Summer 2019 Restoration Update
Another Busy Summer of Work on Greens Ledge Light
Thanks to our generous donors and volunteers, Greens Ledge Light continues to undergo a historic restoration, the most significant in it's nearly 120 year history. Funded entirely by private donations - both large and small - and made possible by the support and the contribution of time and services from many individuals, businesses, and government organizations within our community, the challenging but rewarding restoration work has made tremendous progress over the past year in addressing the critical structural deficiencies in the foundation and remedying decades of deferred maintenance to the exterior of the lighthouse.

Before we began, Green’s Ledge was listed in 'Deteriorated' condition by the National Register of Historic Places, just one demarcation above 'Ruins'. Many identical “sparkplug design” lighthouses built during the same era, and facing similar nautical conditions, have been destroyed or damaged beyond repair. With gaping holes in the cast iron foundation and cracks in the brick and concrete structural elements, we knew it was a race against time and the community has rallied around the restoration effort since we began fundraising in 2017 and we broke ground on the restoration in 2018.

Restoring a century’s old structure on land is hard enough. Restoring a century’s old structure in the middle of the Sound - one mile from the nearest land - is a monumental challenge that required a highly-skilled engineering and construction team. With the help of Beacon Projects Group in Rowayton - who has donated their project management services to the effort - we have assembled what we call the "Dream Team" of marine and restoration experts including G&C Marine (South Norwalk, CT), Northpoint Marine (Portsmouth, NH), Goncalves & Alves Masonry (Easton, CT), GNCB Engineers (Old Saybrook, CT), Kevcor Engineering (Jaffrey, NH), and many more individual supporters and service providers.

Before the structural work began last summer, there was a very real possibility of structural failure during a major storm event. As many know, our "sister' lighthouse, Old Orchard Light in Staten Island, came down during Hurricane Sandy and was nearly identical in appearance and condition. We're pleased to say that thanks to the restoration work on the critical lower foundation over the past two summers, Greens Ledge is now far better-prepared for whatever the elements throw at us. Thousands of pounds of new stainless steel have reinforced the lower caisson, repaired all of the gaping holes, and have secured the structure together to prevent further expansion. The last major part of this "Phase 1" stage is on target for completion this season, which involves replacing the badly damaged lower deck - which is a critical structural element that is also the roof to the basement - with a new steel-reinforced concrete surface.

After the critically needed structural repairs are completed, we will move into the next phase of the project which we call “The Next 100 Years Vision of Greens Ledge Lighthouse.” This phase will be the true "historical restoration" initiative and will include the beautification of the exterior of the lighthouse to make the Lighthouse "shine bright" and be something that our entire community can be proud of. We have already begun the work on the new historically authentic railing systems to the lower and upper decks, we've begun work to seal the leaky roofs and ventilation systems, and we are preparing the structure for a major fresh coat of paint. Beautiful new windows and portholes, engineered by Cornell Carr , known for their work on Navy battleships and commercial ferries, will be installed this season as well, allowing the windows to open for the first time in generations. Additionally, we are working with US Coast Guard on their energy-efficient upgrades to their light and fog horn systems.

We hope to become a “Beacon” of Long Island Sound preservation and education. In addition to hosting state-of-the-art weather and water monitoring equipment through a potential partnership with UConn's MYSound program, we plan to make Greens Ledge available for public educational tours on select days. Most notably, we have been continued our discussions with the Norwalk Maritime Center about the possibility of adding a tour of Greens Ledge to their existing lighthouse tour schedule and adding additional programming around the soon-to-be renovated lighthouse. If you have not been on one of their lighthouse cruises already ( link here ), we encourage everyone to check it out and support that program!

The community response to this restoration has been absolutely tremendous and has exceeded our early projections. We are getting closer to our initial fundraising goal of $2 million, and hope you will consider joining us in this historic restoration effort if you have not already so that our ambitious restoration and programming goals can be accomplished. We hope you can join us for our second annual Lighthouse Run for Greens Ledge next month, our major summer fundraising event! We're excited to continue to share our progress throughout this historic restoration.

We thank you for your continued support!
The Greens Ledge Light Preservation Society Board
Tim Pettee, President
Peter Tombros
Alex Pettee
Brendan McGee
Audrey Weil
Todd Robbins
Shannon Holloway
Join Us for the Second Annual Lighthouse Run for Greens Ledge Light!
The Lighthouse Run Is Back! Our major summer fundraising event, please join us for the 2nd Annual Lighthouse Run for Greens Ledge Lighthouse! On Saturday, September 21st at 5pm, The Greens Ledge Light Preservation Society will host a sunset 5k run and 1-mile walk along the Rowayton waterfront, beginning and ending at Bayley Beach overlooking Greens Ledge Lighthouse.

If you or your business is interesting in sponsoring the race this year, please reach out to us at [email protected]. We raised more than $5,000 last year through sponsorships!

All proceeds help fund the historical restoration and revitlization of Greens Ledge. Sign up online today by clicking below! If you can't come, please consider making a donation through our website to support the restoration! Festivities and an awards ceremony will follow the event, and we'll provide an update on the restoration progress. One randomly-chosen participant will win an "existing conditions" tour of Greens Ledge Light, with other lighthouse-themed prizes and snacks.
Follow Our Facebook & Instagram For Daily Updates!