Waking Up Again

After a long winter's nap, things at the lighthouse are starting to perk up once again. Docents are getting organized to greet visitors when we open our doors this spring. The landscaping committee is preparing the ground for plantings to spruce the place up a bit. Repair work on the keepers' duplex continues – a thorough cleaning of the carpets throughout, new sump pumps, wall and ceiling repairs, and many, many other repairs and upgrades, small and large. The space in the lighthouse itself is getting upgraded with a dedicated area for the gift shop. We've cut a pass-through the partition wall from the gift shop to the main room. The interpretation committee is working through the steps needed to upgrade the interpretative exhibits in time for the spring opening. And, crucially, volunteers have been hard at work removing sand – nearly a foot of it in many places – that winter storms have piled up on sidewalks all over the site.

Every step along the way involves our dedicated volunteers doing what they do so well: taking the initiative. Here's an important example you'll probably recognize if you've visited the lighthouse in recent years:

Point Wilson is a tough environment

The gate in the chain-link fence between the keepers' duplex and the lighthouse has deteriorated to the point that it simply stopped working. So, Doug Pierce and Michael Lavache decided to replace it. Doug bought a new gate and prepared it to resist Point Wilson's corrosive salt air.

Doug gets the gate ready to go

On-site, he and Michael removed the old gate and fitted the new gate in place.

Michael removes the old hinges for reuse

Michael carefully removed the old hinges so that they can be used with the new gate after he sand-blasts them.

Thanks, Michael and Doug! Step by step, the Point Wilson restoration is coming along. Together, we'll restore and preserve this Port Townsend landmark.

If you, dear reader, would like to be a member of Point Wilson's band of dedicated volunteers, we'd love to hear from you. To get started, just head on over to our volunteer page.