3/10/22 -Two Area Lighthouses Will Get Extra Funding

Michigan awards preservation grants to benefit two of Michigan's historic lighthouses.

Two historic Michigan lighthouses will make progress on long-term preservation efforts with the help of $100,000 in Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program (MLAP) grants from the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation announced today.

“Michigan has more lighthouses than any other state, and these beacons stand tall as icons of our shoreline communities. As a result of enduring decades of harsh weather, our lighthouses require constant maintenance and attention,” said Michigan’s State Historic Preservation Officer Mark A. Rodman. “Our lighthouse preservation grants help repair and restore these beacons, so they can connect us with our maritime heritage for years to come.”

Funding for this program comes solely from the sale of specialty Save Our Lights license plates available from the Michigan Secretary of State. To date, SHPO has awarded nearly $2.8 million in matching funds to help rehabilitate and preserve lighthouses for tourists and residents alike to explore and appreciate. To learn more about lighthouse preservation in Michigan, visit http://www.michigan.gov/saveourlights.

“Thanks to those residents who pay a little extra for a lighthouse license plate, we are able to award grants that help preserve these iconic Michigan structures for the long term,” Rodman said.

The Sable Points Lighthouse Keepers Association will benefit and will hire a contractor to complete a historic structures report for the Big Sable Point Light Station. A historic structure report is a fundamental component of preservation planning which provides information about a property's history, documents existing conditions and addresses management goals and rehabilitation priorities for the use or re-use of the property.

“The Sable Points Lighthouse Keepers Association is so pleased to receive this MLAP grant to help us achieve a major strategic goal of funding a Historic Structure Report for the Big Sable Point Lighthouse. We are looking forward to working with the State Historic Preservation Office and DNR Parks and Recreation to get this done,” said Sable Points Lighthouse Keepers Association Executive Director Peter Manting.

The City of Grand Haven will also get some of the funding.  They will hire a contractor to rehabilitate the Grand Haven South Pier Entrance and Inner Lights. Proposed work will include the repair of the exterior concrete wall and deck surfaces; restoring the exterior concrete stairs; restoring the concrete curb and installing new metal flashing; and repainting.

“The South Pier Lights in Grand Haven continue their transformation to among the most well-preserved and accessible lights on the Great Lakes. The Grand Haven Lighthouse Conservancy continues its partnership work of raising funds and awareness to make sure these treasures are the best they can be. The grant from the MLAP will supplement funds raised locally and are the next step in a multi-year approach to complete preservation and, soon, opening the lights regularly to public enjoyment,” said Grand Haven City Manager Pat McGinnis. “This grant will help restore the concrete deck and railings of the entrance light, which is among the most recognizable and familiar lights on the Great Lakes. The Grand Haven Lighthouse Conservancy is forever grateful for the support provided by SHPO and the people of the State of Michigan.”

With more than 120 lighthouses standing sentinel along Michigan’s 3,200 miles of shoreline, Michigan has more lighthouses than any other state in the country. Established in 2000 when many lighthouses were transferred out of federal ownership, the Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program is intended to help lighthouse stewards restore and repair their historic lighthouses, which in turn helps keep them open and an active part of local economies around the state as tourist and learning destinations.