Donations
Help Keep Norwalk's Hidden Gem Shining Bright!
Sheffield Island Lighthouse has stood watch over Norwalk Harbor since 1868. The Norwalk Seaport Association has maintained it since 1986 — entirely through ticket sales, memberships, and the generosity of donors like you.
No government funding. Just a community that believes this landmark is worth preserving — for the schoolkids who visit each spring, the families who picnic on the island in summer, and the generations who will come after them.
Why Your Gift Matters
A 157-year-old granite lighthouse on a tidal island doesn't take care of itself. Every season brings structural wear, weather damage, and maintenance demands that require skilled hands and real resources.
Your donation helps fund:
- Masonry, wood and window repairs to the lighthouse and lightkeepers cottage
- Weatherproofing and preservation of the 10-room historic interior
- Island infrastructure — dock maintenance, pavilion, pathways, and signage
- Operation of the Capt. M.C. Schelgel, the ferry vessel that carries visitors to the island
The lighthouse tower is currently closed to climbing while structural restoration work is underway. We do however allow limited access for some guests depending on the situation.
Your Gift at Work
Here’s what your support looks like in practice:
- $50: One hour of skilled seasonal landscaping maintenance
- $100: Maintenance/materials for the lighthouse interior
- $250: One full day of contracted repair or preservation work
- $500: Contributes to the lighthouse tower refurbishment
- $1,000+: Named recognition on the Sheffield Island Lighthouse Supporters list
All gifts are tax-deductible. The Norwalk Seaport Association is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
A Little History
Sheffield Island Lighthouse was built in 1868 to guide commercial shipping through western Long Island Sound. In 1902, when the newly constructed Greens Ledge Light took over those duties, the Sheffield Island light was decommissioned and the island was left to the elements.
For decades it sat empty. Then, in 1986, the Norwalk Seaport Association stepped in, and the real work began. Volunteers and community supporters restored the lighthouse from near ruin and opened it to the public — and have kept it open every summer since.
Today, thousands of visitors make the ferry crossing each season from 90 Water Street in Historic South Norwalk. They tour the lighthouse, walk the beaches, spot osprey and egrets and other migratory birds and take in one of the most striking coastal views in Connecticut.
That doesn’t happen without support. It happens because of people like you.
You can also donate by check made out to Seaport Association
Mail to:
Seaport Association
213 Liberty Square
Norwalk, CT 06855
If you have any questions please call the Seaport office at 203-838-9444 or e-mail info@seaport.org
IRS Form 990