NORTH KINGSTOWN - With the Plum Beach Lighthouse in the background, Department of Environmental Management Director Jan H. Reitsma today transferred the deed to the 100 year-old structure to a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring and maintaining the aging beacon as an educational, historical and recreational center for the public. During morning ceremonies on Plum Beach, Friends of the Plum Beach Lighthouse, Inc. took title to the lighthouse, which is located in the westerly passage of Narragansett Bay, 900 yards off Plum Beach Point in the Town of North Kingstown and just north of the Jamestown Bridge.

Plum Beach Lighthouse was constructed from 1896 to1899 using the pneumatic caisson method, an innovative engineering technique that allowed the lighthouse to be built on an underwater shoal. This was the only lighthouse in New England constructed in this manner, and one of only 11 such lighthouses in the United States. Over the years, Plum Beach Lighthouse successfully survived many fierce New England storms, including the 1938 hurricane, which destroyed several other Rhode Island lighthouses. In 1941, the lighthouse was decommissioned. DEM began working with Friends of the Plum Beach Lighthouse, Inc. and the State Properties Committee in 1998 to surplus the property. Final approval was granted last March, paving the way for transferral of the deed.

"Throughout these years, a number of committed Rhode Islanders have endeavored to find a way to preserve this historic structure," said DEM Director Reitsma. "The determined efforts of Friends of the Plum Beach Lighthouse, Inc. have now paid off and will ensure that the lighthouse will continue to have an important place in Rhode Island's history. The Friends worked closely with DEM, the Governor's Office and Senator John Chafee's Office to secure the rights to the lighthouse property. The transfer of the deed today represents the cooperative efforts of many people and organizations to ensure that Plum Beach Lighthouse will be cared for, in this and future generations."

Shirley Silvia, President of the Friends of Plum Beach Lighthouse, Inc. said, "We are very pleased to be given the opportunity to restore and preserve the Plum Beach Lighthouse. It has a connection to the Naval War College, and a connection to the Brooklyn Bridge by the way it was constructed. It is listed on the National Register as an historic site. For all of these reasons, we felt it should be preserved for future generations to enjoy."

"There are no better symbols of reliability, constancy and guidance than lighthouses," said U.S. Senator John Chafee. "Indeed, these cherished landmarks are extremely significant with regard to the heritage and character of the Ocean State. I'm proud to have played a role in this worthy endeavor, and I tip my hat to Shirley Silvia and the Friends of Plum Beach Lighthouse, Inc. Through their dogged persistence, they have made this day possible. Three cheers!"

Chafee, a long-standing lighthouse enthusiast, has supported efforts to restore individual lighthouses, such as the Sakonnet Light in Little Compton and the Southeast Light on Block Island, and has worked in Congress to provide federal funds for lighthouse preservation initiatives. Chafee has been consistently involved in assisting the Friends of Plum Beach Lighthouse, Inc. In 1997, Chafee also played a central role in efforts to seek a Rhode Island location for the proposed National Lighthouse Center and Museum.

"The citizens of Rhode Island are fortunate to have volunteer organizations that have taken on the responsibility for preserving and rehabilitating many of the beautiful lighthouses that grace Rhode Island's coastline," Director Reitsma concluded. "Under the caring stewardship of the Friends of Plum Beach Lighthouse, not only will this refurbished beacon be an impressive landmark welcoming visitors to our state, but will also provide school children and the public an important historic and educational reminder of Rhode Island's maritime history."