Masonry and Iron Restoration Projects Begin at Rockland Breakwater Light
By Bob Trapani,
Jr.
Summer may have come to a close, but that doesn’t mean
restoration projects at Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse are cooling off.
On September 20, 2010, J.B. Leslie Company of South
Berwick, Maine, mobilized at the lighthouse and began masonry
restoration work on the granite pier that supports the light tower and
keeper’s house, as
Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
(L to R) Loyd Dussault, Jim
Leslie and Brian Johnson work on prepping the lantern during the first
week of the restoration project
well as a project
to rehabilitate the ironwork along the lantern and exterior gallery.
The two projects, totaling just over $19,000, are being funded and managed
by the Friends of Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse, a chapter of the American
Lighthouse Foundation, and will address key preservation aspects.
J.B. Leslie Company spent the first week of the project cutting out
deteriorated mortar joints along the granite pier and removing rust and
Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
Jim Leslie uses a chipping gun to remove
deteriorated mortar joints along the
granite pier of the lighthouse
deterioration
from lantern’s cupola, exterior parapet and gallery walkway. In
addition, crews began work on renewing the seals of the lantern
windowpanes.
As the project
progresses, J.B. Leslie Company will erect staging around the 25-foot
brick light tower in order to carry out further work to
rehabilitate the
underside of the exterior iron gallery, one of the toughest locations to
reach along the lighthouse.
The current
restoration entails repointing the granite pier, tuck-pointing the cement
staircase leading to the top of the granite pier, removing rust and
deterioration from the exterior ironwork of the light tower before
repainting the lantern and gallery, and resealing the lantern windowpanes.
It is expected that the project will be completed in October 2010.
Brian Johnson applies
a rust inhibitor
treatment to cleaned areas along the
lantern's cupola and parapet
Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
Loyd Dussault works to
remove the failing seals along the lantern's windowpanes
