By Mike Busch

I was away last week and missed the story about the Fire Island Lighthouse Terrace repair.  The southwest corner of the foundation was damaged during Hurricane Sandy and will have to be dismantled, repaired, and put back together with the same stone and bricks were originally installed back in 1859, nearly 160 years ago.  The full press release from the National Park Service is below:

Patchogue, NY – The National Park Service announced today that work to rehabilitate the southwest corner of the Fire Island Lighthouse terrace, undermined in 2012 during Hurricane Sandy, will begin on Monday, April 17. Visitor access may be rerouted to the lighthouse’s northern entrance during the project which is slated for completion by June.

 

The $1,223,257 contract, awarded to Ocean Construction LLC in October, 2016, calls for the repair of sections of the historic brick wall and terrace that flooded during Hurricane Sandy. The southwest corner of the terrace will be dismantled in order to rebuild and strengthen the substructure. Brick and pavers will then be reset and will provide a more evenly sloped surface to allow for proper drainage. Construction may require closure of the front door of the Keeper’s Quarters but access to the lighthouse tower and museum will be available via the Fresnel Lens Building to the west and from the bay boardwalk to the north during construction.

 

The Fire Island Lighthouse offers exhibits, a nature trail, interpretive and curriculum-based programs. The lighthouse is operated by the Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society under a cooperative agreement with the National Park Service and is open Monday through Friday, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, and on weekends from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. The lighthouse is located on the west end of Fire Island National Seashore and is accessible year-round by car. Parking is available at Robert Moses State Park in parking field #5. For more information on visiting the lighthouse please visit www.nps.gov/FIIS or contact 631-661-4876.

 

 

 

I stopped by on Tuesday evening and took a few photos of the job underway.  The staff at the Lighthouse wants to remind everyone that the Lighthouse will remain open during the entire process, expected to be finished by June.

Note the tape and numbers on the stones in the 2nd and 3rd photos.  The contractor plans to return each stone to its original position when the work is done.

If you have never visited, you can take a virtual tour of the Lighthouse here. 

More images on Page 2