Nantucket Lightship To Shine Beacon For First Time In Nearly 40 Years
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Nantucket Lightship/LV-112 in Boston Harbor will shine its light for the first time in nearly four decades on National Lighthouse Day.
The fully restored ship will be open to the public from 3-to-9 p.m. on Friday. It's located off Marginal Street in East Boston.
The ship's foghorn and light have been renovated. The light will shine for one night only starting around 8 p.m.
American Express provided the National Trust of Historic Preservation a $250,000 grant to repair the aging ship.
Jim Hewitt, one of the volunteers who was part of the restoration effort, told WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Carl Stevens "It's really historic because the beacon really hasn't been on for nearly 40 years now, and she's coming back to life again."
The ship, once known as the "Statue of Liberty of the Sea," stood tall and bright in Nantucket Shoals from 1936-to-1975.
"All the ships coming from Europe would have to go that way going into New York," Hewitt said, "And many, many ships hit those shoals and sank."
The "floating lighthouse" was recently designated a National Treasure.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Carl Stevens Reports