Lighthouse To Be Film Star!

Richard Saucer, brick-cleaning chairman and board member of SGLA, is filmed during a brick-cleaning re-enactment in St. George Lighthouse Park. Manning the cameras are Rick Schutte and George Steitz of Impact Television Productions.

The Cape St. George Light will be one of three lighthouses featured in a 10-minute "trailer" video being filmed for the Florida Lighthouse Association. Producer George Steitz and cameraman Rich Schutte of Impact Television Productions spent three days shooting interviews and footage of the lighthouse from June 17-19.

FLA plans to eventually produce a full-length film about all 30 of Florida's lighthouses. To market the project to potential funders like PBS, the Discovery Channel, and corporate sponsors, FLA has contracted with the Pennsylvania production company for creation of the trailer.

The first day of filming on Wednesday featured a boat trip to the original lighthouse site on Little St. George Island, and interviews with George Watkins and Ricky Hathcock. George and Ricky are the ANERR employees who heard the crash on October 21, 2005, and were chagrined to find that the noise was not thunder, as they originally suspected, but rather the sound of the Cape St. George Light crashing into the Gulf.

Thursday's shots included a re-enactment of brick cleaning and interviews with many of the original volunteers who helped clean the bricks and reconstruct the lantern room. Friday's special guest was Bill Roberts, whose father and grandfather were both keepers at Cape St. George. Bill recounted his memories of living at the lighthouse, and provided for great footage as he entertained children visiting the lighthouse with stories of helping his Dad tend the light.

The trailer will also include segments on the St. Augustine Lighthouse and the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse, both of which are beautifully preserved landmarks. The Cape St. George Light is proud to be in such august company!

Mr. Steitz said that filming and editing will continue through the summer, with the final product scheduled to be completed in time for the FLA annual meeting in October.

Volunteer Outing

The group at Indian Creek Park included Dave McLain with the Riverkeeper and volunteers Bill Bassett, Stanley Colvin, Terry Kemp, Ellen Ashdown, Pam Prince, Elaine Rosenthal, Mary Lou Bassett, Newt Colston, Dottie Blaydes, Patricia Goyette, John Culbertson, and Marty Ray. Please see the Photo Gallery for more shots of a great outing!

Volunteer docents from the St. George Island Visitor Center & Lighthouse Museum and the Cape St. George Light visited the seafood town of Eastpoint for their quarterly outing on June 11, 2009.

The group of 14 enthusiastic attendees stopped first at Barber's Seafood, where Stephanie Barber hosted a fascinating demonstration of oyster sorting, shucking, and shipping. The group was surprised to learn that at this time of year about half of the oysters processed come from Apalachicola Bay, with the balance harvested in Louisiana. Because of different regulations, oysters from Louisiana tend to be larger, which some consumers prefer. But Stephanie confirmed what we all know: that Apalalachicola Bay oysters are the tastiest!

The next stop was Indian Creek Park, where half the group boarded a boat with John Richards and Linda Raffield of the Franklin County Seafood Workers Association and headed out to the Bay for a lesson on oyster harvesting. As John piloted the boat amongst the working oyster boats, Linda told the group that 2 tons of oysters cross an oyster boat's cull board to produce 10 bags of oysters! She also said that because of economic conditions in other local occupations, more oystermen are now competing for a diminishing resource.

The other half of the group learned why the oyster beds are threatened. Dave McLain, with the Apalalachicola Riverkeeper, talked about the necessity of a consistent flow of fresh water from the Apalachicola River to create the perfect environment for oyster growth. Droughts upstream and the infamous "water wars" between Florida, Georgia, and Alabama for use of the river system's waters both threaten the life of our bay.

After a festive lunch at El Jalisco's Mexican Restaurant, the group made a final stop at the site of the new Franklin County Library. Contractor Wayne Thomas pointed out highlights of the partially completed building, and the beautiful site on which it sits.

Visitor Center Volunteer Outings are held quarterly not only as fun get-togethers, but also to acquaint volunteers with attractions and activities in Franklin County that may be of interest to our visitors. Executive Director Elaine Rosenthal is always looking for new volunteers to help guests on St. George Island have a perfect vacation. Contact her at 850-927-7744 if you would like to volunteer!

Lighthouse Hours Extended

New Assistant Lighthouse Keeper Jim Dunkin joins Keeper Stanley Colvin at the lighthouse. The are pictured in front of the newly-installed Dedication Plaque.

The Cape St. George Light is now open to the public for 40 hours each week. Effective June 1, the lighthouse will be open on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday from 12 noon to 5 p.m. The lighthouse will be closed on Thursday.

The open hours of the lighthouse will now be identical to the open hours of the St. George Island Visitor & Lighthouse Museum.

“We are extending our hours to meet the demand of our visitors,” said St. George Lighthouse Association President Dennis Barnell, who noted that many would-be lighthouse climbers come to the Visitor Center outside of the 21 hours per week that the lighthouse has been open.

Jim Dunkin has been brought on board as Assistant Lighthouse Keeper to work with Keeper Stanley Colvin in assisting visitors at the lighthouse. Jim is retired from the banking profession and he and his wife Donna have been residents of St. George Island for a number of years. He is also a member of the SGI First Responders and does contract work for Weichert Realty.

Both keepers are versed in the history of the lighthouse and the details of its reconstruction.

Keeper Colvin said that 6,461 people climbed the lighthouse from its opening in December through mid-May.

Operation of the Cape St. George Light is funded in part by the Franklin County Tourist Development Council.

SGLA Annual Meeting Held

SGLA officers for the coming year are Phyllis Vitale-Lewis, Vito Bell, Fred Stanley, Ed Tiley (reclining in the background), Joe Bacher, Jim Kemp, Dennis Barnell, Bud Hayes, and Terry Kemp. Absent when the photo was taken were Rick Plessinger and Richard Saucer.

Members of the St. George Lighthouse Association gathered on Saturday, May 23, to enjoy chili slaw dogs, hear an update on lighthouse projects, and elect officers for the coming year. Here is a summary of the high points of the meeting:

* Construction of the Lighthouse Keeper's House Museum has been delayed until after the summer tourist season. This will allow additional time to raise enough funds to dry-in the building.

* The optic for the lighthouse has been purchased and will be installed pending the resolution of issues pertaining to nesting sea turtles.

* Keeper Stanley Colvin reported that 6,461 people have climbed the lighthouse since it opened in December.

* Elaine Rosenthal, Executive Director of the Visitor & Lighthouse Museum, reported that revenues and visitors to the center have increased almost 60 per cent since the lighthouse opened.

*SGLA currently has about 260 active members.

* All officers and directors were re-elected for another term. They are Dennis Barnell, president; Terry Kemp, secretary; Jim Kemp, treasurer; and directors Joe Bacher, Vito Bell, Bud Hayes, Rick Plessinger, Richard Saucer, Fred Stanley, Ed Tiley, and Phyllis Vitale-Lewis.

2009 Plein Air Artists Visit the Lighthouse

Artist Frank Bruckmann, visiting from New Haven, Connecticut, paints the Cape St. George Light from a vantage point at the west end of the park.

The Cape St. George Light was once again host to Plein Air artists visiting the Forgotten Coast from May 8 through May 17. Artists Frank Bruckmann, James Hempel, and Morgan Samuel Price painted at the lighthouse on the afternoon of May 14.

The St. George Lighthouse Association served lemonade and cookies to the artists and their observers on the deck of the St. George Island Visitor Center & Lighthouse Museum. The three guest artists were joined by several local artists who also came to capture our lighthouse in their chosen artistic medium.

The Plein Air Invitational Paint-Out sponsored by the Forgotten Coast Cultural Coalition has become a widely awaited spring event in our area. Plein Air artists paint outdoors, in view of their subjects, instead of in a studio. They often finish a piece in several hours, and the 22 visiting artists turned out several hundred beautiful works during their week in our area.

In addition to the afternoon at Cape St. George, artists spent time at Cape San Blas and Crooked River lighthouses. During their week-long stay, they painted at sites from Mexico Beach to Alligator Point.

To view their works, please go to www.pleinairfl.com. More photos of artists painting in St. George Lighthouse Park are posted in the Photo Gallery.

Dedication Plaque Installed

The Dedication Plaque mounted inside the Cape St. George Light.

The plaque which reads that the Cape St. George Light is

"Dedicated to the Volunteers and Contributors
Who Rescued the Light,
To the Keepers and Assistant Keepers
Who Watched Over the Light,
And to All Those Who Have Been, and Will Be,
Guided by the Light"

was installed in the lighthouse on Friday, May 8.

The cast bronze plaque is set in a frame of the same heart pine used in the stairs. The frame was crafted by Fred Stanley, a member of the SGLA Board of Directors. The framed plaque is mounted on the wall of the lighthouse, just inside the exterior door.

Lighthouse Keeper Stanley Colvin has said that visitors have already been posing for photographs next to the plaque. What a great remembrance of a visit to St. George Island and to the Cape St. George Light!

Lighthouse Dedication Draws Huge Crowd

Neil Hurley, retired U.S. Coast Guard Commander and Historian for the Florida Lighthouse Association, delighted the crowd with facts and anecdotes about the history of the lighthouse. (Photo by Jerry Murphy) Please see the Photo Gallery for more shots of this historic day.

The Cape St. George Light was officially dedicated on April 4, 2009, in a spectacular ceremony attended by over 400 people. In the crowd were many descendants of former Keepers and Assistant Keepers of the historic lighthouse.

After a week of torrential rains and tornado watches, Saturday dawned sunny and bright.

At 10:00 a.m. alto saxophonist Karl Dappen played a musical prelude as the crowd took their seats. The ceremony began with the Presentation of Colors by the Air Forces Honor Guard from Tyndall Air Force Base, and Boy Scout Troop 22 and Venture Crew 22 of St. George Island.

The National Anthem was sung by Dr. Tamara Marsh, setting up one of the dramatic highlights of the day. A U.S. Coast Guard HU-25 Falcon Jet from Air Training Center Mobile flew over the lighthouse in tribute to the members of the U.S. Lighthouse Service and U.S. Coast Guard who tended the light from 1833 to 1949. As the jet returned for a second pass, the crowd erupted into cheers and tears. Master of Ceremonies Jim Kemp noted that the Lighthouse Service had become part of the USCG years ago.

Rev. Kay Wheeler, in her invocation, prayed, "Dear Father in Heaven, we ask that this lighthouse may be a symbol of your saving grace and of our commitment to be faithful stewards and caretakers of this pristine place in which we have been given the privilege to live."

Dennis Barnell, President of the St. George Lighthouse Association; Fred Gaske, Director of the Florida Division of Historical Resources; and Lee Edmiston, Director of Coastal & Aquatic Managed Areas for DEP all addressed the crowd.

In his keynote address, retired U.S. Coast Guard Commander and Lighthouse Historian Neil Hurley recounted the history of the lighthouse, saying, "The lighthouse had fallen down before, and parts of it were used, not once, but twice to rebuild the tower. But a small group of your friends and neighbors didn’t know that, and it was certainly a very audacious idea to think that a pile, a very big pile, of 150 year-old brick, stone and twisted metal could be put back together again....Partnerships were forged between people and our government to make this happen. In the end, countless people reached out to save the Cape St. George Lighthouse and the result is the beautiful structure that you see before you today."

After a rousing fanfare on French Horns played from the top of the lighthouse by Sivan Adato and Monika Warchol, a letter of congratulations from Gov. Charlie Crist was read by his representative, David Mica. Franklin County Commissioner Pinki Jackel delivered the County's Proclamation declaring April 4 as Cape St. George Light Day.

Then Lighthouse Keeper Stanley Colvin officially dedicated the Cape St. George Light "To the Volunteers and Contributors who Rescued the Light, to the Keepers and Assistant Keepers who Watched Over the Light, and to All Those who Have Been, and Will Be, Guided by the Light."

And so the Cape St. George Light officially resumes the work it did so well for 172 years, and continues to do for the future.

Dedication Day Fundraiser Successful!

Jim Wolfram and Marty Ray pleased the hungry crowd with Jim's "secret recipe" barbecued chicken.

The Fundraiser for the Lighthouse Keeper's House Museum, held after the dedication of the Cape St. George Light, grossed more than $10,000 on a sunny afternoon on St. George Island.

Most of the crowd of over 400 stayed after the ceremony to enjoy delicious barbecued chicken prepared by Chef Jim Wolfram and Assistant Marty Ray, who grilled chicken halves over a custom grill built for the occasion.

Tallahassee band Eclectic Acoustic entertained the crowd while they ate, relaxed, and bid on beautiful and unique items at the Silent Auction. The auction, organized by Susan McClendon, featured paintings, photographs, watercolors, pastels, jewelry, custom clothing, models, trips, and even a Bird of Paradise plant! Artworks depicting the lighthouse -- both the old and the new -- were crowd favorites.

More than 250 people took advantage of "free climbing" to ascend the 92 stairs and 8-rung ladder to the top of the lighthouse, where the clear day afforded spectacular views of the Bay and Gulf.

The St. George Lighthouse Association thanks all those who attended the Dedication and Fundraiser, with a special thank you to the volunteers and contributors who made the day such a success!

Light to Shine Again!

Chief Petty Officer Andrew White met with SGLA Officers Dennis Barnell and Terry Kemp (not pictured), along with USCG Auxiliary Flotilla 19 Staff Officer for Navigation Services Mac Shepard, and Electrician Mate First Class Ventura Alamares to review lighting requirements at the Cape St. George Light.

The United States Coast Guard has approved the application submitted by the St. George Lighthouse Association requesting that the Cape St. George Light be designated as a private aid to navigation.

This means that the light will be lighted once again!

The approval was contingent upon a site visit by the Aids to Navigation Detachment from Coast Guard Station Panama City, whose mission was to determine if any residences would be affected by the light, or if any other issues regarding public safety were involved. A USCG team led by Chief Petty Officer Andrew J. White visited the lighthouse on March 25.

Because the focal plane of the light at 71 feet exceeds the residential approximate height limit of 46 feet, it was determined that island residences should not be affected by the light. Since the light is intended to shine 13 miles out over the Gulf and not down on the beach, nesting sea turtles would not be affected. One area of concern, however, was traffic crossing the bridge onto the island, where the height of the "big hump" is close to the elevation of the light.

Chief White agreed to bring one of the department's lights to test at the lighthouse before installation of the permanent light begins. Meanwhile, the St. George Lighthouse Association has placed an order with Vega Industries Limited of New Zealand for a VLB-44 beacon, which is commonly used in USCG installations. The light, which is custom manufactured, should arrive in about eight weeks.

Unlike the large third order Fresnel lens which was at one time installed in the lighthouse, the modern optic will allow enough space for visitors to continue to climb to the lantern room.

So, after some tweaking and adjustments to make the light compatible with island residents and traffic, THE CAPE ST. GEORGE LIGHT WILL SHINE AGAIN!

Successful Chili Cookoff

Two lighthouses -- the Chili Booth in the shape of a lighthouse, and the real thing in the background --- were a highlight of the St. George Island Charity Chili Cookoff.

The St. George Lighthouse Association once again participated in the St. George Island Charity Chili Cookoff, and contributed to an enormously successful event for the Volunteer Fire Department and First Responders on St. George Island.

The weather was absolutely perfect, the chili was spicy, and -- with an increased number of chili booths -- the competition was fierce. SGLA re-used last year's prize-winning booth, and we knew we wouldn't win Best Booth two years in a row. So we focused our efforts on raising money for the Fire Department and publicizing the upcoming dedication of the lighthouse on April 4, along with the barbecue and auction that day that will raise funds for the Keeper's House Museum.

We gave out Mardi Gras beads, sold some chili, and had a great time. Next year, however, Booth Chairman Richard Saucer (that's the same Richard who was Brick Cleaning Chairman, now retired from that job) says we will have a new booth design and will be a force to be reckoned with!

One of the best things about the festive day was the enjoyment that visitors got from our new St. George Lighthouse Park. The grassy expanse was filled with families enjoying the day, kids passing footballs, and dogs romping with their friends. It was truly a gratifying sight, and we once again thank Will Kendrick and the State of Florida for the renovation of our park.

Granite Lighthouse Marker Completed

Richard Jones, holding friend Dolly, completed a brick base for the granite Cape St. George Light marker with the help of Jim Kemp and grandson Mark Jones.

A large piece of granite from one of the window surrounds of the Cape St. George Light has found new life as a marker designating the lighthouse and the four years of its constructions.

Brick mason and SGLA member and volunteer Richard Jones today completed a brick base for the granite stone. He used what we believe to be the oldest of the recovered lighthouse bricks for the base. Called "chocolate chip" bricks by the lighthouse brick cleaners because of the carbon particles in the clay, these bricks are oddly shaped and so were not used in the reconstruction. Fortunately, there were just enough of them to enable Richard to build an elegant base for the granite, which had previously been engraved by Kenny Horah of Southern Sand Designs.

The St. George Lighthouse Association is determined to utilize as many of the recovered pieces of the original lighthouse as possible, either in the reconstruction or for display in the park or museum. Not all of the granite window surrounds were recovered, so only granite lintels were installed in the reconstructed lighthouse, leaving this large piece which made a perfect marker.

The next challenge is to find an appropriate way to display the presrved original lantern room pieces, currently in storage.

Soapstone Park Marker

The new marker for St. George Lighthouse Park is carved in soapstone and set in a base built by Richard Jones from original lighthouse bricks.

A leftover piece of soapstone from the lighthouse deck is now permanently installed as a marker for "St. George Lighthouse Park."

The park's new name was engraved into the stone by Kenny Horah of Southern Sand Designs. SGLA member Richard Jones, an accomplished brick mason, utilized some of the original lighthouse bricks to build a beautiful base for the stone, which now sits at the front of the park, near East Gulf Beach Drive.

We won't say that Richard honed his masonry skills during many days of cleaning bricks for the lighthouse reconstruction, but some of the bricks in the new sign base just might be those that he cleaned months ago!

Richard is in the process of constructing a brick base for the granite marker in front of the lighthouse. Stay tuned for an update when that project is completed!

Building a Base for the Park Sign

Richard Jones, Fred Stanley, and Jim Kemp use old lighthouse bricks to build a base for the new park sign.

Volunteer brick mason Richard Jones took one look at the large piece of soapstone carved to say "St. George Lighthouse Park" and knew exactly what kind of base it needed. Richard, an SGLA member and volunteer brick cleaner, also knows a lot about building with bricks.

He created a design that utilizes some of the leftover original lighthouse bricks in a base that will support the soapstone at an angle so it will be visible from Gulf Beach Drive.

The soapstone, left from the construction of the lighthouse deck, was carved by Kenny Horah of Southern Sand Designs. Kenny also carved a granite marker for the lighthouse, and Richard plans to build a base for it as well.

SGLA Board members Fred Stanley and Jim Kemp were pressed into service as apprentice brick masons, and helped Richard complete the base.

Once the mortar cures, the stone will be lifted into place and some additional brick trim pieces added. Then Richard and his helpers can start on the base for the lighthouse marker.

Thank you, Richard Jones, for your talent and your time!

Lighthouse Sign Engraved

Kenny and Shirley Horah with the piece of lighthouse granite that they engraved as a sign for the Light. See the Photo Gallery for a shot of Kenny at work.

One of the original window jambs that could not be re-used in the lighthouse reconstruction got new life on January 9 as an engraved marker for the Cape St. George Light.

Kenny and Shirley Horah of Southern Sand Designs in Dawsonville, Georgia, engraved the large piece of granite on site in St. George Lighthouse Park. It sits on the grass just outside the lighthouse and commemorates the four years in which the lighthouse was built and rebuilt. Kenny also engraved a large piece of surplus soapstone, left from the lantern room construction, with the name "St. George Lighthouse Park." This stone will be installed in a brick support at the front of the park.

Shirley designed the intricate stencils used when Kenny engraved the stones via a sand-blasting process. The engraved letters were then painted black and sealed.

"This was the hardest piece of granite that I have ever blasted," Kenny, who worked for years engraving cemetery markers, said of the 150+ year-old piece of the lighthouse.

Kenny and Shirley brought double good news from the chilly Georgia mountains to St. George Island on Friday. Not only did they engrave the two stone signs, they also delivered the first load of 240 engraved brick pavers for St. George Lighthouse Park. The pavers are scheduled to be installed in the park at the end of January.

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays from the St. George Lighthouse Association. Please visit St. George Lighthouse Park to see the festive holiday decorations. Open hours for the lighthouse are listed on the Calendar section of the website.

Happy Holidays to everyone from the Officers of the St. George Lighthouse Association.

As 2008 comes to a close, we are grateful for the opportunity to complete the reconstruction of the Cape St. George Light and open the historic lighthouse to the public.

We look forward to 2009 and the construction of the Lighthouse Keeper's House, which will include our permanent Visitor Center and Lighthouse Museum.

Thank you again to all who have helped bring the Cape St. George Light back to life!

Lighthouse License Plates Now Available!

Jim and Terry Kemp, officers of the St. George Lighthouse Association, purchased Lighthouse tags from Donna Owens of the Franklin County Tax Collector's Office in Apalachicola.

Florida Lighthouse License Plates are now available in Franklin County and in many counties throughout the state.

The tags raise funds for the preservation of Florida's 29 remaining public lighthouses. The proceeds will be allocated to the lighthouses by the Florida Lighthouse Association on a grant basis.

Because FLA is an all volunteer organization, most of the money raised by the sale of license plates will go toward the preservation of the state's lighthouses. A minimal amount of the funds will be spent on marketing of the license plates in order to reach the number of annual sales required of specialty license plates.

So when your tag expires, buy a Lighthouse plate to support our historic lighthouses. Or better yet, invest a little extra and buy one NOW!!!

Coming Home

Dennis Barnell, James Levy of the Historic Preservation Lab, and Jim Kemp load lighthouse lantern room pieces for the return trip to St. George Island.

Pieces of the lantern room of the Cape St. George Light were returned to St. George Island on December 4. These original pieces, which were too damaged to use in the reconstruction, were sent to the State of Florida's Historic Preservation Lab in Tallahassee, where they spent a year undergoing a desalinization and preservation process.

The lantern room on the reconstructed lighthouse was recast of comparable materials using the original pieces as patterns.

We hope to display some of the original preserved and repainted pieces of the lantern room in St. George Lighthouse Park.

Cape St. George Light Is Complete and Open!

Over 400 people visited the Cape St. George Light on Saturday, November 29, the first day the lighthouse was open for public climbing.

The Cape St. George Light was open to the public for Lighthouse Preview Days this past weekend, and officially open to the public on Monday, December 1.

Preview Days, which gave visitors a chance to climb the lighthouse at no charge on Saturday and Sunday, attracted more than 560 people to the lighthouse! Visitors from as far away as Houston, Arizona, and Hawaii stood in line for as much as an hour to climb the 92 wooden spiral stairs to the watch room and the eight-rung ladder to the lantern room. Even pouring rain late in the afternoon on Saturday and drizzle and wind on Sunday did not keep the enthusiastic crowds away.

Cries of "Awesome" and "Fabulous" echoed through the masonry tower as climbers squeezed through the scuttle hole into the lantern room and saw the breathtaking view of the island, Apalachicola Bay, and the Gulf of Mexico.

Reporters from the Associated Press and WCTV in Tallahassee were on hand to announce the news of the successful opening to the public. Coverage of the event was also provided by the Apalachicola Times, Franklin Chronicle, Tallahassee Democrat, Panama City News Herald, Coastline, and WOYS Radio. Brendan Farrington's article for the Associated Press has already appeared in newpapers in West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Naples, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, and The Villages.

Lightouse Association members were joined by several other Franklin County non-profit organizations on Saturday. Franklin Needs sold calendars to raise money for breast cancer treatment in the county, Franklin County Public Library sold overstocked books, Philaco Woman's Club sold their cookbooks, and the Boy Scouts of St. George Island saved hungry climbers by offering hot dogs and soft drinks.

Even though there is still work to do on the landscaping in the park and construction of the Keeper's House, it was an exceptionally rewarding day for the many volunteers and contributors who worked so hard to make the reconstruction of our historic lighthouse a reality. A formal dedication ceremony is planned for early 2009.

Windows Painted

Dave Armentrout caulks the windows from a lift.

The five tower windows, custom-crafted for the lighthouse, were installed this week.

The windows were painted by volunteers Susan McClendon, Marty Ray, Skip Kemp, and Terry Kemp before they were installed in the lighthouse. This week a lift was rented to facilitate the installation of the windows, shutters and exterior window trim. The exterior trim was fitted by local builder Al Douglas.

After the windows were installed in the lightouse, the builder added the weight and chain system which replicates the opening and closing mechanism used in 19th century windows. The windows were caulked and painted on the outside by Dave Armentrout, and trimmed out and painted on the inside by Stan Holliday and Ed Furtick.

With the addition of the four-over-four double-hung windows and the cypress shutters, the lighthouse is close to looking like its old 1852 self!

Shutters Installed on Windows

A close-up shot of a window shutter.

Custom cypress shutters built by the lighthouse in-house carpentry crew were installed on all five windows.

The horizontal bar keeps the shutters open. When the shutters are closed, as in the case of a storm, a shorter bar slips into the same brackets to keep the shutters closed.

DOT Signs Lead to the Light

New signs on U.S. Highway 98 point the way to the Cape St. George Light.

The State of Florida Department of Transportation has installed historic landmark directional signs for the Cape St. George Light at the intersection of U.S. Highway 98 and State Highway 300 in Eastpoint.

The brown signs are reserved for marking sites of historic or natural significance. They point the way to the lighthouse from either direction on Highway 98.

The installation of the signs is another indication that the opening of the lighthouse is at hand. The official opening will be December 1, but special "Preview Days" will be held on the Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving. The lighthouse will be open for climbing at no charge on November 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and on November 30 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

When the lighthouse officially opens to the public on December 1, there will be a charge of $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for youth under the age of 16. Members of the St. George Lighthouse Association and the Florida Lighthouse Association will be allowed to climb at no charge.

Forgotten Keeper Found

Vance and Patricia Buras visited the reconstructed Cape St. George Light. Vance's father, Louis, was a Keeper of the Light from 1923 to 1925.

A missing page in the history of the Cape St. George Light was added with the revelation that Louis Buras Sr. was a Lighthouse Keeper at Cape St. George in the 1920's. Most lists of keepers show a gap between 1923 and 1930, as the identity of the keepers during that period was unknown.

On November 6, Vance and Patricia Buras of Burkeville, Texas stopped at the St. George Island Visitor Center & Lighthouse Museum. They delivered a copy of a page from the Keeper's log at Pensacola Lighthouse, which stated that on October 1, 1923, Louis Buras transferred from Pensacola to the Cape St. George Light Station.

Keeper Buras was born in Boothville, LA. in 1891 and joined the U.S. Lighthouse Service in 1919. In addition to Pensacola and Cape St. George, Keeper Buras served at lighthouses in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas until his retirement in 1945. It is not known with certainty how long Keeper Buras worked at Cape St. George, but it is believed based on family records that his tenure ended in 1925.

We welcome Louis Buras Sr. to the ranks of the distinguished men who kept the Cape St. George Light illuminated!

Pathways to the Light

Blank bricks in these pathways around the lighthouse will be replaced with engraved bricks.

St. George Lighthouse Park features a network of brick pathways that connect the Lighthouse to the Visitors Center and surrounding areas.

Brick pavers in these pathways are being offered for sponsorship for $50.00 per brick. Please consider sponsoring a brick paver in honor of yourself, family, friends, pets, or memorable times on St. George Island. Bricks in the pathways to the Cape St. George Light make memorable holiday gifts or tributes to special people.

Inscriptions on the pavers can be up to three lines with a maximum of 18 characters or spaces per line. Inscriptions will be engraved in upper case letters and centered on the brick.

If you wish to participate in this exciting and memorable project, please email us via this website, or call the St. George Island Visitor Center & Lighthouse Museum at 850-927-7744.

Palms in the Park

Sabal palms are unloaded and ready to be planted by Sam Brown and crew in St. George Lighthouse Park.

More than 30 palms were planted today (October 28) in St. George Lighthouse Park, as part of the park renovation project funded by the DEP grant to refurbish the county park at the center of St. George Island.

The palm planting is the latest phase in the park rehabilitation project, which has also included the installation of a new irrigation system, new sod, and brick pathways around the Lighthouse and Visitors Center & Lighthouse Museum.

The work is funded by a DEP grant awarded to Franklin County largely through the efforts of Rep. Will Kendrick. Additional work will include the repair of the playground equipment (currently in progress by the County Parks and Recreation Department), as well as benches, additional landscaping, and lighting around the lighthouse.

Plans are for the park work to be substantially complete by the projected lighthouse opening date of December 1.

Dennis Receives FLA's Top Honor

Dennis Barnell accepts the Thomas W. Taylor Award from FLA President Stan Farnham. Stan is wearing a replica of the U.S. Lighthouse Service uniform c. 1900.

St. George Lighthouse Association President Dennis Barnell was honored by the Florida Lighthouse Association as the recipient of the 2008 Thomas W. Taylor Award, presented for “outstanding service on behalf of lighthouse preservation.” The award is FLA’s highest honor, and is named after the organization’s founder and longest-serving president.

The award was presented at FLA’s annual meeting, held October 18 at the Eastpoint firehouse and co-hosted by the St. George Lighthouse Association and the Carrabelle Lighthouse Association.

The Taylor Award is presented annually at the sole discretion of the president of the statewide lighthouse association. FLA President Stan Farnham said, “This year I’m honored and excited to present the award to Dennis because he, along with his team, overcame countless obstacles and proved the naysayers wrong who told him the task was impossible.” Dennis provided, Stan said, “the inspirational leadership to get passionate people to join in the process.”

The award was inaugurated by FLA President Gene Oakes, who presented the first award posthumously to Tom Taylor, and was instrumental in the subsequent renaming of the award in Taylor’s honor. Other recipients of the prestigious award have included Gene Oakes (also honored posthumously), and FLA founding members Hib Casselberry and Paul Bradley, Jr.

Dennis credited all the members of the St. George Lighthouse Association for their work in the reconstruction of the lighthouse on St. George Island. “This award does not belong to me; it is shared by all the committed people who have given of their time, money, and support to make our vision a reality.”

Also at the meeting, SGLA Secretary Terry Kemp was elected to the FLA Board of Directors. Terry will serve as FLA District 4 Commissioner, with responsibility for representing and supporting the lighthouses in the Florida Panhandle in FLA proceedings. Lighthouses in District 4 include Pensacola, Cape San Blas, Port St. Joe., Cape St. George, Crooked River, and St. Marks.

After the meeting, members had the opportunity to climb both the Cape St. George and Crooked River lighthouses. The St. George Lighthouse Association hopes to open the lighthouse for complimentary climbing for local residents on November 29 and 30. The lighthouse is scheduled to open to the public for a small fee starting December 1.

Planting Park Sod Begins

Sod planting in progress at the lighthouse.

The first phase of sod planting in Lighthouse Park was completed today, October 14. Twenty pallets with 450 square feet of sod each, for a total of 9,000 square feet of sod, were delivered yesterday.

Local contractor Sam Brown -- working part of the time with a small crew, but much of the time by himself -- prepared the site, installed irrigation, outlined the pathways, and set the sod.

Phase One of the sod installation focused on the area around the lighthouse and Visitor Center. Outlying areas and the lawn around the future Keeper's House will be planted at a later date.

The Palmetto St. Augustine turf grass is salt tolerant and will hopefully thrive in the seaside park around the lighthouse. Right now, at least, it looks beautiful!

For a "before sod" shot, please see the Photo Gallery.

SGLA Enjoys Oyster Spat Festival

John Ficklen and Skip Kemp worked at the Lighthouse booth at the Oyster Spat Festival. Also on hand to help were Richard Saucer and Jerry Murphy.

The St. George Lighthouse Association once again participated in the 2008 Oyster Spat Festival over Columbus Day weekend on St. George Island. For the third year in a row, we sold our now famous Red Beans & Rice to enthusiastic and hungry revelers.

Lighthouse volunteers also manned the beer and beverage booths at the festival on Friday night and Saturday afternoon and evening. In addition to the funds raised by selling the Red Beans & Rice and lighthouse merchandise, SGLA may be awarded part of the festival proceeds.

Please see the Photo Gallery for more shots of a fun weekend on St. George Island!

Lantern Room Pieces Preserved

The pedestal from the Fresnel lens has been desalinized and painted by the State Preservation Laboratory.

The first batch of original lantern room pieces has been returned from the State Preservation Laboratory in Tallahassee.

The lantern room spent several months in Gulf waters after the collapse of the lighthouse in October of 2005. Many of the pieces were recovered during the salvage effort in April of 2006.

To protect these historic artifacts for future generations, the Preservation Lab under the guidance of James Levy performed a desalinization process and then painted the pieces.

Some of the smaller pieces are on display in the St. George Island Visitor Center & Lighthouse Museum. The larger pieces are in storage and will one day be displayed in St. George Lighthouse Park.

Risers Added to Stairs

Risers are installed on the lighthouse staircase.

Risers are being added to the staircase in the Cape St. George Light, as stair construction nears completion. Only about 20 risers remain to be added, and work should be complete by mid-October.

The first shipment of commemorative plaques honoring stair sponsors have arrived and look great! The plaques will be installed when stair construction is complete and all the plaques are in hand.

Custom cypress four-over-four double hung windows have been ordered and should arrive before the end of October. Cypress has been purchased and volunteers will begin building the storm shutters. A lift will be hired to enable installation of the windows and shutters in the 65-foot tower.

All construction on the lighthouse is expected to be completed by early November.

Handrail Installation Begins

The first of two handrails was installed in the lighthouse. Please see the Photo Gallery for shots of the handrail installation.

Workmen from Architectural Rails, Inc. of Panama City arrived the morning of September 3 to begin installation of the aluminum handrails in the interior of the lighthouse.

The three-man crew utilized a rolling device to allow the rail to be bent into a graceful curve to follow the brick wall of the lighthouse. By the end of the day, all of the rail on the brick wall side of the staircase was completed.

Even though work on the stairs continues, the crew from Architectural Rails believes that they will be able to install the inside handrail around the center post this week as well.

The original lighthouse had only one handrail, but the second one is being added for the safety of the many lighthouse lovers who will soon be able to climb the Cape St. George Light!

Why Are These Men Smiling?

Steve Haverick and Stan Holliday celebrate at the top of the lighthouse after completing the installation of all 92 stairs. The scuttle to the lantern room is visible in the background.

The preliminary installation of all 92 stairs in the Cape St. George Light was completed today, August 28! SGLA member Steve Haverick, visiting the island for a few weeks, worked with Stan Holliday to finish the first and most critical phase of the huge project.

The stairs still have to be mortared and caulked into place on the lighthouse brick wall side. But they are all properly aligned and fit perfectly. Stan and Steve also finished the removal of the temporary construction platforms, cleaned up some of the debris, and then took a break from climbing up and down 92 stairs in the summer heat! The job was completed in plenty of time for installation of the first handrail to begin on Tuesday.

Work has also begun on the fabrication of the brass plaques which will identify the sponsor of each stair. The plaques are being donated by Hanson Machine, Inc. of Spooner, Wisconsin. Wayne Hanson, owner of the company, visited SGI in February -- and after sponsoring a stair himself, generously donated the manufacture of the plaques.

A big Thank You to all the wonderful benefactors of the Cape St. George Light!

Lighthouse Stairs Nearing Completion

Carpenter Stan Holliday sands a stair tread in Dennis Barnell's workshop. Please see the Photo Gallery for up and down views of the staircase in the lighthouse.

More than 60 stairs have been installed in the Cape St. George Light, and SGLA President Dennis Barnell expects the installation to be completed by Friday, August 22.

Dennis and Stan Holliday have been working in Dennis' shop to build the individual stair treads and then transporting them to the lighthouse for installation. Only eight treads remain to be built. Yesterday the construction effort was aided by SGLA members Fred Stanley and Jim Kemp.

Once the installation of the stair treads is completed, the mounting of the handrail on the brick wall will begin. Eventually a second handrail will be mounted on the center post, and risers will be added to the stairs.

But once the treads and one handrail are completed, the lighthouse will be safe for climbing. We hope to offer a special Preview Climb on Florida Lighthouse Day, which is Saturday, September 20!

Park Work Begins

The road to the east of the lighthouse has been removed and fill dirt added to the site.

While the construction of the staircase continues inside the lighthouse, work has also begun on the park around the lighthouse.

Luberto Sand and Stone of Eastpoint, the same contractor who successfully salvaged the fallen lighthouse on Little St. George, has completed the removal of the abandoned asphalt street between the lighthouse and the Visitor Center & Museum. Parking is now only available in the lots on the west and east ends of the park. Several loads of fill dirt were brought in to level the area around the lighthouse.

A landscape design and installation company has been engaged to finalize the plans for the park. Features will include brick pathways and benches, and native plant materials will be emphasized. Eventually the Keepers House will be built, and a small vegetable garden may be added. Leonard Montgomery, son of the last lighthouse keeper, says that his family always had a garden when they lived at the lighthouse on Little St. George Island.

Door Up, Fence Down

The Cape St. George Light is picturesque with its new door and without the chain-link construction fence.

The door to the lighthouse was installed this week and looks great! The door, custom-made of cypress and weighing several hundred pounds, was donated to the lighthouse by E.F. San Juan, Inc. of Panama City.

With the door up and security bars installed on the lowest window, we were able to remove the chain-link fence which surrounded the construction site.

Elaine Rosenthal, Executive Director of the Visitor Center & Lighthouse Museum located next to the lighthouse, happily noted, "We have reached two important milestones -- the dumpster is gone, and the fence is down!" Now visitors have a better chance of getting a good photograph of the magnificent lighthouse, and plenty have been taken during this busy holiday week.

SGLA has finalized the contract with Franklin County that will enable us to start landscaping the park around the lighthouse with funds from a Florida Department of Environmental Protection grant. Stay tuned for grass, benches, brick pathways, and beautiful landcaping that will make our little park an oasis at the beach!

Lighthouse Door Arrives

Stan Holliday and Dennis Barnell admire the new lighthouse door donated by E.F. San Juan, Inc.

The door for the lighthouse was delivered on June 25. The cypress door was custom-made for the Cape St. George Light by E.F. San Juan, Inc. of Panama City. E.F. San Juan generously donated the door to the lighthouse.

The door has a small plaque with the inscription "To the People of St. George Island and Franklin County, from Your Friends at E.F. San Juan, Inc."

The door will be attached to the lighthouse with large metal brackets made by Richard Saucer and Dennis Barnell. Once the door is installed, the construction fence will be removed. Landscaping will begin, as work on the installation of the stairs continues.

Pretty as a Picture

The lighthouse makes a pretty picture when viewed from the angle introduced to us by artist Lori Putnam. Actually, it's pretty from any angle!

Progress on the Cape St. George Light continues, and the project gets more publicity and recognition each day.

Two of the brickmasons from Masonry, Incorporated are back on site this week to do some touch-up and clean-up work. Most of the lantern room windows are installed with the exception of several that have been purposely left out to allow for ventilation of the room while work continues. About a dozen stairs have been built and fitted, but not yet permanently installed.

Several significant contributions to the lighthouse and the museum have been or are about to be received. E.F. San Juan, a custom door company from Panama City, Florida, is making and donating a customized door for the lighthouse. Linda and Harry Arnold, owners of The Tin Shed in Apalachicola, have donated two antique brass cage light fixtures for the lighthouse. Cliff and Denise Butler have given us an old ship's anchor chain, and our reliable benefactor Bill Roberts has donated his father's oars from the old lighthouse boat for the museum.

Meanwhile, we keep getting good press. Both WCTV TV station from Tallahassee and WJHG TV station from Panama City have included live stories about the lighthouse on their evening newscasts in the past week. A reporter from the Associated Press did a story on our unprecedented reconstruction of the lighthouse for release to the nation's newspapers this weekend. And Dennis Barnell is featured on the local Forgotten Coast TV channel's "Community Heroes" program!

Plein Air Artists Paint the Light

Lori Putnam chose to paint the lighthouse rising above a bed of blooming oleanders. Please see the Photo Gallery for other photos of the artists.

The Great Plein Air Paint-Out came to the Cape St. George Light on Thursday, May 15. Four of the 22 artists invited to participate in the 10-day event spent the afternoon painting the lighthouse from their own unique perspectives.

Florida's Forgotten Coast Plein Air Invitational featured artists from all over the U.S. converging on the Panhandle to paint on our beaches, across our marshes, beside our lakes, and up and down the streets of our towns. Plein Air artists paint on location, seeking to capture the atmosphere of the moment. The majority of the painting is completed on site.

In addition to the lighthouse on St. George Island, subjects were found on and off the beaten paths of Mexico Beach, Port St. Joe, Apalachicola, Eastpoint, Carrabelle, and points in between.

After the daily painting demonstrations, evenings were filled with socials and receptions, many of them in the Apalachicola Sponge Exchange building, which had been turned into a "wetroom" for the display and sale of completed paintings.

Artists painting at the lighthouse included Sally Evans of Dunedin, FL; Mitch Kolbe of Tarpon Springs, FL; Lori Putnam of Nashville, TN; and Tom Sadler of Orlando, FL. Also joining in was local artist Lynn Wilson Spohrer of Apalachicola.

The St. George Island Visitor Center and Lighthouse Museum welcomed the artists with cookies and lemonade on the porch, and the festive day concluded with a wine and cheese reception hosted by Sea Oats Gallery.

Looking Good

The Cape St. George Light with first coat of paint.

The first coat of paint on the lighthouse was completed today, and the second coat begun.

The painting is being done by Dave Armentrout and Scott Ogden, while Stan Holliday has been working on installing the windows in the lantern room. Painting should be completed tomorrow.

The original daymark of the Cape St. George Light, white tower and black lantern, is now almost complete. The sight of the beautiful lighthouse as you cross the bridge onto St. George Island will take your breath away.

Getting Dressed Up

Exterior painting begins, as the lantern room polycarbonate (looks like glass) panels are installed.

Painters began applying the first of two coats of white sealer and paint to the outside of the Cape St. George Light on May 12.

Painting should be completed by the end of the week.

Cinco de Mayo a Huge Success!

The large crowd enjoyed chef Lisle Millard's fajitas, Mexican beer and margaritas, and music by Fred & Lola and WOYS Radio.

The Cinco de Mayo fundraiser for the Cape St. George Light exceeded everyone's most optimistic expections by raising $18,000 for the Cape St. George Light!

The Mexican holiday has offered an annual fundraising opportunity for the lighthouse. This was the fourth year that the event has been hosted by Joe and Charolette Bacher of Sometimes It's Hotter Seasoning Company on St. George Island. New this year were Preview Days for silent auction items held at Sea Oats Gallery over the weekend, and a raffle for an Apalachicola bay cruise.

The "Champagne Cruise" on the Heritage of Apalachicola, a 45-foot wooden sailing vessel owned by George Kirvin Floyd of the Apalachicola Maritime Museum, was won by islander Richard Saucer. George, a member of the St. George Lighthouse Association, generously donated the bay cruise on the Heritage, which was designed by the Hereschoffs of America's Cup fame, to be used to raise funds for the lighthouse.

This year's Cinco de Mayo event produced double the proceeds of last year's very successful fundraiser. The auction, expertly organized by Susan McClendon, brought in 50 per cent more revenue than last year, and the raffle netted almost $4,000.

But the real stars of the day were the many people who attended, the artists and others who donated auction items, and the volunteers who made the event a tremendous success. The lighthouse thanks you!

See the Photo Gallery for more fun photos from the Cinco de Mayo event.

Cinco de Mayo Auction Preview

Bidders view the many lovely pieces of auction art on display at Sea Oats Gallery. (Photo courtesy of Susan McClendon.)

Preview and Advance Bidding Days on Silent Auction items for the Cinco de Mayo fundraiser for the lighthouse were held on May 2, 3 and 4 at Sea Oats Gallery on St. George Island.

Many people stopped in to get an advance look at the more than 100 pieces of unique art and other items representative of the Forgotten Coast experience on display at the gallery. Bidders enjoyed sangria and spicy snacks as they browsed the auction items and placed their bids.

Many thanks to gallery owner Joyce Estes, manager Jean Collins, and artist Daphne Evanoff for making the gallery available and assisting with this festive prelude to Cinco de Mayo!

What a GREAT DAY!

The stucco work was completed and the scaffolding removed from the Cape St. George Light.

April 29 was a great day for all of Florida's lighthouses, and for the Cape St. George Light in particular.

The legislation creating a license plate for Florida's lighthouses was approved by the legislature tonight, and is now on the way to Governor Crist for signature. The Senate bill was approved by the House of Representatives by a vote of 118 to 1. The license plate, which was the Number One Priority of the Florida Lighthouse Association, will provide funds to the state's remaining 29 public lighthouses through an application process administered by FLA. Because of the state's difficult financial situation, the plate is a great way to raise funds for lighthouses without burdening the budget or the taxpayers. Many thanks to the Florida Lighthouse Association and President Stan Farnham for the relentless pursuit of this goal. You were successful, and we thank you.

And now to our own special guy: Representative Will Kendrick agreed to be a co-sponsor of the legislation in response to the commitment shown by the St. George Lighthouse Association and the Carrabelle Lighthouse Association, representing two of the four lighthouses in his district. Rep. Kendrick, who is terming out after this year, was instrumental in gaining approval of the grants that made the reconstruction of our lighthouse and the refurbishment of the Crooked River Lighthouse possible. With tight state budgets making that kind of support unlikely in the near future, Rep. Kendrick agreed to help gain passage of the lighthouse license plate legislation. Thank you, Will, for this wonderful parting gift!

Now it is up to us to purchase the Lighthouse license plates, and encourage our Florida friends and family members to do so as well. The top selling tags raise about $2 million annually. Just think of what that amount of money could do for our lighthouses. But it's all dependent on how many tags we sell, and we all are the sales force!

On the local front, another huge milestone was reached today. The stucco work on the Cape St. George Light was completed, and the scaffolding was removed. As the scaffolding gradually came down, island residents marvelled at the difference in the look of the lighthouse -- like a lovely butterfly emerging from a cocoon!

A white finish coat of paint will be applied when the stucco cures. Stay tuned for a couple of weeks. And meanwhile, welcome back, Cape St. George Light.

Stucco Work Begins

WOW!!! It looks more and more like the Cape St. George Light!

Stucco work on the exterior of the Cape St. George Light began this week. The stucco was initially applied to the top third of the lighthouse, in three coats. The first coat contained abrasive additives, enabling the stucco to adhere to the bricks. The second coat of stucco and the third finish coat complete the job.

The stucco team, from Fisher Stucco in Eastpoint, will take down the scaffolding as they complete an area. It is expected that completion of the stucco will take at least two more weeks.

A St. George Morning

This photo of the Lighthouse and Visitor Center was taken from the St. George Inn by Stan Farnham early Sunday morning.

Florida Lighthouse Association President Stan Farnham and his wife Mary visited the Cape St. George Light on April 12 after the FLA quarterly meeting in Tallahassee. They, along with several other FLA officers and members who made the detour to visit us, were delighted with our progress!

Also stopping by were Hib Casselberry and Jack Burrie from south Florida, Terry Collins from Panama City, Diane and Gordon Levi from Pensacola, and Al King from Tampa. Hib, 84 years young and a founding member of FLA, did not hesitate to climb up the ladder inside the lighthouse for a better view of the interior. "I've climbed lots of lighthouses in my life, and this one's no different," Hib commented as he worked his way around the job site.

The meeting in Tallahassee focused on the quest for a Florida Lighthouse License Plate and the prospect of a lean year for historic preservation funding. Rep. Matt Hudson, a co-sponsor of license plate bill HB 371 along with Rep. Will Kendrick, was optimistic about the bill's chances for approval by the legislature. His report about the legislation's favorable progress through House and Senate committees prompted Stan to comment, "We have climbed a long and arduous trek up the mountain and can see the summit." The approval of the license plate would provide a much-needed source of funding for lighthouses in a year when Fred Gaske, State Historic Preservation Officer, and Malinda Horton, Executive Director of the Florida Association of Museums, both expressed concern about budget cuts that will likely affect historic preservation funding.

After the business meeting, members drove to St. Marks to climb the St. Marks Lighthouse, the second oldest in Florida. The St. George Lighthouse Association and the Carrabelle Lighthouse Association will co-host FLA's October meeting, to be held at the Eastpoint Firehouse.

Plantation Pine Lives On at the Lighthouse

Pieces of the St. George Island Pine Tree that will be used for the staircase of the Cape St. George Light.

A 30-inch diameter pine tree, damaged and hanging over the main entrance road into the St. George Island Plantation community on the west end of St. George Island, was cut down on April 8, but will live on as part of the Cape St. George Light. The majestic old tree, which had become a potential hazard on the main road into the gated community, will be planed into boards to be used in the lighthouse staircase.

SGLA President Dennis Barnell got a call from SGLA member Mason Bean early Tuesday morning, saying that the tree was about to be cut down. Dennis quickly made arrangements to purchase the tree and have it transported to a lumber mill in Eastpoint. It was one of the few trees yielding heart pine left in the area.

How wonderful it will be to have a St. George Island pine providing some of the lumber for the staircase of the Cape St. George Light!

Introducing...The Cape St. George Light!

The crane pulls away with a final salute to the Cape St. George Light.

With the permanent installation of the lantern room shortly after noon today, the Cape St. George Light is finally looking like her old self once again! The historic moment came on April 2, 2008, as the lantern room was raised to the top of the tower.

The installation was not without its tense moments. After yesterday's successful trial run, coring the openings for the lantern room's legs took longer than expected. Day turned to night, and the coring was still not completed.

Under the cover of early morning fog, the coring was finished, and the crew called the ready signal to the crane operator. Everybody in the gathered crowd raised their cameras.... and nothing happened. Suddenly brick mason superintendent Lee Wigglesworth was sawing inches off the legs of the grounded lantern room, as we all nervously waited.

Then, almost catching us off guard, Richard Saucer gave the start-up sign from the top of the tower, the crane motor roared, and the lantern room began to rise slowly off the ground.

As the iron lantern room swung over the top of the tower, those of us who knew that the legs needed to fit perfectly into the cored openings held our breath. And then a cheer erupted from the crew at the top of the tower, and we knew that the lantern room was home. The crowd below responded in kind, with resounding applause and cheers to welcome the lighthouse.

The long journey has almost come to an end. The brick masons, who have been part of our lives for the past four months, packed up their equipment and left the island. We say goodbye and thank you to our friends. Jim Magee's crew from Masonry Incorporated did a great job, and we will miss them. Tomorrow we continue with the finishing details, but today we celebrate the achievement of our goal to "Rescue the Light!"

Dress Rehearsal!

Dennis and Matt in front of the lighthouse with the lantern room temporarily positioned on top.

It's a perfect day for raising a lantern room at the Cape St. George Light, and so we did! The lantern room was raised to the top of the brick tower this morning, April 1, for a temporary stay so that holes for the legs could be marked on the soapstone. The first raising went perfectly, and the lantern room looked fabulous during its 50-minute stay at the top.

Then it was gently lowered, again without a hitch, so that the holes can be cored and the roof of the lantern room painted black. When that work is completed, it will be raised again to its permanent home.

Please check the Photo Gallery for minute-by-minute photos of this morning's drama. Or better yet, check out the Collins Vacation Rentals website for a short video of the action, filmed by Rusty Amos. You will see the button on their home page at collinsvacationrentals.com. The site also has a webcam for live viewing of the construction.

Soapstone Raised to Top of Lighthouse

The brick masons wait as a crane lifts a piece of the soapstone deck to the top of the lighthouse. (Photo by Susan McClendon)

On March 27 the pieces of soapstone for the deck were raised to the top of the lighthouse. The 18 pieces of Brazilian soapstone, cut to the required sizes at the shop of Johnny Guy in Alabama, will be mortared into place on top of a concrete pad poured to create a level area at the top of the lighthouse.

When the lantern room is raised, the positions for holes to accommodate the legs of the lantern room will be marked on the stone. The lantern room will be lowered, and the holes will be cored. Then the lantern room will be raised to the top and permanently positioned.

The thrill of seeing the Cape St. George Light reborn continues!

Center Post Installation Begins

The pine center post is supported by a PVC and concrete inner core.

The installation of the center post which will support the wooden staircase is almost completed. The post, built of heart pine by island cabinet maker Paul McBee, came in five sections and three were set in place on March 25.

Installing the post was a complex process designed by Dennis Barnell and Richard Saucer. First PVC pipe with rebar supports was set in the lighthouse. Then the pipe was filled with concrete. Finally the wooden sections of the post were lifted by crane and lowered over the PVC.

And they fit like a glove!

See the Photo Gallery for a few more shots of the installation in progress.

Brick Work Completed

Aerial view of the completed tower by Debbie Hooper, Joe Bay Aerials, www.joebay.com.

The masonry work on the lighthouse was substantially completed today, March 21. While there still remains a little touch-up work to do, the tower of the Cape St. George Light now stands at its original 65 feet.

While we do not know how long it took to build the lighthouse in 1852, we do know that our brick masons from Masonry Incorporated completed the job in about 100 days. At least one mason will remain on site to notch the interior brick walls during the installation of the staircase.

It is wonderful to see the lighthouse almost completed, but there is also a twinge of sadness to see the crew of brick masons preparing to leave our job site. Everyone on the island was awed by the sight of the tower rising; people would stand on the deck of the Visitor Center for minutes or hours watching the brick walls grow. It was a truly captivating sight.

Our heartfelt thanks go to Jim Magee of Masonry Incorporated, to superintendent Lee Wigglesworth, and to all the masons and laborers. It was great having you guys here; please come visit us any time.... The Cape St. George Light will be waiting to welcome you back.

Final Phase Begins

Brick masons position the mold for the brick dome of the watch room.

The final phase of the masonry construction of the lighthouse began yesterday, as the brick walls were built to within eight inches of the top, and the wagon wheel which has guided the tapering of the walls was removed. A fiberglass mold for the domed ceiling of the watch room was raised into position at the top of the lighthouse.

Meanwhile, in a preview of the drama to come, the lantern room was lifted from its position on the wooden deck and set down on the ground in the park. The big boom truck proved to be unable to hoist the weight of the lantern room, and the little Lull was again pressed into service, necessitating a rethinking of the plan for raising the lantern room to the top of the lighthouse. (A bigger crane will be brought in for this job.) Now the soapstone pieces will be assembled on the wooden platform, and the Lull will raise and reposition the lantern room on the soapstone so that the location of the leg openings can be marked.

The heart pine center post was moved from Paul McBee's shop this morning, and the assembly of the post in the lighthouse is next on the agenda. See the Photo Gallery for more shots of these developments, and stay tuned to this site in the days ahead. Exterior construction will soon be coming to a dramatic finish!

Soapstone Arrives at Lighthouse

Dennis Barnell and Leslie Guy direct Lee Wigglesworth on the Lull unloading the soapstone for the lantern room deck. In the foreground are the two pieces that form the center of the deck.

Six tons of cut soapstone for the lantern room deck were delivered to the lighthouse job site in a cold driving rain on Friday, March 14. The soapstone, mined in Brazil, was cut at the shop of lighthouse benefactor Johnny Guy, owner of Mid-American Machine & Equipment in Sylacauga, Alabama. Johnny's brother Leslie delivered the stone to the island on his flatbed truck Friday morning, and Masonry Incorporated superintendent Lee Wigglesworth used the masons' Lull to unload the stone.

The 18 pieces have been stacked next to the lantern room like pieces of a giant jigsaw puzzle. The pieces will be laid on the ground and the completed puzzle will form the circular soapstone deck, 13'10" in diameter.

The lantern room will be raised off its platform and centered on the deck so the position of the holes for the legs of the lantern room can be marked. Then the iron lantern room will be removed so the holes can be cored.

Next the 18 pieces will be lifted to the top of the masonry tower, steadied with metal pins, and epoxied into place. This high-risk drama will be taking place in the next week.

Right now, we say a huge THANK YOU to Johnny Guy for all his hard work, and to SGLA member Larry Poston who convinced Johnny that helping with the reconstruction of our historic Cape St. George Light was a job worth doing!

New Platform Added

Bill Sanders, Richard Saucer, Jim McClendon, and Jim Kem