Hello all,

Cedar Island's oil house (the only outbuilding left at the station) should be completed by Suffolk County Lighthouse Day (May 1). The wood trim is ready for paint (if the rain ever lets up). We had a couple of days of discussing the proper color of the trim (the 1911 Instructions to Light Keepers says red or gray), and it looks like red is the right color, based on regulations and the memory of the grandson of the last Cedar Island lightkeeper.

It'll be neat to see it completed. Those of you who have been out there the last few years undoubtedly noticed the endangered condition of the oil house: missing bricks, rotted wood, almost no roof, etc.

We're also still working on getting the lighthouse a full structural assessment, but the scheduling is awaiting the possibility of having another Long Island light done while they are here. Hopefully, we'll have that set soon.

Indications thus far are that the new county parks commissioner will be as supportive as the former one.

We'll continue to make progress, thanks to everyone who has supported the Cedar Island Light and the Long Island Chapter of the US Lighthouse Society! Please try to come out for Long Island Lighthouse Weekend (May 1 and 2) and see what we've been up to. My book will debut that weekend, too (FINALLY!)

Thanks for the update, Bob. Many of our Hoosier Lighthousing Club will be working at Michigan City for our annual spring fix-up day, but we'll be thinking of you. We will look forward to seeing pictures of the completed oil house and of the activities for the Lighthouse Weekend.

Bob,

I'd like to be there for the Lighthouse Weekend but other plans were made for those days.

I'm looking forward to seeing your pictures of all the activities that weekend and to get my hands on your full book.

Dennis

Today's Newsday has an article about the (finally!) restored oil house...

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-lioil0503,0,4496831.story?coll=ny-linews-headlines

Make sure you click on the "photos" as well because there are some shots of the oil house as it was being restored.

We had Suffolk County Lighthouse Day on Saturday at Cedar Point County Park where the restored oil house was on display. Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to see the finished project (I was working at the Chapter's information table all day), but I have heard glowing reports on what a great job Walter DeGroot and his crew did.

I hope to put up pictures from both Suffolk County Lighthouse Day and yesterday's LI Gold Coast Cruise sometime this week.

Thank you to all the wackos who supported this project!

Diane,

Great story. I hope the experiment works!

Nice pictures.

I wish I could have made it out this past weekend, but we had other plans. I'm glad to see/ hear the restoration project went well.

I'm looking forward to hearing more about the Gold Coast Cruise and the Suffolk County Lighthouse Day.

I know Esther & I had a great time last year on the cruise and we got to many of the LI Lighthouses that weekend.

I've got our reservations for the Beacons Cruise and a hotel (in riverhead) for that weekend. I hope to get to Cedar Island that weekend. We will hopefully finish up all the Lighthouses on LI that weekend.

Dennis

Hello all,

I wrote the final check for the oil house restoration today, so I guess it's official. It looks great (like a big doofus, I forgot to take my camera on the history walk on Saturday, so I don't have any photos yet).

Thanks are owed to a bunch of people for continued support of the Cedar Island Light, but a HUGE thank you goes to Dennis Whelan for his help with this part of the project (I told you it'd get done, didn't I? ).

It was about five years ago that Bob Scroope, Mike Seewald and I met in this forum and decided to do something about the Cedar Island Light. Some people told us that nothing could be done about it, but I think that just added to the determination (we were told that about Plum Island, too, and I received a call from them this week - more on that soon). You have to love the power of the internet.

Bob,

I always believed you would get it done.

I didn't have that big a part in it. you and many others did most of the work. I just helped a bit as I could.

If I did the labor part of it it would have cost twice as much- I usually break something else while I'm trying to fix what originally needed fixing.

That's why i use the telephone and csll somebody who know's what they are doing to begin with- it's usually cheaper in the long run.

I'm planning on getting to see the competed project in September.

Dennis

Bringing this to the top for easy reference for anyone who wants to know about this project.
The oil house is only the first part of the project as the Long Island Chapter demonstrated it's ability to raise funds and historically restore the oil house. Now the major part of the Lighthouse Restoration will continue with an architectual review of the main lighthouse building on Tuesday, November 16th.
Thanks for all those lighthouse enthusiasts who have, will, or continue to support us in our efforts to restore and relight Cedar Island Lighthouse.