Rock The Vote For Lighthouses
JELD-WEN Invites Public to Help Select the Nation’s Most Reliable Lighthouse for Restoration

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. June 12, 2008 — From one lighthouse celebrating its centennial this year to another that’s rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina’s brutal force, it’s time for the public to pick a favorite.

In one of the most innovative private-public ventures of its kind, JELD-WEN Windows & Doors has selected a dozen finalists for its nationwide search to find and restore lighthouses in need of repair. These 12 finalists showcase the unique history and design of lighthouses throughout the country that have endured more than a century of harsh weather, often with inadequate funding to properly maintain them.

To help save a lighthouse, the public can show support by voting for the lighthouse finalist most worthy of receiving new windows and doors from JELD-WEN for its restoration efforts. Anyone can cast their ballot by visiting www.jeld-wen.com/lighthouse through September 7. One person, one vote, and every vote counts.

“It was challenging to select 12 finalists,” said Joyce Richter, lighthouse project manager for JELD-WEN. “We received more than 65 individual nominations, representing 49 of the nation’s most historic and renowned lighthouses from coast to coast. That’s why we need the public’s support to help us choose the winning lighthouse.”

Determined candidates
During the next few months, lighthouse lovers, historic preservation enthusiasts, and coastal communities will have a chance to prove their support for these 12 finalists:

• Baltimore Harbor Lighthouse – Maryland
• Bodie Island Light Station – North Carolina
• Cedar Island Lighthouse – New York
• Grand Traverse Lighthouse – Michigan
• Grays Harbor Light Station – Washington
• New Canal Lighthouse – Louisiana
• New Dungeness Light Station – Washington
• Pemaquid Point Lighthouse – Maine
• Plum Island Station – Wisconsin
• Point Arena Lighthouse – California
• Rose Island Lighthouse – Rhode Island
• Toledo Harbor Lighthouse – Ohio 

It doesn’t end with the vote
This is the year to get involved and make a difference in the historic preservation of some of America’s most beloved landmarks. To show support for the lighthouse finalists, JELD-WEN is encouraging the public to not only vote, but also share favorite photos and videos of the finalists.

Photos can be shared on the Flickr group of JELD-WEN Reliable Lighthouse Restoration Initiative. To share videos that will be posted online, please send 1-2 minute VHS tapes, DVDs or electronic viewing files to:

Attn: Stefanie Stockton
CMD Agency
1631 NW Thurman Street
Portland, OR 97209
503-488-4400
sstockton@cmdagency.com

Please see below for a complete overview of the 2008 JELD-WEN Reliable Lighthouse Restoration Initiative finalists. For more information or to show support for the lighthouse finalists, visit www.jeld-wen.com/lighthouse.

A VIEW FROM THE TOP:
2008 Finalists for JELD-WEN’s Reliable Lighthouse Restoration Initiative

Baltimore Harbor Lighthouse
Maryland

Celebrating its centennial on October 1, this caisson lighthouse is located offshore in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore Head is also the only U.S. lighthouse to have once been powered by a nuclear device, which was installed by the U.S. Coast Guard in the 1960s.

Bodie Island Light Station
North Carolina

Marking a historic stretch of dangerous North Carolina coastline known as the graveyard of the Atlantic, this lighthouse has been aiding navigation since 1872. Pronounced “body,” and perhaps named for all the fatalities offshore, it is one of three lighthouses on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

Cedar Island Lighthouse
New York

This lighthouse was originally located on an island about a mile offshore of East Hampton, but after a hurricane in 1938 the sandbar built up and connected the island to the shore. Today, visitors to the shore camp at a nearby park and can walk right up to the lighthouse. 

Grand Traverse Lighthouse
Michigan

For over 150 years, this lighthouse has been an active navigational aid guiding mariners into Grand Traverse Bay. After the U.S. Coast Guard automated the light in 1972, a group of volunteers formed to open the Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum to preserve the light’s history.

Grays Harbor Light Station
Washington

Discussion to build a lighthouse in Gray’s Harbor began in 1854, before the state of Washington even existed. The structure was actually built in 1898 and sits atop 12 feet of sandstone that extends below the ground. Westport-South Beach Historical Society seeks to restore the original windows in the tower that have been mortared in during modern times.

New Canal Lighthouse
Louisiana

After Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast in 2005, the lighthouse was damaged beyond repair. Today the lighthouse is being reconstructed with material salvaged from the structure built in 1890 and serves as a symbol of hope to the rebuilding of New Orleans and surrounding communities.

New Dungeness Light Station
Washington

Serving as a navigational aid in the Pacific Northwest for more than 150 years, this lighthouse is truly part of the local community. The city of Sequim even has a drive-through coffee shop in the shape of the lighthouse. A collaborative group of volunteers, including 37 volunteer keepers from around the country, help preserve the lighthouse’s history.