Palmer’s Island Light the focus of March Program

The Dock-U-Mentaries Film Series continues on Friday, March 20th at7:00 PM with an illustrated talk about Palmer’s Island Lighthouse. Dock-U-Mentaries is a co-production of New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center, and the Working Waterfront Festival. Films about the working waterfront are screened on the third Friday of each month beginning at 7:00 PM in the theater of the Corson
Maritime Learning Center, located at 33 William Street in downtown New Bedford. All programs are open to the public and presented free of charge.

The Palmer’s Island Lighthouse, was built and first lighted in 1849, fueled at that time by New Bedford whale oil. Once considered one of the most picturesque lighthouses in all of New England, the lighthouse which survived the 1938 hurricane, was nearly destroyed by arsonists in 1966. During the 1990s, the City of New Bedford was named a Millennium Community and the restoration and relighting Palmer’s Island Lighthouse was one of the city’s Millennium projects, coordinated in part by former Director of Marketing and Tourism, Arthur Motta.

On August 30, 1999, approximately 150 years after its original lighting, a grand ceremony marked the relighting of Palmers Island Light. Today, the lighthouse is once again undergoing much needed restoration. Deputy Port Director, Edward Anthes-Washburn, local historian Arthur Motta, and photojournalist Peter Pereira will share historical and contemporary perspectives on the iconic Palmer’s Island Lighthouse and current and past restoration efforts.

The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and presenting the history and culture of New Bedford’s fishing industry through exhibits and programs. Currently operating as a virtual Center, the NBFHC will eventually lease space in the historic Mariner’s Home which is being renovated by the New Bedford Port Society with help from WHALE.

The Working Waterfront Festival is a project of the Community Economic Development Center of Southeastern MA, a non-profit organization. The free festival, a family friendly, educational celebration of New England’s commercial fishing industry, features live maritime and ethnic music, fishermen’s contests, fresh seafood, vessel tours, author readings, cooking demonstrations, kids’ activities and more. It all takes place on working piers and waterfront parks in New Bedford, MA, America’s #1 fishing port, on the last full weekend in September.

www.workingwaterfrontfestival.org.

New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park was established by Congress in 1996 to help preserve and interpret America’s nineteenth century whaling industry. The park, which encompasses a 13-block National Historic Landmark District, is the only National Park Service area addressing the history of the whaling industry and its influence on the economic, social, and environmental history of the United States. The National Park visitor center is located at 33 William Street in downtown New Bedford. It is open seven days a week, from 9 AM-5 PM, and offers information, exhibits, and a free orientation movie every hour on the hour from 10 AM-3 PM. For more information, call the visitor center at 508-996-4095, go to www.nps.gov/nebe or visit the park’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/NBWNHP