ROCKPORT — The second phase of restoration work to maintain the iconic South Tower lighthouse on Thacher Island is expected to start in spring 2029.
But before the necessary granite and other work at the lighthouse’s top can begin, Thacher and Straitsmouth Island Association President Bill Whiting said more money needs to be raised.
Rockport’s South Tower is one of the two 1861 lighthouses on the island, with the North Tower, being overseen by U.S. Fish and Wildlife, a federal agency. The island and its towers are a National Historic Landmark visited by about 2,500 people a year, according to the association.
Whiting said the association began restoring the South Tower several years ago, raising around $500,000 to fix the tower’s gallery deck. A lower platform on the lighthouse, the deck at that time had cracking granite blocks and needed its cast iron railing replaced.
But that was just phase one, Whiting said. An engineering study done at the same time revealed the lantern deck, which sits just above the gallery deck and houses the light itself, was in a similar state of disrepair.
“I think there’s probably 24 (granite blocks) that need to be repaired or replaced,” Whiting said. “In addition, the metal that holds the glass panels in place has deteriorated which is not surprising — both towers were built in 1861.”
Whiting said he estimates the phase two restoration — essentially repairing and replacing parts of the top of the lighthouse — will cost around $2.2 million based on a similar project done in Scituate.
“Scituate had the same problem five or six years ago and because they’re on the mainland, they were able to get a crane and simply lift the entire top off the lighthouse, bring it down to the land and then repair and replace it,” he said. “That cost around $2 million.”
But because the South Tower is on Thacher Island, Whiting estimates Rockport faces a more expensive project with more challenges too, saying it would be impossible to get a crane on the island.
“We would either have to jack the whole thing up and do other work on it or hire a helicopter, which we’re considering, and bringing the (top) down to the ground,” he said. “We’ll do whatever is most cost effective and what makes sense.”
So far the association has raised $1.8 million, which includes $600,000 from the town’s Community Preservation Committee.
For the past three years, voters, including Town Meeting on Sept. 14, have approved allocating $200,000 in Community Preservation Act money for the project annually. Whiting said the association plans on asking voters for $200,000 again in 2027 and 2028, bringing the total allocated by the town to $1 million.
Community Preservation Act dollars are collected through a 3% surcharge on local property taxes and a state match on funds collected from a $50 real estate transaction fee. The money can only be used for open space and recreation, historical preservation and affordable housing.
Moving forward Whiting said the association will continue to raise its own money through applying for grants, donations and other fundraising efforts.
“Even if we had the money now, we think it’s going to take some effort to stage this thing because the Coast Guard has to be advised and they have to plan on what they’re going to do while we disable the lighthouse which could be for four to five months,” he said.
Donations may be made on the organization’s website, www.thacherisland.org, or mailed to Thacher & Staitsmouth Islands Association, P.O. Box 73, Rockport, MA 01966.
Staff Writer Bobby Grady may be contacted at 978-675-2714 or bgrady@gloucestertimes.com.