There is much to celebrate at Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park in 2025. As 2024 came to a close, the contractors were removing all of the exterior ironwork for replacement. There was too much rust and deterioration to salvage much. The best pieces of each of the three belt courses, the outer galleries, railings and brackets were identified and packaged for shipment to the foundry in Alabama. New molds of each will be created and new parts cast in marine-grade stainless steel which is more resistant to the harsh coastal climate.

The interior stairs and landings have been painstakingly hand-repainted as have the walls, the windows have been reworked and are now functional and repointing of the mortar in certain areas is being done. The curtain walls in the lantern room are also being refurbished, with new tempered glass and the bronze framing and handholds stripped of old paint before new coatings applied.

The watch room cast iron walls will be stripped and refurbished and the brick portions replaced. At the service room level below, the walls will be entirely rebuilt, with circular concrete bond beams added for strength and seismic stability.

Meanwhile, on the outside, the tower has almost a startling new look. The full body scaffolding has been removed now that the exterior has been lead-abated and new coatings applied. The two collar scaffolds at the top will remain for the duration of the project to facilitate the masonry work and the installation of the new stainless-steel components when they return from Alabama.

Both lower belt courses will also require quite a bit of replacement brick and mortar. Once all the pieces are in place, a final coating will be applied to all the brick and metal.

Current estimates indicate project completion in the spring of 2026.

— Julia Barrow, Special Projects Coordinator