenders delivering oil, marking the tern nesting spots, and one year in March they found the Christmas presents that Edward Rowe Snow, The Flying Santa, had dropped to them that past December. One time they found a seal, and Sea Land came out to get it. One of the local tour guides for the dune tours referred to them as "the savages" to the tourists and would throw candy to the girls when they drove by. The tourists would then see a "savage show." What neat memories. How many of us wish that we could have grown up at a lighthouse?
You will notice by the old and current photos, some of the work that has been done. What you can not see from the photos and even when you visit the station, some of the other work included. The roof is entirely new. Much of the plumbing is new and the old has been repaired. Most of the electrical wiring is new. The chimney was a worthless hazard from years of decay, and had to, literally, be torn down through the basement and rebuilt. Tons and tons of debris had to be removed and hauled over the dunes to area dumps and disposal sites. All the siding on the house was rotten and had to be torn off, and all new siding installed. New windows and door frames had to be built. Doors that matched the time period had to be located, purchased and installed. Ceilings that had caved in had to be repaired. Paint colors from the time period had to be matched up. Thousands of trips across the dunes by four wheel drive vehicles had to be made, carrying in supplies and bringing out debris. Although the Foundation has an old jeep that was donated, hundreds of trips were made with the use of the personal vehicles of volunteers who paid for their own gas.
All in all, nearly $45,000 was spent on the restoration of the keepers house, all from the small donations of hundreds of people. Nearly 80% of this money was used for the purchase of materials, with only a small percentage used for the actual payment to a couple of tradesmen who were needed to do certain projects. The volunteer work, which, if it had to have been paid labor, is estimated to be in the range of another $85,000 to $110,000.
Several hundred people were taxied out to the lighthouse for the dedication by a small caravan of volunteers, who not only donated their four wheel drive vehicles for the day, but their time to drive the people back and forth three or four at a time.
What they saw, looked like a model home. People that had seen the interior and exterior were amazed at the difference.
The restoration of the station is not yet complete. Other things that need to be done include . . . restoration of the fog signal building, restoration of the oil house, restoration of the interior of the tower, restoration of the lantern room walkway and the uncovering of the walkway which has been buried by years of drifting sands.
If you would like to donate to this ongoing project, you may send your donation to the New England Lighthouse Foundation, P.O. Box 1690, Wells, Maine 04090.
This story appeared in the
November 1997 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.
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