He Moves a 460-Ton Lighthouse on Martha's Vineyard: A Day's Work - Bloomberg
Chewing a cheap cigar atop an old bulldozer, Jerry Matyiko is at work in his office -- the stunning, colorful and rapidly eroding cliffs of Gay Head on the island of Martha’s Vineyard. The 68-year-old Navy veteran moves stuff -- big stuff, like airport terminals and multistory office buildings -- and he’s come to the Vineyard to do something he’s done before: save an old lighthouse from being lost to erosion and falling into the... This time it’s the red brick Gay Head Light built in 1856, a scenic attraction and still a functional beacon for sailors. This is Matyiko’s sixth lighthouse rescue, and the work promises to be one of the resort island’s top attractions as it heads into summer on this Memorial Day weekend. Massive Prep Work The Martha’s Vineyard job has been under way for a couple of months -- massive prep work that must be done before the structure is moved an inch. As with any of his jobs, Matyiko doesn’t take apart a structure and he doesn’t lift it off the ground with a crane. Once the Gay Head lighthouse starts moving, it will take two or three days to go 134 feet -- a destination determined to safeguard its stability for a minimum of another 150 years. The current Gay Head Light replaced the first one built in 1799 and is the. Source: www.bloomberg.com
