Relighting and Rededication Ceremony

The Avery Point Lighthouse Society (APLS) and the University of Connecticut (UCONN) are pleased to announce that a relighting and rededication ceremony for the historic Avery Point Lighthouse has been scheduled for Sunday, October 15, 2006 at the University’s Avery Point campus in Groton, CT.

The Avery Point Lighthouse Society, a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation, and the University of Connecticut have been working together for over six years to save, restore and relight this historic structure.  The lighthouse is the last one built in Connecticut and reportedly was built as a memorial to all other lighthouses and light keepers, making it one of Connecticut’s most significant maritime landmarks.

Briefly, the relighting/rededication ceremony is scheduled to begin at approximately 3:00 P.M. at which time the lighthouse will be open to the public for limited access.

The speaking portion of the event will begin at approximately 5:30 P.M.

The following individuals are scheduled to be primary speakers at the event:

Fran Mainella, Director of the United States National Parks Service
Philip Austin, President of the University of Connecticut
Rob Simmons, US Congressman, Connecticut’s 2nd District

Other individuals who will be providing brief remarks will include:

Cathy Cook, State Senator
Andrea Stillman, State Senator
Lenny Winkler, State Representative
Joseph Comprone, Associate Vice Provost, UCONN Avery Point Campus
Jim Streeter, Co-chairman, Avery Point Lighthouse Society

Steve Jones, Professor, University of Connecticut

The Master of Ceremonies will be Tim Harrison, President of the American Lighthouse Foundation from Wells, Maine.

A twenty-one-piece Coast Guard Band will provide special music during the event. A United States Navy honor guard will present the colors at the beginning of the event.

The actual relighting of the lighthouse will take place at approximately 6:45 P.M.


Three individuals, representing the “Past, Present and Future”, will join together to relight the beacon. 

          1.  Ken Black, a former member of the Coast Guard, stationed at  Avery Point when it was the US Coast Guard Training Station, who is in his 80's, will represent the “Past”.

          2.  Fran Mainella, because of her position with the National Parks Service,  will represent the “Present”.

          3.  Lexis Foster, the 12 year old granddaughter of APLS Co-Chairman Ron Foster, who is also a lighthouse enthusiast, will represent the “Future”.

Over 2,500 individuals have been invited to attend the relighting and relighting ceremony. 

Not only will we be relighting the beacon as an official aid to navigation (permission was recently received from the Coast Guard to have the light relit and listed on official navigation charts as an active light), we will also be rededicating the lighthouse as a memorial to all other lighthouses and light keepers (past, present and future).

Special commemorative shirts and medals for the relighting will be available for purchase during the event.  The [limited edition] Harbour Lights replica of the Avery Point Lighthouse will also be available for purchase.
Everyone attending the event will receive special gifts and a free soda and potato chips.