KILL DEVIL HILLS

Scaffolding and fencing at the monument at Wright Brothers National Memorial has not deterred interest in scaling 90-foot Big Kill Devil Hill to see the granite obelisk, even if it's not close-up.

While a crew uses grinders with diamond blades to remove old mortar between blocks of granite, Johnny Ghi, supervisor with Wilson -based Watson Electrical Construction Co., finds himself serving as an ad hoc interpreter for visitors who line the construction barrier.

"Busloads of them," Ghi said good-naturedly. "A lot of them come a long way. The fact that they can't get right up to the monument is heartbreaking sometimes. Anytime somebody wants to stop and talk about the monument, I'm more than happy and willing to do that."

The $400,000 restoration is about 70 percent done, Ghi said Thursday.

"We've completed the washdown and mortar replacement on the west side of the monument itself," he said.

Behind him, workers using power and hand tools carefully chipped out old mortar on the recently washed east side.

Seepage has damaged electrical wiring and caused leaking inside. Rainwater has also been leaking from a pipe from the observation deck to the floor, Ghi said, allowing water to get between the concrete core and the granite. A dehumidifier, new ducts and mortar repair should fix the problem, he said.

The interior will also be cleaned and repainted.

The motor in the beacon that sits atop the 61-foot monument, dedicated in 1932, has had wire leads and bearings replaced.

Exterior lighting has also been redone so that it highlights the granite's relief work. It is similar to the dramatic lighting of the past, said Lola Hilton, executive director of the First Flight Foundation, the nonprofit funding the project. It was successfully tested March 3.

"This one is even more phenomenal," Hilton said.

When the interior work is done, Ghi said, the beacon, dome and front doors will be put back and the fence will come down. The project is scheduled to be complete by mid-May, he said. Then the beacon will be turned back on.

The rotating light was extinguished in January, the first time since it was switched back on in 1998 after 50 years of darkness.

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