LEWES, Del. -- The Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse near Lewes could soon be moved as erosion threatens the nearly century-old structure on the Delaware Bay.
Ron Parks, the President of the Delaware River and Bay Lighthouse Foundations, says the foundation is exploring options for relocating the lighthouse, including a possible new home within Lewes city limits.
The Harbor of Refuge lighthouse currently sits in the Delaware Bay. Parks says the structure is facing severe erosion problems beneath its foundation.
“The rocks at the end of the breakwater are tumbling into a 140ft scour hole at the edge of the wall. As that's happening, the rocks are coming out from underneath the concrete caisson that the lighthouse sits on," Parks said.
If nothing is done, Parks said the lighthouse is expected to topple into the Delaware Bay.
According to the Lighthouse Foundation, repairing the existing structure in place could cost between $90 million and $120 million. Moving the lighthouse instead is estimated to cost between $4 million and $6 million.
At its base, Parks said the lighthouse is 32 feet in diameter. When accompanied by the concrete underneath, Parks said that puts the lighthouse at 40 feet in diameter. The lighthouse is 76 feet tall, according to Parks.
Parks said they are considering several possible relocation sites, including private property, state-owned land such as Cape Henlopen State Park, and potentially a location within Lewes.
Parks said it's important to preserve the long-standing piece of maritime history, no matter where it may end up.
"The foundation's mission is not only to preserve the building, but also to allow people to experience it," Parks said. "For them to be educated in what it was like to be a light keeper, and how that lighthouse was so instrumental in terms of the commerce of the area and the maritime history. And the kind of enthusiasm and inspiration you would generate, to me, is priceless. So we're all in in terms of seeing if it's something that people can get behind, and we're in it for the long haul."
WBOC spoke with folks in downtown Lewes on Tuesday about the idea.
"I think it's an interesting idea, and probably makes sense given the lighthouse's historical value. But the question is, where is the money going to come from?" Bill Chambers said. "If it's a valuable thing, maybe try and raise the funds privately, so people don't end up with raised taxes or anything like that. But if the city, or whoever's going to do it, has money earmarked for these types of historical preservation projects, then that's fine."
Chambers said he does think preserving local maritime history is important.
"There's a lot of history behind lighthouses. Why were they there? Who, you know, who lived in them and took care of them and all that," Chambers said. "That would be a fun thing for people to be able to visit and see."
Others questioned whether relocating the lighthouse to the city is worth the expense.
“There's really nowhere to put it in the city, and it's not worth the expense to move and try to bring it here," frequent visitor Michelle Troupe said. "I believe that lighthouse should stay in the water or in Cape Henlopen State Park, somewhere closer to where it came from in nature."
The lighthouse foundation said discussions remain in the preliminary stages, and no decisions have been made about where the lighthouse could ultimately be relocated. City leaders in Lewes began discussing the idea following a presentation by the foundation, though officials emphasized talks are still early in the process.
Parks said that if the lighthouse is to be relocated, the project would happen years down the line and would require many more moving parts and approvals.
