Lighthouse Restoration

The Tchefuncte River Lighthouse in Madisonville is changing colors.

After more than 150 years of bearing the brunt of storms that have ravaged its receding coastline and ruined the exterior and interior paint upon its walls, its facelift is finally under way.

Boaters making their way through the mouth of the river have probably noticed the 42-foot tower’s new appearance slowly creeping up the structure.

Crews began scraping away old and damaged mortar last month, which has made way for the fresh, new coat of white paint that can currently be seen covering a large swath of the bottom portion of the structure.

“We’re working on the exterior now before we move onto the interior,” Executive Director Jay Martin of the Lake Pontchartrain Maritime Museum said. The museum has a management agreement with the town of Madisonville, which took ownership of the lighthouse in 1999.

The new paint job is only the beginning of an estimated $10-million revitalization project that, in time, will see a complete restoration of the lighthouse, a coastline restoration, the construction of a new boardwalk to replace the derelict existing one, and the replacement of the 122-year-old keeper’s cottage back to its original location adjacent the lighthouse. The plan also calls for the erection of a replicated bell tower and the possible construction of a mile-long boardwalk connecting the site to the museum.

Martin said the exterior work has gone smoother and quicker than expected and commends Thrasher Construction for the speedy work so far. He said the process is very tedious because all the work must be performed by hand.

“We’re at least a year ahead of where I thought we would be,” Martin said.

He added if the pace continues, the cottage could be moved into place in as little as a year and a half.

The current renovation work is being provided thanks to $50,000 in grant and donation money, but more money will be needed shortly to continue restoration efforts, so Martin is planning an August fundraiser.

To donate or learn more about the restoration project, visit www.lpbmaritimemuseum.org.