South Street Seaport Museum Announces Architect Selection for Restoration of Titanic Memorial Lighthouse

Photo credit Richard Bowditch

On the eve of the 111^th Anniversary of the RMS Titanic disaster, the South Street Seaport Museum announces a critical step in the restoration of the Titanic Memorial Lighthouse, a monument erected in lower Manhattan one year after the tragedy. Renowned preservation architects Jan Hird Pokorny Associates, Inc. were selected from a highly competitive field to complete the restoration of the lighthouse. The full restoration of the lighthouse to its original state is expected to be realized by Summer 2024.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Jan Hird Pokorny and Michael Devonshire,” said Capt. Jonathan Boulware, President and CEO of the South Street Seaport Museum, which originally saved and now owns the artifact. “The Titanic Memorial Lighthouse will again shine in lower Manhattan as a beacon of history and hope in honor of those lost in the Titanic disaster.”

The South Street Seaport Museum particularly invites the descendants of Titanic passengers and crew to sign up for the latest updates about the restoration of the Titanic Memorial Lighthouse. Visit seaportmuseum.org/titanic-memorial-lighthouse for more information and to sign up.

Titanic Memorial Lighthouse, located in the Titanic Memorial Park at the corner of Pearl Street and Fulton Street, is a formally accessioned artifact in the collection of the South Street Seaport Museum. A memorial created to honor RMS Titanic‘s passengers, officers, and crew who perished when the ship sank after collision with an iceberg, the lighthouse was dedicated in 1913 on the anniversary of the ship’s sinking. Originally erected on the roof of the Seamen’s Church Institute at South Street and Coenties Slip, the tower was designed by Warren & Wetmore (the architects of Grand Central Terminal) and was saved by the Seaport Museum through an arranged donation from the firm hired to demolish the building on which it stood. It was initially placed on Pier 16 and then in 1976, after a partial restoration, the lighthouse was moved to its current location atop a lighthouse-like base at the head of the Titanic Memorial Park where it welcomes visitors to the South Street Seaport Historic District. 

Michael Devonshire, Principal and Director of Conservation at Jan Hird Pokorny Associates, said, “Our office’s association with the South Street Seaport Museum began in the early 1980s with our first major historic preservation project: the restoration of the Schermerhorn Row Block. That effort was gratifying, and it was a great honor to be involved in the resurrection and renaissance of New York’s iconic and historic port. We were delighted when the Seaport Museum rescued the Titanic Memorial in 1968, and we were enlisted to develop plans for the revitalization of that icon – which was both a functioning light, and a memorial to the lives lost on the great ship RMS Titanic. We are beyond fortunate to continue our association with the South Street Seaport Museum, and to participate in this momentous restoration project.”

The restoration phase will include reilluminating the lighthouse as well as restoring functionality to the “time ball,” which dropped daily to allow mariners to establish accurate time, and which has evolved into the world-famous ball drop on New Year’s Eve in Times Square. Of the time ball, Capt. Boulware suggested that “When it’s complete, perhaps there can be a downtown New Year’s Eve celebration for New Yorkers.” One of the Museum’s principal restoration goals is careful conservation of exterior and interior lighting to allow for reactivation. The work will also allow for the evaluation of the tower structure and its concrete base in order to determine if work is required to ensure its integrity and stability prior to needed repairs, cleaning and painting. As part of the restoration process, Jan Hird Pokorny Associates will also work with the Museum to develop appropriate interpretation for this precious public artifact and memorial.

Additional information about the history of the Titanic Memorial Lighthouse as well as a gallery of photos across the years can be found at seaportmuseum.org/titanic-memorial-lighthouse.

About Jan Hird Pokorny Associates, Inc.

Jan Hird Pokorny Associates, Inc. (JHPA) is a full-service architecture firm based in New York with a strong focus in the renovation, preservation, and restoration of historic buildings and sites. JHPA services include conditions surveys, documentation, materials conservation, historic research, historic structure reports, master planning, feasibility studies, renovation, restoration and adaptive reuse, development of construction documents and specifications, bidding, filing, construction administration, and maintenance guidance. Established in 1946 by namesake, Jan Hird Pokorny, the firm has completed a broad range of commissions including both new and restorative work. Since the late 1960s, the firm’s focus has increasingly been on architecture, planning, and preservation for historic buildings and sites. Today, the majority of the firm’s projects, which vary widely in scope and scale, involve buildings deemed to be of local, state, or national significance. Recent local projects include Morris-Jumel Mansion, Battery Maritime Ferry Building, Brooklyn Historical Society, and National Lighthouse Museum. JHPA is committed to preserving the irreplaceable qualities of these important structures through harmonious designs, careful restoration of materials, and attention to detail. jhpokorny.com

About the South Street Seaport Museum

The South Street Seaport Museum, located in the heart of the historic seaport district in New York City, preserves and interprets the history of New York as a great port city. Founded in 1967, the Museum houses an extensive collection of works of art and artifacts, a maritime reference library, exhibition galleries and education spaces, working 19th century print shops, and an active fleet of historic vessels that all work to tell the story of “Where New York Begins.” seaportmuseum.org

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