Supporting History and the Community of St. Michaels
By Valerie Connelly, VP Government Affairs and Public Relations
Choptank Electric Cooperative directors and staff gathered in St. Michaels to support the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum (CBMM) to restore and relocate a historic lighthouse lens from the 1870s. The lens, a third-order Fresnel (pronounced Freh-nel), was built in Paris, France, by L. Sautter & Company. On loan from the U.S. Coast Guard and no longer in use, it had been stored out of sight in the Hooper Strait Lighthouse for decades.
When the curators of the museum and the campus that surrounds the lighthouse decided to build a new welcome center, they sought a local sponsor to help restore the lens for display. They hope it will continue to be a “guiding light” to bring visitors to the new center.
“Our sponsorship of this restoration project allows us to give back to the community of St. Michaels that has been so supportive of us over the years,” says Doug Scott, Chairman of the Board at Choptank. He told the gathered crowd that, “Concern for Community is one of the guiding principles of the Cooperative, and we are happy to help our members at the museum share this remarkable lens with the greater community.”
The restoration and move required the expertise of one of a handful of Coast Guard-certified Lampists in the nation. Kurt Fosburg, a lens enthusiast and certified lampist, traveled from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to St. Michaels to oversee the disassembly, move, and reassembly of the lens. At one point, Michigan had over 250 lighthouses that lined the coast of Lake Michigan, Lake Superior and Lake Huron, giving him ample opportunity to perfect his trade.
Fosburg explained that this Fresnel lens, 62 inches tall and weighing 1,984 pounds, was used along larger coastlines where light needed to be cast long distances to help guide ships through waterways. It was designed to rotate to make it appear as if the light was flashing.
When originally put into service, the lens would have been tended by a lighthouse keeper, who would have filled the kerosene and lit the wick nightly to burn through until morning. The job of lighthouse keeper was considered a very special appointment, given to close associates of high-ranking politicians.
Today, most lighthouses are operated using timers, batteries or electric bulbs. The great history, environment and culture of life on the water is being preserved by the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. The new Welcome Center will be completed this fall, but the campus is open now with many tours, exhibits and spectacular waterfront views.
Plan your visit today at > www.cbmm.org.