As a tumultuous 2020 closed, the Old Baldy Foundation has reason to look to a brighter 2021. The organization is humbled to announce that we have been awarded a grant for $750,000 from the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office as part of their Hurricane Florence and Michael Emergency Supplemental Historic Preservation Fund (ESHPF) Hurricane Disaster Relief Subgrants program. The Historic Preservation Fund (HPF), administered by the National Park Service, provided funding to the ESHPF to make this grant program possible.
This project marks the most significant grant funding in the history of the Old Baldy Foundation. Staff members drafted and submitted the application in the summer of 2020. The force of Hurricane Florence struck Bald Head Island directly in 2018 and extensive damage to the Old Baldy Lighthouse did occur. Because these damages still need repair, this grant opportunity provided the perfect resource to fund the project. The Old Baldy Foundation's grant application focused on multiple projects that directly address Hurricane Damage along with a focus on strengthening the Lighthouse's structure from future age and damage. Projects that will be funded by the grant program include:
Address fallen and loose stucco to the exterior of the structure
Interior masonry work that addresses water infiltration that has caused dry rot
An archeaological survey to determine the need for a stone glacis wall at the base of Old Baldy
While certain pieces of the project scope do not address direct Hurricane damage, they will significantly improve the tower's resiliency. With over 200 years of weather events and tens of thousands of visitors climbing a year, there is inevitable wear and tear on the Old Baldy Lighthouse. This grant program provided a unique opportunity to ensure the work done to repair Hurricane damages is supported for years to come by approving projects that provide stability and long term reliability to the historic structure.
If you are interested in learning more about the upcoming project you can view the entire grant application here. The Old Baldy Foundation anticipates projects funded by the grant to begin by this year's fall and to be completed by the fall of 2023 at the latest. Any inquires about this project can be sent to director@oldbaldy.org
The above pictures depict some of the damage to the Old Baldy Lighthouse which will be addressed.