AQUINNAH, Mass. (AP) — An imperiled lighthouse moved off an eroding Martha’s Vineyard cliff is getting its moment on screen.
PBS’s popular science show NOVA airs an episode tonight about how the 160-year old Gay Head Lighthouse was moved intact last May using hydraulic jacks and a network of wood and steel beams.
“Operation Lighthouse Rescue” follows as officials race to save the 52-foot-high, 400-ton structure, which serves as a waypoint for mariners navigating the treacherous shoal near the island’s famous clay cliffs. The lighthouse was moved about 134 feet inland.
The episode features interviews from Len Butler, a longtime island resident who helped lead a $3 million fundraising effort for the project, and Jerry Matyiko, a seasoned lighthouse mover whose team conducted the move over a series of days, among others.
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