TOP: 



The interior reveals post and beam detail. 



BOTTOM: 



Ken Wenberg works on a window opening. 



"This building was knocked around by storms, off its foundation 

 three times, and moved several times, but remained intact," he adds. 

 "The internal construction style dates to medieval times." 



MISSING RECORDS 



Wenberg is fascinated not only by the architecture and craftsman- 

 ship in the building, but also by the history of the lifesaving crews. As 

 he and others spent hours searching for records, he soon began to 

 realize that files were not only missing from the U.S. Lifesaving 

 Service, but also from other federal agencies of the time period. 



"I diverted my attention to find out why part of the history of our 

 country was missing," he says. To his amazement, he found out that in 

 1970, the federal government sold many uncataloged U.S. Treasury 

 Department records from 1795 to 1914. 



"I considered it finding the Mother Lode," he said of the records 

 that were sold to a foundation for $260,000. "It seems strange that they 

 sold these." 



But then again, maybe the sale is a reflection of the times. "We are 

 a throwaway society. We don't do a good job of preserving history in 

 this country," Wenberg says. 



The small foundation had microfilmed and cataloged the records, 

 but had not had outside requests to review the documents. "I was the 

 first one to ask," Wenberg says. "They let me copy the first book ever 

 printed for the lifesaving service." 



The foundation is working with Wenberg and the 

 Chicamacomico Historical Association, but at this time it does not have 

 the staff to handle a large number of research requests. 



In the meantime, Wenberg and his team tracked down the 

 surfmen's logs in the Atlanta branch of the National Archives. Those 

 logs should give firsthand descriptions of the lifesaving efforts. 



"The logs are now available," Wenberg says. "I am anxious to get 

 somebody down there. It will lead to a lot of things that we are 

 guessing at." 



The team also has found records of major universities' libraries. 

 "For the first time in history, we have the availability of knowing every 

 shipwreck — how many lives were lost or saved, how much cargo was 

 lost or saved," he says. 



"We can track down the names of the keepers and the superinten- 

 dents and the types of buildings and architecture. We can track down 

 the various types of boats used," he says. 



The research efforts will continue alongside the restoration work 

 on the building. Hurricanes Dennis, Floyd and Irene slowed work last 

 fall, but Wenberg expects to have the exterior renovation completed by 

 this spring. The interior work will take another year. 



The Chicamacomico Historical Association also plans to furnish 

 the building — and hopes to utilize plans for the original boat and car. 



"My hope is that people can view the building as it was in 1 874," 

 Wenberg says. "When people come in, they can look at history." 



Yet, once the architectural renovations are complete, there will be 

 tasks ahead for Wenberg. 



He dreams of a reunion one day for the families of those who 

 were saved by the Chicamacomico surfmen. □ 



COASTWATCH 17 



