Facelift for Champlain Lighthouse in the works

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August 12, 2008

Crown Point memorial linked to quadricentennial

By LOHR McKINSTRY The Press Republican Tue Aug 12, 2008, 12:00 AM EDT

CROWN POINT -- Work is under way on a makeover of the 1858 Champlain Memorial Lighthouse that should restore it to its former glory.

On the grounds of the Crown Point State Reservation Campground stands the 150-year-old Crown Point Lighthouse.

It was transformed into the Champlain Memorial Lighthouse in 1912, soon after the 300th anniversary of French explorer Samuel de Champlain's visit.

Next year is the 400th anniversary of Champlain's 1609 voyage on the lake that bears his name, and the lighthouse and adjacent public pier are being restored in time for the celebration.

The lighthouse's drainage system was defective, its mortar joints were crumbling, and a bust by famed sculptor Auguste Rodin was coated with grime.

An architectural survey was prepared for the lighthouse's owner, the State Department of Environmental Conservation, that came up with a list of work that needed to be done.

"We're doing the whole list," said DEC Historic Preservation Officer Charles Vandrei. "The crew is replacing the mortar joints ... and repairing a few minor cracks in the stone."

Some of the tiles on the roof, last replaced in 1927, must also be replaced, and modern-era paint will be sandblasted from the limestone block surface of the lighthouse, he said.

"They'll clean the building. Over the years, paint had been put on it. It didn't allow the bricks to breathe. Lime whitewash like that used in the 1850s is being applied that will allow it to breathe."

The statue of Samuel de Champlain, and the plaques at the lighthouse will also be restored.

The Rodin has been removed and transported to the Peebles Island Resource Center operated by the State Historic Preservation Office.

"That will be restored and brought back," Vandrei said. "We'll also replace the seals under the sculptures."

The sculptures will be protected from further wear by using heat-applied waxes, he said.

"They should last if we wash them and reapply the wax."

The cost of the project is estimated at about $500,000.

The 55-foot-high lighthouse was built in a neoclassical style, with eight Doric columns surrounding the cylindrical shaft from the original structure. The Fresnel-lens light was no longer used after the Champlain Bridge next to it opened in 1929. The Rodin bust is called "La France" and was presented as a gift from France in 1912.

Essex County Empire Zone Coordinator Barbara Brassard said the lighthouse is a treasure that had to be preserved.

"They sandblasted it. It looks great. The lighthouse will be rededicated."

All work is expected to be completed by spring 2009. The "150th Birthday Party 1858-2008" for the Champlain Lighthouse will be held Friday and Saturday, Sept. 12 and 13, this year.

A rededication ceremony is planned to coincide with the Festival of Nations at the Crown Point State Historic Site in September 2009.

lmckinstry@pressrepublican.com