The Delaware Preservation Fund has awarded the Delaware River & Bay Lighthouse Foundation an historic preservation grant of $1,500 to help put a new main doorway onto Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse.

The Delaware Preservation Fund is an affiliate of Preservation Delaware Inc., a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of Delaware's architectural heritage and historic settings. The organization is a statewide partner with the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Motivated by the urgent need to protect Delaware's architectural and archaeological heritage, the goals of the organization are pursued through educational programs, public policy initiatives, and preservation projects.

As part of these efforts, the preservation fund was established to assist local organizations   in the protection of Delaware's irreplaceable historic resources. The purpose of the grants is to facilitate, stimulate, and incubate projects to renovate, stabilize, or plan for the protection of architecturally significant structures.

DPI grants are funded by ongoing support from the Longwood Foundation and the State of Delaware.

This is the first time that the DRBLHF has applied for a grant from the Delaware Preservation Fund.  "But there was an absolute match between our door project and the intended purposes of the Fund," according to DRBLHF President Judith Roales.  The Fund's guidelines call for grants to be used for emergency stabilization, window and door rehabilitation, and protection of threatened buildings from entry and the elements, among other tasks.

The grant to the Foundation is in the form of a promise to reimburse expenses up to the amount of the award once work on the door is actually completed and proof is submitted to the Fund.  Work must be completed during 2008.

"That means we have a serious amount of fundraising left to do," Roales said, "and considerable planning and arrangements for the fabrication of the door and its installation."

To make your donation to this much-needed project, send a check to DRBLHF at P. O. Box 708, Lewes, DE 19971.