Volume XLI • Issue I • October 2016 4931 South Peninsula Drive • Ponce Inlet, Florida 32127 • www.ponceinlet.org • www.1ighthouselocker.org • (386) 761-1821 • [email protected] © Copyright 2017 Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse Preservation Association. All rights reserved. 2 From the Executive Director 6 Event Calendar 7 Feature Article America’s Grand Sentinels of the Sea: The Brick Giants 13 Object of the Quarter 14 Education Article and Wish List 15 Volunteer of the Quarter 16 Featured Donor 18 Thank You 20 Gift Shop The Quarterly Newsletter of the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse Preservation Association, Inc. From the Executive Director Dear Members, advanced decay. The roofs of the almost entirely on the hard work and keepers’ dwellings were pierced by ingenuity of its volunteer members. rusty shards of iron thrown from the Soaring 175 feet above the World’s As time passed, the Association Most Famous Beach, the Ponce De top of the tower by vandals, and the oil storage building had been burned to began generating revenue through Leon Inlet Lighthouse is the state’s admission and merchandise sales, tallest lighthouse and one of the most the ground by thieves in effort to steal the structure’s copper roof. Fires had membership dues, and private popular cultural destinations in east donations. Blessed with a reliable central Florida. been lit in the tower’s counterweight well and the lighthouse’s iconic red source of revenue for the first As an historic site, the Ponce De Leon exterior paint fell in flakes to the time in its history, the Preservation Inlet Light Station stands out not only unkempt grounds below. Association began planning for larger for its pristine condition but for its and far more extensive projects authenticity as well. As one of the last Alarmed by the light station’s including restoration of the tower’s fully intact light stations of its kind, continuing deterioration and rumors ironwork in 1978, restoration of the touring the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse of its impending demolition, a group vandalized oil storage building in is like stepping back in time. One of concerned citizens encouraged 1989, and a full tower restoration in of only twelve light stations in the the recently incorporated Town of 2001. country to have been designated Ponce Inlet to petition the federal government for ownership of the old Once an all-volunteer organization, a National Historic Landmark, the the Ponce De Leon Inlet Lighthouse Ponce De Leon Inlet Light Station is a light station. After much deliberation, the Town agreed to its citizens’ Preservation Association has grown true cultural jewel right in your own into the volunteer-governed and backyard. request with one stipulation, a non- profit organization must be formed professionally staffed organization As a lighthouse museum, the Ponce to restore, preserve, and manage that exists today. Under the guidance De Leon Inlet Lighthouse is second the site at no cost to the Town or its of its Board of Trustees, the Association to none. Home to one of the largest residents. The petitioners agreed and continues its ongoing efforts to collections of historic Fresnel lenses, the Ponce De Leon Inlet Lighthouse restore, preserve, and interpret the lighthouse optics, and lighthouse Preservation Association was born. maritime and social history of the artifacts in the world, the Ponce De Ponce De Leon Inlet Light Station at Leon Inlet Lighthouse and Museum Deeded to Town in 1972, no cost to the Town of Ponce Inlet or is an impressive repository of our responsibility for the derelict site its residents. national, state, and local heritage. was soon turned over to the recently incorporated Lighthouse Preservation Respectfully, But this was not always the case. In Association. Work soon began on the Ed Gunnlaugsson 1970, the now pristine light station daunting task of bringing the Light Ed Gunnlaugsson was a derelict Coast Guard facility Station’s buildings, grounds, and Executive Director under threat of the wrecking ball. tower back to their former glory. With Ponce Inlet Lighthouse Decommissioned and abandoned, little or no money to support their the light station was in a state of initial efforts, the Association relied Preservation Association Staff Administration Maintenance Dept. Gift Shop Ed Gunnlaugsson Tom DiTusa Nick Warenyk Executive Director Bob McLean Gift Shop Manager Mike Bennett Dave Doiron Donna Doan Director of Operations Stump Madison Danielle Charshee Mike O’Heron Danielle Szemborski Ellen Henry Kevin Nichols Curator Antje Nordman Matt Ricco Dawn Smoke Mary Wentzel Frank Skirbe Barbara Lovelace Programs Manager Debbie Dunnigan James Powell Bill Teasley Registrar / Curator Karen Huffman Administrative Assistant / L.H. Beaconette: Nelly Bookkeeper 2 October 2016 • Ponce de Leon Inlet Light Station The Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse REGULAR HOURS OF OPERATION Preservation Association is dedicated to the preservation and dissemination of the maritime and social history of Sept. 6, 2016 – May 28, 2017 May 29, 2017 – Sept 4, 2017 the Ponce de Leon Inlet Light Station. Open Daily from 10:00 am until 6:00 pm Open Daily from 10:00 am until 9:00 pm (LAST MUSEUM ADMISSION SOLD AT 5:00 PM) (LAST MUSEUM ADMISSION SOLD AT 8:00 PM) 2016 Board of Trustees Bob Riggio President FALL 2016 SPECIAL HOURS OF OPERATION Tara Lamb Vice President November 24, 2016 (Thursday) December 25, 2016 Museum and Gift Shop closed for Museum and Gift Shop closed for Robyn Hurd 2nd Vice President Thanksgiving Holiday Christmas Holiday Judy Huggins Treasurer November 25-26, 2016 December 26-27, 2016 Cheryl Cunningham (Friday & Saturday) (Monday & Tuesday) Secretary Museum and Gift Shop open Museum and Gift Shop open from 10:00 am until 7:00 pm. from 10:00 am until 7:00 pm. Kristi Drumheller Dave Sweat (Last museum admission (Last museum admission Edson Graham sold at 6:00 pm) sold at 6:00 pm) Ellen Pagliarulo Tami Lewis Julie Davis December 24, 2016 (Saturday ) Wilda Hampton Museum and Gift Shop open Trustee Emerita from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm. Earl Davis Trustee Emeritus (Last museum admission Gladys Davis sold at 3:00 pm) Trustee Emerita Advisory Committee SCHEDULED TOWER CLOSURES Tony Goudie Brad Blais OVEMBER UESDAY ECEMBER UESDAY Kathy Wilson N 14, 2016 (T ) D 13, 2016 (T ) Ed Davis TOWER CLOSED FROM 4:30 PM UNTIL 6:00 PM TOWER CLOSED FROM 4:30 PM UNTIL 6:00 PM MUSEUM AND GIFT SHOP OPEN UNTIL 6:00 PM MUSEUM AND GIFT SHOP OPEN UNTIL 6:00 PM Professional (LAST MUSEUM ADMISSION SOLD AT 5:00 PM) (LAST MUSEUM ADMISSION SOLD AT 5:00 PM) Affiliations American Alliance of Museums American Assoc. for State and UPCOMING MEETINGS Local History Florida Association of Museums Florida Lighthouse Association OCTOBER 17, 2016 (MONDAY) DECEMBER 19, 2016 (MONDAY) Florida Trust for Historic Preservation BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING National Trust Forum ANNUAL MEmbERSHIP MEETING (CLOSED TO GENERAL PUblIC AND MEmbERSHIP) US Lighthouse Society (OPEN TO GENERAL MEmbERSHIP) Port Orange & South Daytona Chamber of Commerce Daytona Beach/Halifax Area NOVEMBER 21, 2016 (MONDAY) Chamber of Commerce BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING Florida Attractions Association (CLOSED TO GENERAL PUblIC AND MEmbERSHIP) ILLUMINATIONS is published quarterly by the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse Preservation Association, Inc. Subscription is a benefit of membership in the Association. ILLUMINATIONS welcomes letters and comments from our readers. October 2016 • Ponce de Leon Inlet Light Station Ponce de Leon Inlet Light Station • October 2016 3 KeeperKeeper ListingsListing Brochure Displays, Inc. Thomas Bush Mark & Amy Albenze Ponce Inlet, FL Terry McDonough Port Orange, FL (Endowment Fund Donor) Daytona Beach, FL Brad & Anne Blais Ponce Inlet, FL L. Keith Casagrande Inlet Harbor, Inc. Daytona Beach Shores, FL Richard & Diane Boynton Dick Neland Exeter, NH Ponce Inlet, FL Robert & Mary Darge Chuck & Michelle Cameron New Hudson, MI Daytona Beach, FL Brian Layman Wealth Janice & Donald Doudna Phyllis Campbell Management of Ponce Inlet, FL Ponce Inlet, FL Raymond James & Bill & Judy Carrico Associates Dr. G. Scott & Kristi Longwood, FL Drumheller Ponce Inlet, FL Cheryl & Jim Cunningham Ponce Inlet, FL Ponce Inlet, FL (Endowment Fund Donor) (Endowment Fund Donor) Joe & Judy DiCarlo The Connection Tom & Peggy Ellwood Ponce Inlet, FL Harvey & Connie Bach Saluda, NC JoAnn & John Doyle Ponce Inlet, FL Ponce Inlet, FL Mike & Stephanie Johanns Ponce Inlet, FL Frederick & Shirley Eckersen Racing’s North Turn Port Orange, FL Walt & Rhonda Glasnak Hollis & Beverly McCall Dr. C.W. & Gail C. Fain Ponce Inlet, FL Longwood, FL Holly Hill, FL (Endowment Fund Donor) Ellen & Rocky Pagliarulo Randy & Debbie Giles Ponce Inlet, FL Ponce Inlet, FL Law Offices of Rue & Ziffra, PA (Endowment Fund Donor) Ted & Suzi Hahn Port Orange, FL Ponce Inlet, FL Mary Ann Redinger John and Patricia La Belle Ponce Inlet, FL James Morris Ponce Inlet, FL Port Orange, FL Fred Telling Jacquelyn & Alan Law Port Orange, FL Oak Lawn, IL Tami Lewis Calvin Willard Ponce Inlet, FL Port Orange, FL (Endowment Fund Donor) Helen & Bill Magale Ponce Inlet, FL Ward & Terry Mead Ormond Beach, FL Patrick & Debbie Pawling Hamilton, OH Joan Rachul Daytona Beach, FL Robert & Margie Riggio Ponce Inlet, FL Daniel & Melanie Smith Dahlonega, GA James & Melissa Taylor Ponce Inlet, FL Bill & Marie Van Houten Ponce Inlet, FL 4 October 2016 • Ponce de Leon Inlet Light Station Keeper ListingsListing Pat & Jane Magrady Ronald & Chris Ecker Ponce Inlet, FL Satellite Beach, FL Kenneth Marshall Dennis