The
base of the historic Round Island lighthouse is
seen at the foot of the high-rise bridge in
Pascagoula on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2011. Work to
complete its restoration is under way behind the
scenes, and it is expected to be fully complete
sometime in 2012. (The Mississippi Press/Kaija
Wilkinson)PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- Restoration of the circa-1800s Round Island Lighthouse is on track for the city to have a completely restored landmark by as early as mid- to late 2012, according to city projects director Jaci Turner.
Turner gave City Councilmen an update on the project last week after Councilman Joe Abston said constituents had asked about the status of it.
"People see the base, and they just wonder when the rest of it will start coming up," Abston said.
Even though it may not be immediately apparent, a lot is going on behind the scenes.
Metal worker Ken Steiner is nearly finished rebuilding the iron top, or gallery, and it is scheduled to be placed next to the base for viewing after the first of the year.
The city awarded Steiner a $40,000 contract over the summer to do the job. His bid came in well under those of larger competitors.
The salvaged brick base of the lighthouse, about a third of the lighthouse's 40-foot height, was placed at the southeast foot of the high-rise bridge a little more than a year ago.
Compton Engineering is finalizing the design for the tower, Turner said.
Including the base, about two thirds of the original brick was salvaged, and the city anticipates volunteers helping carefully break apart the clumps before they are incorporated into the tower.
The original lighthouse was solid brick inside and out, but the rebuilt one will have a steel reinforcement layer sandwiched between the inside and outside brick, Turner said.
That's the next portion of the work to be bid out, Turner said.
Thanks to the generous support of an array of individuals and corporations, the lighthouse is now right at its original fundraising goal of $1 million, which includes an initial $600,000 in grant money, according to Community Development Director Harry Schmidt.
Depending on how the bids come in, there may be enough to pay for some additional landscaping around the project, according to Schmidt.
Pascagoula Boy Scout among latest to pitch in to lighthouse restoration
Published: Monday, November 28, 2011
Mississippi Press
Jonathan
Coulter stands under the high-rise bridge
where the materials to build a wooden base
for the Round Island Lighthouse gallery sit.
Coulter, 17, is building the base as part of
his Eagle Scout community leadership
project. (The Mississippi Press/Kaija
Wilkinson)PASCAGOULA, Mississippi -- Whether it's from a giant corporation or a single person, support for the Round Island Lighthouse restoration just keeps on coming more than a year after the effort started.
Most recently, a major corporation joined forces with a Pascagoula Boy Scout on a project to build a wooden base on which to display the gallery, which is the top part of the structure that contains the light.
Seventeen-year-old Jonathan Coulter, a senior at Pascagoula High and a Boy Scout since third grade, decided to build the lighthouse gallery base as a leadership project that will help him achieve the rank of Eagle Scout.
The idea came to him, he said, while eating breakfast with his grandfather at The Annex restaurant, from which one can see the lighthouse base.
"It became a conversation piece," Coulter said, "It looks like there is just nothing going on, but there really is -- it's just not known to the public."
So he took it upon himself to mail out letters to potential supporters, one of which was Mississippi Phosphates Corp.
Plant manager Richard Johnson said the company was impressed by Coulter's initiative.
"The young man took it upon himself to mail letters to potential donors explaining his project and objectives," Johnson said. "It was a totally self-driven project."
Mississippi Phosphates was initially involved in an effort to restore the lighthouse in its original location after Hurricane Georges destroyed it in 1998, and the company is among those that are thrilled to rejoin the effort.
Coulter said he worked on the base last weekend and planned to get some work in over the Thanksgiving weekend as well. He hopes to have it completed by the end of the year.
Pascagoula Community Projects Director Harry Schmidt said other fundraising efforts, such as the sale of an etched-glass style decal by Stallworth Carpets, are under way.
In addition, he said, another local corporation plans to announce a major gift in the next several weeks.