Brick by Brick, Bolt by Bolt
As winter settled in, the masons began rebuilding the outer base of the tower. Almost 10,000 new bricks have been laid to reconstruct the lower portion that forms the support for two belt courses. The brick comes from Stiles & Hart, a Massachusetts company that has been making brick since 1893. Hundreds of buckets of mortar, mixed to the original chemical composition, hold the bricks together.
With the masonry in place, the new marine-grade stainless steel belt course skeleton is bolted into the brick and welded together. A “skin” is then added and welded, forming the belt course. Each of the two belt courses will be primed and then coated black. The new metalwork is being cast at Robinson Iron in Alabama.
The remaining stainless steel replacement parts have arrived and are being stored onsite in preparation for mounting near the top of the lighthouse. New deck plates, railings, and support brackets await the demolition of the service room walls. The demolition will be done in phases to ensure the stability of the tower.
– Julie Barrow, Pigeon Point Special Projects Coordinator