The National Trust for Historic Preservation recognized the Wells based nonprofit American Lighthouse Foundation with it prestigious National Preservation Honor Award this past week at its week long 2003 National Preservation Conference in Denver, CO.

The award was given to The American Lighthouse Foundation (ALF) for its participation in the pilot program of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000, which granted ownership of the Little River Light Station in Cutler, Maine, to the nonprofit group.

Little River Light Station and its 15-acre island was originally offered up for adoption under the Maine Lights Program, but “No one came forward to adopt it, the lighthouse was like an abandoned orphan,” said Tim Harrison, president of the American Lighthouse Foundation.

“At about the same time that Maine Preservation declared the Little River Light Station as one of the ten most endangered historic properties in the state, we stepped forward to start raising money to save it,” said Harrison.

Under a license arrangement with the United States Coast Guard, in 2001 the American Lighthouse Foundation restored the tower at Little River and the Coast Guard installed a light back in the tower, which had been dark for 26 years.

In 2002 the lighthouse was declared excess property under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000 and the American Lighthouse Foundation applied for ownership of the lighthouse. In ceremonies held in Cutler in July of 2002, the ownership of the lighthouse and the 15-acre island were transferred from government ownership to the American Lighthouse Foundation.

The National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act was adopted in 2000 as an amendment to the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, which allows ownership of surplus lighthouses to be transferred at no cost to eligible entities. Then, for the first time, nonprofit organizations were put on equal footing with government agencies to apply for these historic properties with the best qualified applicat winning ownership of the property.

During that process, the American Lighthouse Foundation became the third nonprofit in the United States and the first in all of New England to obtain ownership of a lighthouse under the new law. It is expected that 300 other American lighthouses will be transferred under the Act.

Currently the American Lighthouse Foundation has licenses or leases on 14 other lighthouses, most in New England and seven others in Maine that it expects to apply for ownership. The group and its chapters are now in the process of raising money to restore all of them.

ALF currently is trying to raise an additional $250,000 to complete restoration of the keeper’s house at Little River Light Station, install nature trails on the island and build a pier for safe public access to the island. “Our exact plans are not yet set in stone,” said Harrison, “but our planned goal is to open the island to the public as an educational facility to learn about lighthouse life, lighthouse history as well as island habitat and wildlife.”

“The National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act is a model illustration of the ways in which federal, state, local and private entities can cooperatively work to preserve historic places,” said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Harrison said he hopes that this national award with national recognition will bring in donations, “which is what we really need.” He went on to say, “It is only through the generous donations of people who realize the importance of saving Maine’s maritime history that our volunteers can continue the enormous task of saving these lighthouses and opening them to the public.

As well as trying to raise money to complete the restoration at Little River Lighthouse, other Maine lighthouses that they are raising money to restore and save include: Wood Island Light in Biddeford Pool, Prospect Harbor Light, Halfway Rock Light in Casco Bay, Rockland Breakwater Light, the tower at Pemaquid Point in Bristol, Boon Island in York and Cape Elizabeth Light’s east tower. The group has successfully restored three lighthouses in Massachusetts and is in the process of restoring Avery Point Lighthouse in Connecticut, a project they hope to have nearly completed by year’s end.

Eleven other organizations that were among those honored with an award by the National Trust for Historic Preservation for the pilot program of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act included the United States Coast Guard, National Park Service, General Services Administration, and Maine Historic Preservation Commission.

Story from MaineToday.com