We have begun to make a difference!
Maintenance and Upkeep:
During the summer months we mow the lawn, trim bushes, plant flowers and do minor repairs as needed. Major repairs are done at our Spring and Fall workdays. We completed painting the dwelling house in 2007.
Renovation:
In the Fall of 2009, FOWIL acquired the services of Stone Age Masonry to carry-out FOWIL's first major restoration project of Wood Island Lighthouse. Stone Age masonry stripped, repaired, and repainted both the inside and outside of the lighthouse tower. Several years of fundraising events, membership dues, and donations of generous FOWIL supporters allowed FOWIL to take on this major investment for the long term restoration and preservation of Wood Island Lighthouse.
In July 2008, the installation of new handrails in the tower was completed. The new handrails allow tour guests, for the first time in several years, to safety ascend the tower's spiral staircase to the lantern room. From the lantern room, guests can experience the amazing view of the Atlantic Ocean and Saco bay that the top of the tower affords. On exceptionally clear days, guests may even be able to see the distant summit of New Hampshire's Mount Washington, 100 miles to the east.
We are currently working on raising funds for the repointing and repainting on the inside and outside of the tower. We have an estimate in hand for this work and hopefully necessary funds will be in hand soon.
History Research:
The History Group has gathered a large amount of information about the Lighthouse and related subjects and have carefully organized the material in our Archives. Several booklets on various subjects of lighthouse interest have been written with more to follow. They are for sale in our online store. The current emphasis is on shipwrecks of the Saco Bay and Wood Island Harbor. We are proud of our shipwreck map, which was created by artist Iona Desmond and is for sale at the Red Geranium in Biddeford Pool or in our online store.
Membership:
Membership is on an annual basis and we find that the members like to participate year after year. Our Membership base is approaching 300.
Fundraising
The first two years our major fundraiser was "Fresh Paint Day" an exciting event where artists came to the community and painted. Their work was auctioned off in the evening - monies were raised for the lighthouse and all had a great time. In the summer of 2006 we put on our "Haunting Event." This included rides around the island aboard Lightrunner, a dinner and then a spooky presentation by the New England Ghost Project concerning what they found at the lighthouse on their investigation in 2006. Spring of 2007 we had our new merchandise in hand and found it very popular. We continue to expand our merchandise line. In 2008, our Capture the Coast art auction, will be a major fundraiser for the lighthouse.
Outreach:
This is a growing area in our efforts to support the restoration. We have a beautiful large display board with photographs and text explaining the Friends of Wood Island Lighthouse. A professional videographer donated a beautiful DVD, which gives people an idea of what an island tour is like. A speaker will bring these items as well as brochures and our shipwreck map, and give an interesting talk about the Lighthouse and it's future. This program is available locally for any groups interested. See our Outreach Page.
