Bodie Island Lighthouse a no win on windows competition

By Catherine Kozak
The Virginian-Pilot
© October 30, 2008

A sad depiction of the collapsed New Canal Lighthouse may have made the New Orleans landmark a winner. But unfortunately for the Outer Banks, it also makes the Bodie Island Lighthouse a loser.

One of the 12 semi-finalists in the JELD-WEN Reliable Lighthouse Restoration Initiative, the New Canal has been chosen as the one most deserving of free windows and doors, according to a news release from Jeld-Wen Windows & Doors.

The Bodie Island light had been one of three finalists in the national contest that ended Sept. 7, along with the Grand Traverse Lighthouse in Michigan. The three earned nearly 70 percent of the half-million total votes.

Built in 1872, the black-and-white Bodie tower is one of the few lighthouses in the nation that still has its original first-order Fresnel lens. The deteriorating lighthouse - with windows in poor condition - is slated for restoration, but money is lacking to do all the repair work.

The New Canal Lighthouse, located on Lake Pontchartrain off the Gulf Coast of Louisiana, was demolished in Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

The photograph on the company's Web site shows the 1890 lighthouse leaning steeply on its side, its ground level in pieces.

"While many lighthouses are recognized as beacons of safety," the release said, "the effort to bring New Canal Lighthouse back from destruction also serves as a beacon of hope to a region."

Catherine Kozak, (252) 441-1711, cate.kozak@pilotonline.com

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Hmmm

Submitted by jimjones on Thu, 10/30/2008 at 10:07 am.

What an extraordinary marketing scheme! Maybe Stock Building Supply would like to step in and help. They are headquartered in Raleigh, NC and do $3.6 Billion in sales vs the $2.2 Billion that Jeld-Wen does.

What ever happened to Historical Societies that relied not on government handouts but, on private donations made by like minded individuals? I mean, if everyone who cared about the Bodie lighthouse gave $10 or so toward it's restoration then the amount raised would certainly be telling as to how important it is to people. Wouldn't it?