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The rebuilt and restored Round Island Lighthouse in Pascagoula, Mississippi now has a brand new 4th order 360 degree Fresnel lens that was manufactured and installed by Dan Spinella of Artworks Florida Classic Fresnel Lenses LLC. The new lens sits atop a reproduction pedestal, lamp, and four service wheels that were manufactured by Kurt Fosburg of Superior Lighthouse Restoration.
The fact that this lens has been installed in the tower is something that most people could never have imagined possible after the 1859 lighthouse was toppled by Hurricane Georges in 1998. But there were enough people who had the foresight and belief that the lighthouse could be saved and rebuilt.
They moved the remaining lower base of the lighthouse from its location in Pascagoula Harbor, first by barge and then by truck, to its new location to be part of a public park. Then they raised the necessary funds to rebuild the tower, which incorporated some of the original bricks, and hired a firm to rebuild a replica of the lantern, which is sometimes referred to as the lantern room.
The government officials of the City of Pascagoula and the members of the Round Island Lighthouse Preservation Society are to be commended and congratulated for this major accomplishment of rebuilding a destroyed lighthouse and relighting it as an honor to the memory of those who served at the lighthouse and as a testament to future generations. (Photos by Karen Kilgain.)
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