Digest>Archives> December 2006

New Walkway Dedicated At Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse

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An earlier version of the walkway can be seen in ...

On the bright, crisp, early afternoon of Sunday, October 22, 2006, volunteers of the Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse (FPHL) — a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation — gathered with visitors in New Castle, New Hampshire, to celebrate the completion of a new 84-foot walkway leading to the lighthouse. The walkway project was made possible by a $15,950 donation by FPHL volunteers Kaye and Pat Heffernan, made in memory of Kaye’s aunt, Josephine Pauk.

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Senior Chief Will Lindsay of U.S. Coast Guard ...
Photo by: Sharon Mills

The history of lighthouses in Portsmouth Harbor at New Castle (once known as “Great Island”) reaches back to 1771, when a wooden lighthouse was erected on the grounds of a pre-Revolutionary British fort. A new lighthouse was built in 1804, and today’s 48-foot cast-iron lighthouse was constructed on the same spot in 1878.

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The new 84-foot walkway is made of pressure ...
Photo by: William Marshall

The 1804 and 1878 lighthouses were built on a rocky outcropping called Pollock Rock. Since 1804, a succession of wooden walkways has enabled keepers and visitors to enter the lighthouse. The walkway was rebuilt and reconfigured many times over the years; the most recent version was around 15 years old. The walkway was developing structural problems that were becoming safety issues, prompting FPHL to move forward with rebuilding plans.

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The new walkway was constructed in September 2006 ...
Photo by: Jeremy D'Entremont

The reconstruction was carried out in September by a crew from Ricci Construction of Portsmouth, the same company that carried out a restoration of White Island Lighthouse in the Isles of Shoals in 2005. Butch Ricci of the company worked with FPHL to plan the design of the walkway, which is very similar to the one that preceded it. The deck of the new walkway is Trex decking, a highly durable material that is composed of recycled wood and plastic. The Ricci crew that carried out the construction work consisted of Mike Dube, Jean Dion, and Bob Norris.

At the October 22 dedication, FPHL president Jeremy D’Entremont greeted the audience and stressed the valuable partnerships FPHL has with the U.S. Coast Guard and the town of New Castle. The lighthouse is on Coast Guard Station Portsmouth Harbor. D’Entremont introduced the station’s officer in charge, Senior Chief Will Lindsay, who praised the dedication of FPHL and called them the new keepers of the lighthouse.

New Castle Selectwoman Gene Doherty commented on the fact that the open houses run by FPHL have enabled thousands of New Hampshire seacoast residents to see inside the lighthouse for the first time. The lighthouse has long been a centerpiece of the local community, but few had the opportunity to tour it until recent years.

Kaye Heffernan then spoke of her aunt, Josephine Pauk, a Navy veteran and lover of nautical history. Following a ribbon cutting officially inaugurating the new walkway, everyone was entertained by lively folk and Irish music by the duo Shannachie, consisting of Pat Heffernan and Patrick Keane. A large sheet cake bearing an historic image of the lighthouse and walkway was shared along with other donated goodies, and a stream of visitors toured the lighthouse for the remainder of the afternoon.

This story appeared in the December 2006 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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