She's A Beauty.....Again
SAKONNET AREA — Friends of the Sakonnet Light is among the dozen winners of this year’s Rhody Awards. Given by the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission from nominations by the public, Rhodys honor individuals, organizations, and projects for their contributions to the preservation of Rhode Island’s historic places. Friends of the Sakonnet Light, the group that restored the Little Compton lighthouse and relit it in 1996, faced a daunting challenge.
The prefabricated, cast-iron Sakonnet Light was built in 1882-84 to light a long, dark stretch of shoreline along Narragansett Bay’s East Passage, and it remained in service until damaged by Hurricane Carol in 1954. The Coast Guard decommissioned the light and made plans for demolition, but the citizens of Little Compton fought to preserve it. In 1961, Carl Haffenreffer acquired the lighthouse and maintained it for almost a quarter of a century. In 1985, he donated the property to the Friends of Sakonnet Light, and that volunteer group raised funds and organized volunteers to restore the lighthouse, relighting the light in 1996. Activities at that time included removing guano, cleaning the cast-iron, and repainting.
“After 125 years, the lighthouse required significant structural repair,” The Rhody citation says. “The Friends of Sakonnet Light secured more than $800,000 in federal Transportation Enhancement Funds matched by almost as much in private donations. Staging the project on a small rocky outcrop offshore and seeing it through in the brief time between winter and hurricane season posed a significant challenge. Structures North Consulting Engineers and Joseph Gnazzo Company led the team of consultants and contractors. Work included cleaning, galvanizing, and repainting surfaces; replacing hardware; repairing cast-iron wall and floor plates; installing new windows, frames, and portholes; and reinstalling the historic brick lining. Newly refurbished, Sakonnet Light will continue to mark the coastline for another century.”
The prefabricated, cast-iron Sakonnet Light was built in 1882-84 to light a long, dark stretch of shoreline along Narragansett Bay’s East Passage, and it remained in service until damaged by Hurricane Carol in 1954. The Coast Guard decommissioned the light and made plans for demolition, but the citizens of Little Compton fought to preserve it. In 1961, Carl Haffenreffer acquired the lighthouse and maintained it for almost a quarter of a century. In 1985, he donated the property to the Friends of Sakonnet Light, and that volunteer group raised funds and organized volunteers to restore the lighthouse, relighting the light in 1996. Activities at that time included removing guano, cleaning the cast-iron, and repainting.
“After 125 years, the lighthouse required significant structural repair,” The Rhody citation says. “The Friends of Sakonnet Light secured more than $800,000 in federal Transportation Enhancement Funds matched by almost as much in private donations. Staging the project on a small rocky outcrop offshore and seeing it through in the brief time between winter and hurricane season posed a significant challenge. Structures North Consulting Engineers and Joseph Gnazzo Company led the team of consultants and contractors. Work included cleaning, galvanizing, and repainting surfaces; replacing hardware; repairing cast-iron wall and floor plates; installing new windows, frames, and portholes; and reinstalling the historic brick lining. Newly refurbished, Sakonnet Light will continue to mark the coastline for another century.”
