(L to R) Ross Tracy, Brad Coupe, Caren Clark, Eric Davis, Jim Leslie and Bob Trapani, Jr. during the presentation of the 2012 ALF President's Award to the J.B. Leslie Company of South Berwick, Maine (Photo by Ann-Marie Trapani)
The American Lighthouse Foundation held its annual lighthouse gala at the Four Points by Sheraton in Eastham, MA, on April 28, 2012.
The organization’s signature event featured some wonderful lighthouse camaraderie, fundraising, a great meal and some Cape Cod lighthouses open for climbing (Nauset, The Three Sisters and Highland), but the highlight of the evening event was the presentation of awards to well-deserving individuals and groups for their amazing dedication to lighthouse preservation and education.
One of the awards presented was the ALF “President’s Award,” which went to the J.B. Leslie Company of South Berwick, Maine, for their many contributions to the restoration of eight (8) lighthouses under the care of the American Lighthouse Foundation.
A "before and after" view of the 2007 exterior restoration of Pemaquid Point Light, which earned ALF and the J.B. Leslie Company a 2009 Maine Preservation "Honor Award" for preservation excellence (Photos by Bob Trapani, Jr.)
The following text was read to the Lighthouse Gala attendees in honor of the J.B. Leslie Company’s above and beyond commitment to lighthouse preservation excellence…
“The J.B. Leslie Company has been involved in masonry design, construction and general contracting for over twenty-five years, with a specialty in the field of historic restoration. The firm has also developed a proven track record with expertly tackling difficult projects, including those on wave-swept islands along the seacoast of Maine and New Hampshire.
Over the past five years, the J.B. Leslie Company has worked very close with ALF and its chapters, as well as its professional partners, including the Maine Historic Preservation Commission and the United States Coast Guard, on a number of lighthouse projects.
J.B. Leslie Company’s first project with the American Lighthouse Foundation occurred in 2007, when the firm restored the exterior of the 1835 Pemaquid Point Lighthouse. This high profile project had the support of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Lowes, Maine Historic Preservation Commission and the United States Coast Guard, and was later recognized by Maine Preservation with a 2009 Honor Award for restoration excellence.
Since that time, from masonry to wood restoration projects, the J.B. Leslie Company has made huge contributions to the American Lighthouse Foundation’s preservation mission by applying their experienced and professional skills to a total of eight (8) ALF lights.
2007 – Restored the exterior of Pemaquid Point Lighthouse
2008 – Restored the masonry base of Cape Elizabeth Lighthouse
2010 – Restored the interior of Pemaquid Point Lighthouse
2010 – Repainted the exterior of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse
2010 – Restored the interior and exterior of Owls Head Lighthouse
2010 – Pointed the granite pier and exterior ironwork at Rockland Breakwater Light
2010 – Carried out a weatherization project on the lantern of Whaleback Lighthouse
2011 – Repainted the exterior of Perkins Island Lighthouse
2011 – Repaired the masonry expansion belt at Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse
2011 – Carried out a weatherization project on the lantern of Cape Elizabeth Lighthouse
2011 – Restored the exterior of the keeper’s house at Wood Island Lighthouse
The crews of J.B. Leslie Company spent the months of August through November 2011 restoring the exterior of the keeper's house at Wood Island Light Station (Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.)
During this past year, the J.B. Leslie Company’s work at Wood Island Light Station, a $200,000-plus project to restore the exterior of the keeper’s house, was the American Lighthouse Foundation’s crowning restoration achievement of 2011 thanks to the teamwork between ALF and its chapter, Friends of Wood Island Lighthouse.
The J.B. Leslie Company not only restored the roof, chimney’s, wood clapboard siding and the masonry foundation of the keeper’s house, they also restored the vintage 1906 front porch to the dwelling – an effort that also benefited from the expertise of Theriault/Landmann Associates, an architectural firm from Portland, Maine.
In addition, the J.B. Leslie Company repaired the exterior brickwork of New Hampshire’s endangered (at the time) White Island Lighthouse in 2005 and restored both the interior and exterior of Monhegan Lighthouse in 2009.
For their excellence in historic preservation and their ongoing commitment to helping the American Lighthouse Foundation’s mission, the organization is proud to present the J.B. Leslie Company with the 2012 ALF President’s Award.”
A "before and after" view of the restoration of the keeper's house at Wood Island Light Station (Photos by Bob Trapani, Jr.)
