Nate Chace Honored as Keeper of the Light

By Louise Paiva, Board Member, Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse

For centuries, lighthouse keepers maintained a shining light to safeguard those at sea. The American Lighthouse Foundation (ALF) annually recognizes an individual who has demonstrated exceptional dedication to lighthouse preservation with the “Keeper of the Light” award. At the annual meeting of Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse in December, Bob Trapani, Executive Director of ALF, presented this special award to Nate Chace of Riverside.

A founding member of Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse in 2004, Nate has served on the board of the volunteer organization for more than two decades. A resident of East Providence for most of his life, Nate grew up in a house at the end of a street facing the lighthouse, and befriended Pomham’s sixth lightkeeper, William Howard. After marrying and living in Providence for 25 years, in 1997 he and his wife moved back to another house in Riverside, overlooking the light station. Board members meet there regularly, with Pomham Rocks in clear sight.

The Lighthouse has always been an integral part of his life, and as the years progressed, his involvement with Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse also grew. His advice and support have been instrumental in the restoration of the century-and-a-half-year-old landmark. As Director of Development for the organization, he has helped to raise the funds needed for the exterior and interior restoration, return of electricity to the island lighthouse, and its transformation into an outstanding maritime museum.

ALF Executive Director, Bob Trapani, noted that people often envision the finest lighthouse preservationists in the country as dedicated individuals swinging paint brushes or with tools in hand making good things happen at a light station. And although these hands-on contributions are vital, he said, they alone do not restore and preserve lighthouses. “The ability to provide steady leadership, create public awareness and forge meaningful partnerships,” Trapani added, “is just as important. Within the American Lighthouse Foundation, few people have ever done this better than Nate Chace. He is without question a difference maker that history cannot help but smile upon.”

Trapani noted that Nate Chace does not seek the public spotlight, but that his longstanding passion and array of talents are admired by those within the Riverside community, the State of Rhode Island and the national lighthouse preservation movement, as well. For more than two decades, Nate Chace has been a constant for the Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse. “Thanks in large part to Nate’s indomitable effort,” Trapani stated, “Pomham Rocks Lighthouse is an historic treasure restored – a gleaming treasure gifted to posterity. For this and so much more, the American Lighthouse Foundation is very proud to present Nate Chace with the 2025 “Keeper of the Light” award.”

Humbled by the prestigious award, Nate is grateful for the appreciation that the lighthouse community has expressed for the role he has played in preserving and maintaining this historical maritime landmark. “I didn’t even know the award existed,” he admits, “but restoring the lighthouse and seeing how far we have come has been one of the finest experience of my life.”

The Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse is a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation. To learn more about Pomham Rocks Lighthouse, visit: pomhamrockslighthouse.org/