Published: September 12, 2008 10:21 am      

KENT: Beacon of hope

Lighthouse phase one of Point Breeze renovation project

KENT — With any luck, it won’t be too long before residents of Point Breeze are greeted each morning by a lighthouse, much the same way residents of the area were more than 100 years ago.

Members of the Oak Orchard Lighthouse Museum are pushing into the next stages of the fundraising campaign that began five years ago to rebuild a replica lighthouse in the park where the structure once stood.

“We went through New York state and managed to be accredited as a lighthouse museum through the state Education Department, which took a year and a half to do,” said president Dick Anderson. “We formed a board of trustees, who are now responsible for all the fundraising that has to be done.”

The total estimated cost of the project is $172,226, and right now, the group is approaching the $90,000 mark. The original lighthouse was built in 1871 and remained there until 1905. At that time, the U.S. government decided it was no longer of value, and had the structure decommissioned.

The Oak Orchard Lighthouse Museum board had a successful summer of fundraising — including a dinner presentation on Aug. 15 and participation on the wooden boat festival earlier in the summer. The board has gained permission from the state Office of Parks and Recreation to construct the building in the Orleans County Marine Park at Point Breeze — not the original location, but close to it.

Project update: More than a replica

Anderson said he hopes the lighthouse will be the first step in rebuilding the area. The lighthouse will serve as a learning tool and tourism draw for people interested in history. He said he hopes that the lighthouse, and future projects, transform the area into a place people want to stop when traveling by.

Anderson explained that at the turn of the century and before, the park and surrounding area were a hub of activities for the people of Point Breeze. Large hotels stood next to the river, and leading to and from the lighthouse were boardwalks. In the future, Anderson and the board would like to see as much history resurrected as possible in the area.

“Our mission is to rebuild the lighthouse and create a museum to preserve and promote regional maritime history,” he said. To accompany the structure itself, the board has been collecting photographs and other memorabilia to document the heritage of the area.

Board members have big plans for the area and are hoping for continual community support for the project. Grants have already been secured from a number of places, but the funds will need to almost double to get the project off the ground. Since the building will be a near-exact replica, some construction will be more costly — but Anderson feels this is necessary to retain its authenticity.

Not only will the attraction benefit Orleans County, but it will be another addition to the Seaway Trail — which promotes history and landmarks along the Erie Canal.

“The lighthouse will add some authenticity to the park the way it was in the past,” said Wayne Hale Jr., director of planning and development for Orleans County. “I would anticipate some events that will be held around the lighthouse. It will be included in the Seaway Trails marketing themes, one of which is lighthouses. We would gain from that regional marketing campaign. That includes groups and hostel groups that travel for lighthouse destinations.”

Contact editor Jessica Wasmund

at 798-1400, ext. 8225