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A recent inspection of Alabama’s Middle Bay Lighthouse, to access what will be needed to restore the structure, found the lighthouse structure is in remarkably good shape, in spite of the fact that it has been abandoned since 1935.
Although the wooden structure itself is in excellent shape, the biggest concern was for the iron legs that the structure stands on. However, engineer Jack Grande said that the steel that was used for the lighthouse is much better than modern steel.
Over the years minor repairs have been made to the lighthouse by volunteers; however, the upcoming restoration will be the first professional restoration ever done to the lighthouse.
Close examination by experts revealed that the walls of the lighthouse were made of old-growth cypress, a wood known for its rot resistance. Thad Hartman, one of the restoration experts who visited the lighthouse, said, “The grain on that cypress is so tight, it just about can’t rot. You don’t see wood like that anymore.”
In spite of proposals to move the lighthouse to the mainland where it would be better protected from storms and the risk of being hit by a passing ship and where the threat of vandalism would be less likely, the Alabama Historical Commission decided the lighthouse must be restored where it sits in Mobile Bay. They have committed $30,000 a year toward maintenance after it is restored.
However, there are no immediate plans to reinstall a lantern room to the now headless lighthouse. (Photographs courtesy Alabama Lighthouse Society.)
This story appeared in the
June 2010 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.
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