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O n 11 July the former US Ligh thouse Service depot on Staten Island was selected as the hom e of the new National Lighthouse Center and Museum. Selecti on of the Staten Island sire, listed o n the Na tional Register of Historic Places, capped a lengthy planning and site selecti o n process that starred with th e fo rmatio n of a National Lighthouse Center and Museum Steering C ommittee in M arch 1997 . "T he idea of a N ational Li ghthouse M useum has been expressed The St. George D epot on Staten Island, shown ca. since the earl y 1970s," said com1890, had 22 buildings and was the receiving mittee chairman Ralph Es helm an , facility for imported Fresnel lenses, distribution a Maryland- based maritime hiscenter for oil, manufactory for brass implements and to ry a nd h e ritage co n s ult a nt. laboratory for experiments with optics, illuminants "Sta te n Island offered n o t o nl y a n and electric lamps. (Photo: N ational A rchives) h isto ri c sire, bur an o utsta nd in g loca ti o n eas ily reach ed by large numbers of visito rs. " Negot iat ions now begin betwee n co mmittee m em * * * * * bers-representin g a number of natio n al, T he new museum wil l encompass the regio nal a nd local li gh th o use prese rva- nati o n's first Lighthouse D epot, as well as tion groups-a nd site and gove rnm ent the grounds, pi ers and resources of N ew rep resenta ti ves, to wo rk o ut derails of the York H arbor. The exhibits will include a new muse um , envisio ned as a $20 mil- collectio n of Fresnel lenses and other oplion co nstructi o n a nd exhibiti o n p roject tics, and models of lighthouses demonw it h a $2 0 milli o n e ndowm e nt. strating different periods, locations and T he site, o nce the main national base of types of construction , accompanied by a Lightho use Service that was later ab- cutaways, m aps and photographs. The hisso rbed by the Coast G uard, shares space to ry of lighthouses will be placed in the wi th docks and terminals of the Sra re n context of maritime history. The lives of Island fe rries, which carry millions of com- keepers, m arine arr and scenes of the workmuters and visitors each year. Restoration ing port of New York will further enhance of the decaying Lighthouse Service build- the sto ry. ings will be coordinated with adj oinin g On the pier, lightships, lighthouse tenStaten Island redevelopment proj ects. Bor- ders, fo g signals and buoys w ill share the ough President G uy Molinari has pledged dock with boars raking visitors to light$ 1.2 million toward immediate stabiliza- ho uses and related harbor sires. In huge tio n wo rk o n the structures, while New granite storage vaults dug into the hillside Yo rk C ity's M ayo r Rudolph G iuliani and changing exhibits will rake visitors to lightNew Yo rk's Governor Geo rge Pataki have houses around the wo rld. In the M edia offered $ 1.9 millio n each in city and state Center a database and web sires will link lighthouse organizations around the world, assistance. Fundin g will be so ught fr om govern- and students and professionals will be able men t, fo undat io n a nd co rporate so urces . to use a library of resources assembl ed and The mu seum will se rve as an exhibit organized from scattered sires around the ce nter tellin g th e ri ch and colorful story country. ,t of America's lighthouses, and an archi ve, resea rch and workshop center for the Fo r fu rther info rmatio n, contact Ralph largely voluntee r lighthouse preserva tion Eshelman at 4 10 326-4877 or check out the movem ent. web site: http://www. lighthousemuseum. org.
SEA HISTORY 86, AUTUMN 1998