On the edge of Boston Harbor, a rocky outcrop emerges from the ocean upon which sits Graves Light. Named for Rear Admiral Thomas Graves and not for its penchant for sinking ships, Graves Light made headline news last year when it was auctioned off by the federal government. Dave and Lynn Waller emerged from the bidding war victorious, purchasing the National Historic Landmark for an amount Dave wishes people didn’t focus on as much as they should the lighthouse’s celebrated past and bright future.

“I wish people would stop talking about how much we paid for it,” Dave told me over the phone. “It makes it sound like we just kind of hurled money at it like we don’t know what we’re doing with it.”

As it turns out, Dave and Lynn – who bought and restored a historic firehouse in Malden back in 1992 – have big plans for Graves Light, nearly all of which mirror and are supported by various committees and organizations charged with preserving it. Graves Light might be privately owned, but it’s still a property listed in the National Register and therefore requires maintenance and conservation.

It’s been little over a year since the Wallers purchased the plumbing-less, utility-less, access-less Graves Light. I wanted to check in and see what’s in store for the Wallers, the lighthouse and seafaring Bostonians.

“It’s really been a lot,” continued Dave. “Since we bought it in the fall, and the weather had gotten rough, there wasn’t much we could do out there. But it was a good time to plan. We joined every committee we could find and started to get the lay of the land for what their vision for Graves was.”

Before any talk of taking up residence or instating public programs can really be parlayed into action, though, the focus of Graves Light has been on upkeep. Given its harsh exposure to the elements, whiplashed by wind and water alike, current efforts have been to reverse the process of gradual destruction – starting with combating corrosion.

The inside of the lighthouse has been completely cleaned out and all of the rust has been updated. A corrosion expert has been brought in who’s actually able to reverse the process, turning rust back into steel. It was a massive facet of the project, Dave said, not flashy but definitely big.

Revamping the exterior masonry is another component to the revitalization. Suspended by cables from the observation deck as seen in the stomach-dropping photo below, the stonecutters are embedding stainless steel supports within the sides of the lighthouse, cutting out all of the joints and replacing them with the correct color and type of mortar that’s comprised of the same stone dug from a Rockport quarry that the entire structure is built from.

The next step will be to paint – black for the lantern, as per Coast Guard regulations – for which the Wallers are hoping to host “a couple of painting parties this year” for all those interested in contributing to the history of Graves Light.

And then there’s the dock – perpetually hammered by the Atlantic – that needs to be secured for improved access to the public. Standing between an intrepid island-goer and the lighthouse is a steep ladder not for those with bouts acrophobia.

“Right now [Graves Light] is just for the hearty, people that can climb a 40-foot ladder,” added Dave. “We’re working with the National Park Service for a stair tower on the dock so anyone who can climb stairs can get inside.”

That project, however, will likely be undertaken next season.

But why? Why sink so much money into buying an inaccessible rust heap, the sustenance of which is sure to make anyone with a bank account cringe?

Well, for one thing, it’s a landmark piece of Boston history; for another, it’s a lighthouse. And who wouldn’t want to own and potentially live in a lighthouse?

For the Wallers, the investment was twofold: They envision themselves opening up Graves Light’s historical significance to the public as much as they can for an isolated outpost and also for their own personal leisure.

“Our vision would be to open it up on special days,” Dave suggested. “The Boston Harbor Island Alliance has three days where they have a boat tour that goes around The Graves. We could see a day like that when we could have people come in and tour the lighthouse. We’ve been collecting artifacts” – hats, dishes, tools, etc. – “from the U.S. Lighthouse Service to tell the story of them too.”

They’re also endeavoring to digitize the lighthouse, making its background story handy for those privy to scouring the Internet. In fact, Dave’s brother is in Washington D.C. right now, dredging up nearly-forgotten archival coverage of The Graves, anything from German U-Boat sightings to drunk Bostonians floating around circa 1910, and stockpiling them online.

And then, as is the case with many a seasonal getaway, they hope to put it to use for some good old fashioned R&R.

They first considered the traditional New England summer destinations: Cape Cod and the Islands, Lake Winnipesaukee up in New Hampshire, and Kennebunkport, Maine. Despite the hefty auction price of Graves Light and subsequent maintenance costs associated with it, the Wallers realized that those other classic vacation spots were simply too pricy. Not to mention that there’s hardly a beachfront or lakefront property in the entire country with as much character as a lighthouse on the outskirts of Boston Harbor.

“We want to make it a vacation house for us and our friends,” Dave posited. “We love to fix up basket case properties. And this is right in the harbor, 20-minutes from Winthrop. Everyone’s sitting on I-93 or on the Bourne Bridge, and I’m like, ‘wait a minute…'”

The thought of hosting people in a bed-and-breakfast like setting also crossed the Wallers’ minds, to which Dave countered, “Who would change the sheets?”

Waller also let me know that anyone can enjoy a similar experience as he and his wife. Off the coast of Cohasset and Scituate, Minots Light is also up for auction and for the much more affordable price of $10,000. If that’s not enough to sway you into cracking open the piggy bank, consider that Minots was the inspiration and model for Graves.

Naturally I asked if buying Graves Light was the start of a budding lighthouse collection with Minots to follow.

“I already have one lighthouse I don’t need,” he chuckled.

Besides, he’s still working on reliable transportation for getting out to the lighthouse he doesn’t need. He still doesn’t own an apt maritime vessel (they have a small rubber boat), and as is the case with some of the unions enjoyed by happily married couples, that authority is vested in his soul mate.

“You’d have to talk to Mrs. W about that,” cautioned Dave. “She told me ‘Dave, we’re not boat people.'”

For now, they’re perfectly happy being lighthouse people.

Images via Dave Waller