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Bodie Island Lighthouse is one of three finalists for restoration help

More than a half million votes were cast, and the people have spoken.

They’ve made Bodie Island Light Station one of three lighthouses in the final consideration phase for funding for windows and doors in the JELD-WEN Reliable Lighthouse Initiative.

The other two finalists are the Grand Traverse Lighthouse in Leelanau State Park in Michigan and New Canal Lighthouse in New Orleans, La.

The three finalists began as a field of 50 lighthouses nominated to get a window and door makeover from JELD-WEN, a leading manufacturer of windows and doors that is based in Klamath Falls, Ore.

The field of 50 was narrowed to 12 lighthouses earlier this year, and the public was invited to vote over the summer. The final three received 70 percent of the public vote.

“The outpouring of public support has been incredible and every single vote has made a difference,” said Lynne Butterworth, JELD-WEN lighthouse project manager. “The 12 finalists - indeed all 50 lighthouses that were nominated - are all very deserving of help and support. The people have spoken, and now, we need to complete our due diligence and consider all criteria for the final selection.”

The finalist, she said, would not be chosen solely on the basis of the voting but on a thorough evaluation by the company. She said that in choosing a winner, the company will look at the need for restoration, the overall restoration plan, and historic preservation requirements.

Butterworth said a winner is expected to be chosen by November.

In alphabetical order, the three finalists moving on to the next stage of evaluation include:

Bodie Island Light Station, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, N.C. – A beacon of comfort and light for a dangerous stretch of eastern coastline known as “the graveyard of the Atlantic,” Bodie Island is a visually striking lighthouse with a beautiful black-and-white striped tower. Today, the 136-year-old lighthouse with its original first-order Fresnel lens needs not only new windows and doors, but also major stabilization of the 156-foot tall tower to re-open it to the public and ensure that it will continue to stand proudly well into the future. Video footage is available online.

Grand Traverse Lighthouse, Leelanau State Park, Mich. – With a 150-year history, this stately structure on Lake Michigan is beloved by the community and visitors alike. After the U.S. Coast Guard relocated and automated the light in 1972, a group of volunteers formed the Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum to preserve the building’s history. Grand Traverse lighthouse now welcomes nearly 150,000 visitors each year. Video footage is available online.

New Canal Lighthouse, New Orleans, La. – According to “American Lighthouses,” New Canal is widely considered “the nation’s most endangered lighthouse.” This charming landmark lost its brave battle against Hurricane Katrina three years ago. An active aid to navigation since the 1830s, it is currently being reconstructed with materials salvaged from the structure built in 1890 with the goal of restoring its original glory as a working lighthouse and museum. The lighthouse project serves as a symbol of hope to the rebuilding of New Orleans and the entire Gulf Coast. Video footage is available online.

Other finalists this year (in alphabetical order) included Baltimore Harbor Lighthouse in Maryland; Cedar Island Lighthouse in New York; Grays Harbor Light Station in Washington; New Dungeness Light Station in Washington; Pemaquid Point Lighthouse in Maine; Plum Island Station in Wisconsin; Point Arena Light Station in California; Rose Island Lighthouse in Rhode Island; Toledo Harbor Lighthouse in Ohio.

Butterworth also encourages those passionate about helping save the nation’s treasured lighthouses to volunteer, support, and advocate for them. More information is available through many local lighthouse organizations, as well as the national U.S. Lighthouse Society and American Lighthouse Foundation.

The JELD-WEN Reliable Lighthouse Restoration Initiative began in 2005 as a way to preserve these beloved U.S. landmarks with the latest window and door technology and help restore the original architecture and performance of the historic structures. Considered “America’s castles,” lighthouses face some of the most severe climate conditions in the world and many are under threat due to age and lack of resources needed for restoration.

The next lighthouse selected will follow in the footsteps of three impressive lighthouses that JELD-WEN has helped to restore: Umpqua River Lighthouse in Oregon, Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse in Maryland, and Wind Point Lighthouse in Wisconsin. Follow the progress at www.jeld-wen.com/lighthouse, Flickr and YouTube. You can also download this PDF of FAQs.