Society Wages Campaign for Lighthouses

Ethan Kelley |

Lighthouses define the character of Martha’s Vineyard. They guide people from land and sea to the same shorelines, sheltering them under beacons of home.
 
Today, the Island’s lighthouses are deteriorating. Bricks are crumbling in the breeze, and iron is flaking away in the salt air. Before long, these landmarks could be reduced to brittle, rotting shells.
 
Fortunately, a group of Islanders has mounted an effort to save the lighthouses and restore their former grandeur.

MV Museum History
Gay Head Lighthouse
Edgartown Light
East Chop Light
Lighthouses
 

 

 
lighthouse repair

A Facelift for Two Old Lighthouses

Mark Alan Lovewell

Two of the Island’s century-old lighthouses are undergoing significant restoration.

The East Chop Lighthouse in Oak Bluffs now shines with a fresh coat of white paint after having been refurbished inside and out at a cost of $140,000. The Edgartown Light is only weeks away from being completed at a cost of $250,000.

The restoration is a milestone and benefit for both Island towns, according to Matthew Stackpole, executive director of Martha’s Vineyard Museum.

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