New London ― The New London Maritime Society announced in a news release that it has received $110,000 from two donations in support of its lighthouse preservation efforts.

The Maritime Society’s efforts have culminated into 2022 Year of the Lighthouse, a year dedicated to relaunching preservation efforts at the three historic beacons the society owns following a two-year disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It's a cap on what has been a spectacular Year of the Lighthouse and very much appreciated,” said NLMS Executive Director Susan Tamulevich.

The three lighthouses the society owns are the Race Rock Lighthouse (1878), New London Ledge Lighthouse (1909) and New London Harbor (Pequot) Lighthouse (1760)― all active aids to navigation. Together, these three historic beacons lead ships from the Atlantic Ocean to New London Harbor.

Louise Novitch, who with her late husband Mark, have been a long-time supporters of Harbor Light, and gave $10,000 to finish the entrance gate. The society completed landscaping at Harbor Light this summer with a $60,000 state Good-to-Great grant and 101 people toured the lighthouse.

Last spring, the Ludwick Family Foundation invited the Maritime Society to apply for funds to preserve the Race Rock Lighthouse. In late October, the society learned it would receive $100,000. So far, the society has raised more than $15,000 in donations for the lighthouse.

The Maritime Society last week launched a Go Fund Me campaign to commission a preservation plan for the New London Ledge Lighthouse. Launching this campaign for Ledge is the last project of the society’s Year of the Lighthouse.

Christina Corcoran, president of the society, said it will never give up protecting the lighthouses through historic preservation, education and public access.

“It's not for us, it's for the next generation,” Corcoran said in the release.