The Eldred Rock Lighthouse Preservation Association is one step closer to obtaining a lease from the U.S. Coast Guard after it received a $1,550 grant this month to help rehabilitate the dilapidated lighthouse that is on the 2019 Alaska Association for Historic Preservation’s list of Ten Most Endangered Historic Properties.

“The maritime history of this lighthouse and its resulting status on the National Registry of Historic Places cannot be understated, and it is likely the most photographed and well-known lighthouse in Alaska,” wrote AAHP president Trish Neal in a press release.

The Coast Guard hasn’t budgeted to repair the lighthouse and the outbuildings around it.

“The structure is alone to suffer neglect and disrepair under harsh weather conditions, with only the occasional visitor to land by boat on its remote shores to explore the cold, crumbling rooms and scribble their names on the walls,” Neal said.

A four-man military crew maintained and operated the lighthouse until 1973 when the Coast Guard automated the light and withdrew staff from the building. It has sat empty for 46 years.

“The Coast Guard has only been able to direct enough work to the lighthouse in the years since automation to essentially keep the building standing enough to support an Aids to Navigation minor light in the lamp room, which is an L.E.D. light powered by a solar panel and battery box,” Neal wrote.

The grant, matched by the preservation association, will pay for an historical restoration architect from Juneau to complete a historical renovation assessment. The Coast Guard requires the assessment before issuing a five-year lease. The assessment will also provide a description of the lighthouse’s architectural history, its original appearance, and what changes were made and when.

“Once we have the lease, we can use the historic structures renovation report to apply for grants available to lighthouses for renovations and repairs,” preservation association Michael Marks said. “The report will outline which items we should address first and what items can wait. We’re very fortunate to get this grant.”

The Eldred Rock Lighthouse is the oldest original lighthouse in Alaska. It was built in 1905.

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