Iconic Martha’s Vineyard lighthouse begins move
AQUINNAH, Mass. — A Martha’s Vineyard lighthouse that is among the most endangered historic landmarks in the U.S. began its gradual march back from a rapidly eroding cliffside on Thursday.
Powerful hydraulic pistons inched the 160-yearold Gay Head Lighthouse about 5 feet at a time along steel rails lathered with soap, starting just before noon. By midafternoon, it had moved more than 25 feet.
The 52-foot-high, 400ton brick-and-mortar structure is expected to arrive at its final destination — a concrete pad about 135 feet due southeast — as soon as Friday.
“We’ve got plenty of time. We’re not in any rush,” said Jerry Matyiko, a seasoned mover of large structures whose crews have relocated five lighthouses, including the famed Cape Hatteras Light in North Carolina.
Workers spent weeks painstakingly digging under the lighthouse to lift it a few short feet off the ground, using dozens of hydraulic jacks supported by a network of wood-and-steel beams.
Once in its new home, the lighthouse and the scoured-out land around it will be restored.
Located on the sparsely populated, western edge of the resort island, Gay Head Light has been a critical waypoint for mariners since the peak of the whaling trade in the 19th century.
For now, a temporary beacon has been installed on a simple steel pole nearby to guide ships to safety.