Keeping the Light
Site assessment reveals significant challenges ahead
Left: Metal corrosion and staining is evident on the Light Tower cap. Center: HBA uses thermal imaging to reveal moisture damage. Right: The protective finish coat is beginning to wear away from the modular metal lantern and surrounding platform.
HBA inventory of tower priority areas for restoration.
When Michael Skaling needed professional advice to guide a restoration plan for Curtis Island Lighthouse, he contacted Historic Building Architects (HBA). He knew they had worked for over a decade with the Town of Swan’s Island and Friends of Swan’s Island Light to restore the tower, light keepers house and associated buildings at the entrance to Burnt Coat Harbor.
In early 2024, CILF and the Town agreed to jointly fund a detailed restoration plan produced by HBA with proposed phases and associated budgets. This past spring HBA conducted site investigations of Curtis Island’s five structures, including technical analyses of wood, metals, mortar, paint and other historic building materials.
During two presentations at the Town Office, HBA co-founder, Annabelle Radclifffe-Trenner emphasized, “Anyone can tell you what needs to be restored. We tell you why structures have deteriorated and how to avoid future costly renovations.” Although Radcliffe-Trenner and her team work on historic renovation projects up and down the East Coast, she has a special fondness for Maine projects including producing a restoration plan for the Olson House in Cushing, immortalized in Andrew Wyeth’s most famous painting, Christina’s World.
HBA recently submitted its detailed Existing Conditions Report. Future reports will focus on phasing of the plan and detailed budgets prepared with the input of Rockport-based engineers Gartley and Dorsky.
One of the key findings of HBA’s Existing Conditions Report documents the extensive corrosion of metal and brick surfaces on the Lighthouse Tower, including significant deterioration of the cap, walkway metal lantern and supporting flanges. The deterioration of the brick tower structure is especially widespread on the southern and easterly faces of the tower that experience the most severe weather where the old paint coating is beginning to fail.
HBA will submit its final report and present it at a Select Board meeting and workshop this summer.
Volunteers Make Things Happen
Sam and Barney Appleton launched their boat early this spring to provide access to Curtis for volunteers John Healy and Michael Skaling, who discovered both sets of access stairs from the landing had been destroyed by the fierce January storms.
Harbormaster Steve Pixley rebuilt one set of stairs and installed the out-hauls to provide access for the survey team visits in March and April. Board member Drew Lyman provided the Lyman-Morse guest quarters for the HBA team during their survey work on Curtis Island.
Volunteers Rick Seibel, Pat and Michael Skaling emptied the Barn and Oil Shed, transported refuse to the mainland for disposal, and opened probe areas for HBA by removing floorboards and to provide access to the cellar and attic.
Volunteer Advisors Charlie Conover and Danny Solomon have begun working with The Hatchery at Camden Hills Regional High School designing outdoor chairs and tables from reclaimed materials for island visitors.
Listening to the Community
Curtis Island Lighthouse Foundation and HBA have a shared understanding that success for complex historic restoration projects depends on input from many different parts of a community. To illustrate the point, Radcliffe-Trenner described how the goals of the Swan’s Island project had been developed.
Although a number of town officials had participated in the public meetings, Radcliffe-Trenner wondered where all the young people were. Oh,” she was told, “they are probably up at the quarry, drinking beer.” She and her team bought a couple of six-packs and headed to the quarry where she found a group of young lobstermen. When asked what was important to them about the Swan’s Island Light, they said, “the weather.” Adding, “Every morning at 4 a.m. in the spring and the fall, you’ll see a set of headlights going down the lighthouse road to look at the weather conditions to decide whether to head out to sea or not.” Based on that understanding, keeping the private road open to the public became one of the key planning criteria.
Camden’s Town Manager Audra Caler, said the Select Board plans to convene a public meeting and informational workshops to begin articulating community goals for these important historic town assets.