An update from Fenwick Island’s historic lighthouse
Visitors to the historic lighthouse in Fenwick Island may have noticed some significant upgrades over the last few years, the most recent of which include a facelift for the 165-year-old seaside structure.
The lighthouse was repainted and recoated to remove staining and deterioration. Inside, rust was removed from the stairway’s handrail which was restored with a fresh coat of paint. Two treads that had been broken on the stairs were recreated to establish safer access for maintenance staff while still keeping the original features.
Window frames on the lighthouse, which were damaged by the harsh natural elements along Delaware’s Atlantic Ocean coast, were repaired or recreated by hand throughout the whole lighthouse. New mesh panels were installed around the top lookout area and the ceiling was restored, providing further protection for the historic light.
“This is a key part of the history of Fenwick Island, and it’s so important to be able to share what knowledge we have with the general public,” said Tracy Lewis with the “New” Friends of Fenwick Island Lighthouse. Lewis, who is in her 17th year as a volunteer at the site, said it’s been magnificent to see the work completed over the recent years.
“It’s wonderful that we can share the keeper’s house with everyone as well,” she said. “This is all about how can we save this important piece of local history for years and years to come.”
The 87-foot-tall Fenwick Island Lighthouse was originally built to help mariners avoid the treacherous Fenwick Shoals located six miles off the coast of Fenwick Island. It is the only brick, conical-type lighthouse ever built in the state. After completion, a third-order Fresnel lens of French manufacture was installed and the light was turned on for the first time on Aug. 1, 1859. The lighthouse continued in operation without interruption for nearly 120 years until Dec. 13, 1978, when it was decommissioned. It was re-lit in 1982 as an unofficial, private aide to navigation. It also was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
The Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs (HCA) has also been engaged in restoration work at the neighboring light keeper’s house, which is the more recently built of two keeper’s houses that served the 1850s lighthouse. Over the last several years, preservation experts have worked to create a publically accessible space that will contribute to the history of both Fenwick Island and the Fenwick Island Lighthouse.
Thanks to those renovations, the volunteer-based “New” Friends of Fenwick Island Lighthouse now have an updated area to help educate the public about the historic site, as well as offer a gift shop for people to visit.
To learn more about the “New” Friends of Fenwick Island Lighthouse and their ongoing work at the site, visit the Friends group online at fenwickislandlighthouse.org. The group is also actively seeking artifacts, photographs and other items related to the lighthouse complex’s history, as well as support from volunteers and donations.