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Bids are being invited for cleaning and recoating work on South Carolina’s Hunting Island Lighthouse, one of the state’s most distinctive landmarks.
The South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism will open proposals Sept. 25 for the work, which involves cleaning and coating interior cast-iron elements at the 137-year-old structure.
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Bill Fitzpatrick / Wikimedia Commons |
| Hunting Island Lighthouse is the only publicly accessible lighthouse in South Carolina. |
Built in 1859 and reconstructed in 1875, the historic lighthouse is the only one in the state that is publicly accessible. From the top of the 130-foot structure, visitors can view the Atlantic Ocean, beaches and surrounding semi-tropical maritime forest.
The lighthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Moving History
One of the lighthouse’s most innovative features was its construction from interchangeable cast-iron sections so it could be dismantled should it require relocation, according to the Parks Department.
And as fate would have it, severe beach erosion made it necessary to move the lighthouse some 1.3 miles inland in 1889.
The lighthouse was closed for repairs in May 2003 when cracks were discovered in several of its 175 cast-iron steps, the Parks Department said.
During the 18-month-plus renovation, construction crews not only repaired the cracks but installed steel braces beneath them for reinforcement.
Left unpainted, the silver-gray braces stand out in sharp contrast to the black cast-iron stairs, which helps to distinguish the original structure from the modern enhancements.
“This protects the lighthouse’s historic integrity,” the Parks Department said.
Renovation Project
The current renovation project involves cleaning and coating the structure's interior cast-iron elements, including stairs and landings. The existing coatings contain lead; therefore, containment is required.
The interior cast iron will be abrasive blast-cleaned to SSPC-SP 6 (commercial), and select exterior cast iron is to be brush-off blasted (SSPC-SP 7), according to project documents.
An acrylic-epoxy or epoxy system will be applied to interior iron elements, while select exterior iron is to be coated using an epoxy-polyurethane system.
The project is estimated at less than $100,000.
Reported by Paint BidTracker, a construction reporting service devoted to identifying contracting opportunities for the coatings community. Visit us on Facebook!
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