Contributed by: Ryan Conary, Essex Heritage
Organization: Essex Heritage
Dated Posted: May 18, 2026
Website: Visit External Site

Essex Heritage Launches Public Campaign to Fund Lens Conservation, Display, and Interpretation

SALEM, MA — The 4th Order Fresnel lens that once guided ships safely into the Port of Salem for decades has come home. On May 9, 2026, Essex National Heritage Commission, Inc. (Essex Heritage) transported the original Bakers Island Light lens — crafted by Chance Brothers & Co. of England and installed in the tower in the early-20th century — from the Maine Lighthouse Museum in Rockland, Maine, to Bakers Island Light Station in Salem, where it will be prepared for public display.

The lens has been held at the Maine Lighthouse Museum since its removal from Bakers Island in 1972. Through a long-term loan agreement with the United States Coast Guard, which retains ownership of the lens as part of its Heritage Asset Collection, the artifact is returning to the island it was built to serve — more than 200 miles from where it has spent the past half century.

Alongside the lens's return, Essex Heritage launched the Bringing the Light Home campaign, a public fundraising effort with a goal of $20,000 to fund the conservation assessment, custom display case construction, UV protection, environmental monitoring, and interpretive exhibit development needed to open the lens to the public this summer. Donations can be made at bakersislandlight.org/bringthelighthome.

A Reunion More Than 50 Years in the Making

Bakers Island Light Station has served as a sentinel at the entrance to Salem Harbor since 1797, one of the oldest navigational aids in the country. In the early years of the American Republic, the customs duties collected at the Port of Salem were among the most important sources of revenue for the new nation, and the lighthouse was essential to that commerce.

The 4th Order Fresnel lens — a marvel of 20th-century optics assembled from hundreds of precisely ground glass prisms — guided mariners for decades before automation made the keepers' daily work obsolete. The lens was rescued and preserved by the late Ken Black, a decorated Coast Guardsman known as "Mr. Lighthouse," who arranged for it to be displayed at the Shore Village Museum, now the Maine Lighthouse Museum, in Rockland.

Essex Heritage received the deed to Bakers Island Light Station from the US Coast Guard in 2014. Since then, the organization has steadily restored the property and developed public programming. The lens will be displayed in the Assistant Keeper's House, where it will serve as the centerpiece of a new interpretive exhibit telling the story of the light station, its keepers, and its role in the maritime history of the region.

Voices on the Return

"Bakers Island Light has been guiding mariners for more than 200 years, and the Fresnel lens is the single most powerful artifact from that history. Seeing it come home — back to the island it was built to serve — is a milestone for everyone who has worked to restore this lighthouse and open it to the public. Now we need the community's help to make sure it can be preserved and shared for generations to come."

— Annie C. Harris, CEO, Essex National Heritage Commission, Inc.

"This lens is a precision instrument and a piece of American maritime heritage. Bringing it back to Bakers Island is the right thing for the artifact and for the public. I am looking forward to conducting the condition assessment and working with Essex Heritage to make sure it is displayed in a way that protects it for the long term."

— Kurt Fosburg, Lampist, Superior Lighthouse Restoration

"The Coast Guard has a deep commitment to honoring the history of America's aids to navigation, and this lens represents that history better than any other navigational device. The return of the lens to Bakers Island is a significant contribution to the maritime history of the region and is a testament to what can be accomplished when communities and federal partners work together. I am proud to have played a role in making this reunion possible."

— Rear Admiral Dan May, U.S. Coast Guard (Retired), Project Technical Advisor

What Comes Next: The Bring the Light Home Campaign

The lens has returned — but the work is not finished. Before it can be opened to the public, Essex Heritage must:

•  Commission a custom display case built to the lens's dimensions and designed to prevent unauthorized handling

•  Engage lampist Kurt Fosburg to conduct a required baseline condition assessment

•  Install UV-filtering window film and a digital temperature and humidity logger to protect the lens from light and environmental damage

•  Develop interpretive panels and a discovery station for younger visitors to bring the story of the lens and its keepers to life

Gifts at any level will move the project forward. Essex Heritage has established three giving milestones: $50 helps fund the custom display case; $250 ensures UV protection for the lens; and $500 makes it possible to share its story through the new interpretive exhibit.

Essex Heritage is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and all donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Supporters can donate at bakersislandlight.org/bringthelighthome.

About Essex National Heritage Commission, Inc.

Essex National Heritage Commission, Inc. (Essex Heritage) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that serves as the regional heritage organization for Essex County, Massachusetts. With close to three decades of experience managing federal, state, and private grants, Essex Heritage preserves, promotes, and provides public access to the extraordinary concentration of historic and cultural resources in the region. Essex Heritage has managed Bakers Island Light Station since receiving the deed from the US Coast Guard in 2014. For more information, visit essexheritage.org.

About Bakers Island Light Station

Bakers Island Light Station, established in 1797, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is one of the oldest and best-documented light stations in the United States. Located on Bakers Island in Salem Sound, the station is accessible by boat from May through October. Essex Heritage offers weekly island tours, overnight stays in the Keeper's House, Old Pasture camping, and volunteer work days. For schedules and information, visit bakersislandlight.org.

###

Media Contact:
Ryan Conary
Essex National Heritage Commission
978-740-0444
ryanc@essexheritage.org
www.essexheritage.org