Preserving the Past, Charting the Future
Curtis Island Light Station Restoration Plan Unveiled
On August 1st, Annabelle Radcliffe-Trenner of Historic Building Architects (HBA), presented the results of her team’s site visits during the past 5 months that form the basis of their comprehensive preservation plan for Curtis Island Light Station.
At the presentation, Jeremy Martin, Planning and Development Director for the Town of Camden, commented that this plan will form the basis for grant funding through the Maine State Historic Preservation office in Augusta. Martin pointed to a $30 million bond issue to fund historic perseveration projects for Maine which is being prepared for the state November ballot. Martin said he has a “good relationship” with his counterparts in Augusta and will “work night and day” to secure grant funding for the Curtis Island plan.
Noting that each of the light station’s four buildings — the lighthouse tower, the keeper’s house, the barn and oil shed — has its own separate restoration plan, Radcliffe-Trenner said the plan is divided into phases. The first phase recommended for the summer of 2025 is the “urgent phase” to address “critical points of water ingress that will lead to more extensive damage if left unchecked.” Radcliffe-Trenner noted that the barn on Curtis is “our problem child that should be prioritized.”
Radcliffe-Trenner shared that the costs of restoration will be front-loaded because access to Curtis Island is extremely limited. There is no current means of transporting building materials, equipment and work crews efficiently back and forth from the mainland. Although the Town is planning to relocate the existing floats and moorings from Steamboat Landing for 2025 to facilitate foot traffic, additional barge and crane equipment will be required.
Jay Fisher, a Curtis Island Advisory Council member and owner of Cold Mountain Builders, noted that the detailed materials specifications in the HBA plan provide information contractors need to base estimates. Fisher also stated that the barn, where the foundation has failed causing structural damage to the walls is the simplest to deal with from a construction point of view.
Several members of CILF’s Board agreed that it will be important to get the community involved in helping to implement the restoration plan. CILF plans to share results of the HBA’s assessment and host “visioning sessions” with communities to help set priorities for how Curtis Island will be used in the future. Board members commented that repairing the barn might enable CILF to use it as an event space for multiple purposes.
Jack Sanford, Board Clerk of CILF, observed that anyone who has financial knowledge and experience would be impressed with the thoroughness and quality of the initial HBA report. Preliminary cost estimates will be vetted by local contractors and engineers.
