New lightkeeper is NSA's eyes and ears

Sheffield Island lightkeeper Greg Goomrigian wakes up on many summer mornings to a couple of seagulls cawing outside his window and a light breeze blowing off the cool green waters of Long Island Sound.

The Norwalk Seaport Association has entrusted Goomrigian, a Norwalk resident and longtime member of the organization, with the task of maintaining one of Norwalk's finest treasures: the original 1868 Sheffield Island Lighthouse and the pristine 3.5 acres of seaport association-owned land on which it sits.

"They [reps from the NSA] asked me if I wanted my title to be caretaker or lightkeeper," Goomrigian said during a recent visit to the lighthouse.

"I thought lightkeeper sounded more romantic. My office is basically a sunrise and sunset. It's something that I wanted to do."

Of his job, Goomrigian explained, "It's island management. It's being the eyes and ears of the NSA out here. And I've got seven great kids trained in the history of the property."

Boulders line the shore of the 51-acre slice of paradise. Egrets and osprey hunt in the shallow water surrounding it. To the west of the lighthouse, a narrow, low-lying peninsula serves as a bird sanctuary before it dwindles to a point at the end of the island. To the east, a nature trail wanders off into a wooded thicket, where small herds of deer graze.

Goomrigian sleeps on a mattress on the floor of the lightkeeper's cottage, a rudimentary structure that houses some basic necessities: a propane stove and refrigerator, fresh water, lawnmowers, rakes and basins of small pink shells the lightkeeper and his staff of seven use to line the paths that snake across the island.

On clear summer days, sunlight turns the glass panes of the lighthouse's top into a glittering dome. But those are the only flashes of light the 60-foot-high, mid-Victorian structure has emitted in 109 years. It was decommissioned in 1902. Automated lighthouses, like those at Pecks Ledge and Greens Ledge, have since taken over.

Now the Norwalk Seaport Association carries out the significant task of preserving the aging Sheffield Island lighthouse while maintaining the land, which visitors to Norwalk can enjoy via 25-minute ferry ride departing from The Maritime Aquarium parking lot.

In addition to cleaning and upkeep in the lighthouse, staff members cut grass, hack back out of control vegetation, maintain the environmentally-friendly restrooms, control the flow of boats dropping off passengers at the island dock, and educate people about the nature and history of the island, which has been thrashed by a half-dozen hurricanes over the past century and once served as a bunker against the cholera epidemics of 1939.

Goomrigian stays overnight two or three nights a week. Most of these overnight stays occur on weekends, when the island is busiest and dozens of powerboats can be seen anchored offshore. Sheffield plays host to corporate events every year and holds public clambakes on Thursday evenings during the summer. The NSA also provides sunset harbor tours and bird watching cruises aboard the C.J. Toth, a 45-foot catamaran that serves as the island ferry. The NSA and Fish and Wildlife service will educate groups of kids from Norwalk Economic Opportunity Now and the George Washington Carver Center this year, Goomrigian said.

Saturday a pirate's adventure weekend kicks off at Sheffield Island and there will be a haunted lighthouse Aug. 13 and 14.

According to the NSA, landlubbers will travel by ferry to the island, where they will meet pirates, watch demonstrations of pirate history -- including a black powder display - and search for the lost treasure of Captain William Kidd.

"We're going to have about eight to 10 pirates," Bondi said. "Eleven if I dress up."

NSA volunteer Peter Bondi said some of the pirates worked last year at the Oyster Festival and were enthusiastic about the idea of performing on Sheffield Island. "It should be different," he said. "And it should be a fun event."

As for the future, the lighthouse is due for some repair work. Grant money and donations fuel repairs to the lighthouse, Goomrigian said. "We want to maintain that 1868 feel," he said. "The stone needs to be repointed, the tower is leaking and the foundation itself needs work. But it's funny, we don't have a lot of old pictures of the lighthouse as it used to be."

"It's a unique destination for people," he said. "I grew up in Norwalk. I went to all the schools. And I was always on the water. It was an honor to be asked to do this."

Bondi said a $250,000 Department of Economic and Community Development grant will fuel the lighthouse repairs. "That's going to go toward the refurbishment," Bondi said, adding the NSA doesn't yet know what company will complete the renovations.

"There need to be some repairs to the tower, the cast iron and a little bit of shoring up in the basement. That's what we're really going to try to work toward this year."

Ferries will leave the Sheffield Island dock, adjacent to the Stroffolino Bridge on the corner of Washington and Water streets, at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. for the Pirate Adventure weekend. For info and to buy tickets, visit www.seaport.org.