$5,000 Squantum Association Charitable Foundation Grant to Help Complete Pomham Rocks Lighthouse Fence

By Louise Paiva, Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse

In September 1938, a powerful hurricane devastated New England. Pomham Rocks Lighthouse was not damaged, but the storm destroyed the dock and the white picket fence that surrounded the island. The fence was replaced the following year with a green chain-link fence. After more than eighty years of exposure to the elements, in 2023, Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse determined it was time to replace the rusting enclosure. “We are dedicated to restoring Pomham Rocks with historical accuracy,” notes Alex Dias, president of Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse. “And the fence is an important part of that history,’ he added.

The $5,000 grant from Squantum Association Charitable Foundation will be used to complete the fifth and final phase of the fence project. Over the past four years, volunteer members of Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse have restored the fence with cedar posts, wooden rails and pickets on the southern, the western, a portion of the northern, and the eastern side of the half-acre island. The remaining portion of the northern side of the fence will be completed after a new dock is built.

“It is our pleasure to continue to support the efforts to restore Pomham Rocks Lighthouse,” said Squantum Association Charitable Foundation member Paul R. Williams.  “As part of the Riverside community, we are happy to assist and look forward to continuing our support. We wish you the best in the years to come,” he noted. Squantum Association Charitable Foundation is funded independently by the membership, and supports charitable and community organizations which improve the quality of life in Rhode Island.

Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse expressed its appreciation for the continued generosity of Squantum Association Charitable Foundation, and for its support of this multi-year project. Since 2023, the Charitable Foundation has contributed a total of $14,000 for the historical fence project.

Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse is a 501(c)(3) non-profit volunteer chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation. This important New England light station and maritime museum is an integral part of Rhode Island’s heritage and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.