In Winter Garden, Florida, engineer Dan Spinella is putting the final touches on a remarkable reproduction of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse’s original 1853 first-order Fresnel lens and pedestal. This nearly 10-foot-tall, 5,050-pound replica is poised to become the centerpiece of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse’s ongoing $19.2 million restoration, managed by Stone & Lime Historic Restoration Services, with Spinella’s company, Artworks Florida, as a key subcontractor.
The project’s roots trace back to 2009, when Spinella visited the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras Village, where the original lens—an historic artifact too fragile to restore—is displayed. Alongside lampist Jim Woodward, a Fresnel lens specialist with over 50 years of experience, Spinella measured the lens, noting its damaged frames and missing prisms. To preserve the original, he proposed a reproduction and created a 3D computer model of the lens and pedestal, despite initial funding hurdles from the National Park Service (NPS).
The restoration gained traction through the efforts of Hatteras Island resident John Havel of Havel Research Associates. Havel’s research and advocacy with the NPS were pivotal in securing approval for the lighthouse’s renovation. “John’s work gave the NPS a clear picture of the lighthouse’s original appearance,” Spinella noted, crediting Havel’s persistence for accelerating the project.
Spinella’s passion for lighthouse lenses ignited in 1992 at the Saint Augustine Lighthouse, where a first-order Fresnel lens left him “awestruck.” That experience led to a decade of volunteer work restoring lenses across Florida, culminating in 55 reproductions over three decades. His precision and craftsmanship, honed since childhood, have been critical to recreating the Cape Hatteras lens with modern technology while maintaining historical accuracy.
Expected to be completed by mid-October, the lens is a testament to both artistry and engineering. Funded as part of the broader lighthouse restoration, it reflects a commitment to preserving the Outer Banks’ maritime heritage. While the NPS has not announced a completion date for the full project, the new Fresnel lens will soon shine as a beacon of history at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.
Source: Adapted from “The man behind the restoration of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Fresnel lens” by Mary Ellen Riddle, Outer Banks Voice, with additional details verified through National Park Service and Saint Augustine Lighthouse resources.