President of US Lighthouse Society Visits Pomham Rocks Lighthouse

Henry Gonzalez, president of the United States Lighthouse Society, recently visited Pomham Rocks Lighthouse in Riverside. Headquartered in Hansville, WA, the Society is a national non-profit organization dedicated to supporting lighthouse preservation throughout the country.

Newly elected to lead the national organization, Mr. Gonzalez was in Rhode Island in October as part of a tour of New England. The purpose of the visit was to meet with representatives of local lighthouses, to see firsthand the historic preservation efforts of local groups, and to offer advice and assistance.

Members of Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse attended a luncheon in his honor and hosted a tour of Riverside’s century-and-a-half year-old light station the following day. Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse received a $10,000 grant from the United States Lighthouse Society, which paid in part for installation of operable shutters on the lighthouse. As luck would have it, the president’s visit coincided with the arrival of the shutters, and he was able to witness the project in its initial phase.