LEWES, Del. - Lewes officials and preservation advocates are beginning discussions on how to protect the Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse, a historic Delaware landmark threatened by erosion and aging infrastructure.
The lighthouse was the focus of Monday night’s Lewes Parks and Recreation Commission meeting, where members heard a presentation from Ron Parks, president of the Delaware River and Bay Lighthouse Foundation.
Parks said the community should begin planning for the lighthouse’s future before environmental conditions worsen.
“Rather than wait for nature to do what nature does, we ought to be proactive and begin to talk in community about options that might present themselves for us to preserve the lighthouse,” Parks said.
During the meeting, Parks outlined several potential options for relocating or preserving the structure, depending on partnerships and available land.
“There are three options,” Parks said. “There’s private land, there’s state land, and then there’s the land of the city of Lewes. And where it could go is really determined by who is willing to work together to make it happen.”
Commission members expressed support for exploring the proposals, though Chairman Kay Carnahan said preserving the lighthouse would require widespread community backing in addition to support from city officials.
“You get really a community project, both for funding and also just for its success,” Carnahan said. “It will need to be something that the community backs.”
Carnahan compared the potential effort to the development of Canalfront Park, which she described as a successful community-driven project in Lewes.
She said the city’s connection to its maritime heritage could help generate public support for preserving the lighthouse.
“We value the sea. We value our historic past and preservation,” Carnahan said. “I think many others will see that as something that really fits to what Lewes is all about and get behind it in whatever way they’re able.”
No formal action was taken during Monday’s meeting, but officials said the discussion could mark the beginning of a larger effort to preserve one of Delaware’s most recognizable maritime landmarks.
