Photograph courtesy of Essex Heritage

How North Shore’s Martin Nally Restored New England’s Most Historic Lighthouses

The Manchester-by-the-Sea mason has worked on restoring some of the region’s most iconic lighthouses, preserving them for generations to come.

Larry LindnerDecember 9, 2020

Some people wish upon a star. Martin Nally wished upon a lighthouse. From his modest home in Manchester-by-the-Sea, where he and his wife were raising two young boys, the 30-something mason would gaze at Bakers Island Light in the waters leading to Salem Harbor and wonder whether his ship would ever come in. Then, in 1996, shortly before his 40th birthday, came the first of a 20-year spate of invitations to bid on the restoration of lighthouses up and down New England. The iconic structures had largely outlived their preeminence as way-finding stations, but their architectural and cultural significance landed them on the National Register

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How North Shore’s Martin Nally Restored New England’s Most Historic Lighthouses

The Manchester-by-the-Sea mason has worked on restoring some of the region’s most iconic lighthouses, preserving them for generations to come.

Keep Reading — It's Free to Join