Lighthouses Restoration Fund

Our historic lighthouses symbolize our rich maritime history and attract visitors from around the country. Owned and operated by the Township, these historic beacons have weathered many winters, but they also require significant resources to keep them standing proud.

In 2018, Presque Isle Township Museum Society (PITMS) and Presque Isle Township established the Presque Isle Lighthouses Restoration Fund to support the care and preservation of our Old and New Lighthouses and related buildings. The fund, administered by the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan (CFNEM), supports the Township’s efforts to restore the Old and New Lighthouses and related buildings.

Each fall, we welcome the giving season by participating in GivingTuesday, an annual global day of giving when people join together to do good for their community. In 2023, $20,049.47 was added to the Presque Isle Lighthouses Restoration Fund! Thank you to all who support the ongoing restoration of our lighthouses for our children and grandchildren to enjoy.

Proceeds from the 2023 GivingTuesday campaign will help fund the critical repairs to the windows and front porch and steps of the 1905 Keeper’s House. Maintaining this historic home helps the Museum Society tell the story of the Presque Isle Lighthouses and the keepers who watched over them.

Presque Isle Lighthouse Restoration Fund donations are accepted throughout the year, not just on GivingTuesday. We encourage you to make a donation to the Lighthouses Restoration Fund by going to Presque Isle Lighthouses Restoration Fund. or mailing your check to PITMS, PO Box 208, Presque Isle, MI 49777

A Clear View Through New Windows

During the winter months, the Township contracted with Meridian Restoration of Alpena to replace nine deteriorated original windows and five storm windows in the 1905 House. Historically correct replicas of the windows were installed to maintain the historic character of the building. The repairs were not cosmetic, but necessary to preserve the integrity of the entire building and protect our collection of historic artifacts in the museum.

Rope-and-pulley, double-hung sash windows, like those in the 1905 House, were very common from the mid-1800s to mid-1900s. The system allows windows to stay open without additional props or stays. The sash holds the glass in place within the window frame. Both the upper and lower sash can be moved to open and close the window. Counterweights, attached to the sashes with rope and held in hollow channels on either side of the window, travel up and down in the channels when the sashes are raised or lowered. Modern windows use spring balances to support the sashes.

Maintaining Our Historic Treasures

Like many other homes in Presque Isle, our historic structures suffered damage during the 2022 spring hailstorm. Insurance assessments found broken windows and damaged roofs. The Presque Isle Township administration, which takes great care to maintain the lighthouses, filed an insurance claim and contracted with Meridian Contracting Services of Alpena to replace the roofs using historically accurate materials. New cedar shake roofs were installed on the Old and New Lighthouse Keeper’s Houses roofs and the bell pavilion at the Old Lighthouse. The metal roof over the front porch of the 1905 Keeper’s House was also replaced.

Over the past few years, the front porch, stairs, and railings of the 1905 Keeper’s House have deteriorated rapidly due to excessive moisture. To ensure the safety of our visitors, extensive repairs were undertaken by the Township staff this past summer. The project was funded in part by donations to the Presque Isle Township Lighthouses Restoration Fund.

Maintaining two historic lighthouses and 120 acres of land that make up the Lighthouse Parks is a daunting task. We hope you’ll agree that the Township does a great job with limited resources. And if you have contributed to GivingTuesday for the benefit of our lighthouses, we thank you!

Crane with worker doing repairs on New Presque Isle Lighthouse

Repairs to the New Lighthouse

For several years, visitors to the New Lighthouse (1870) noticed the growing vertical cracks extending from the corners of the tower windows. The Presque Isle Township administration, which owns and takes great care to maintain the lighthouses, commissioned an engineering firm with experience in historical buildings, Sanders & Czapski Associates of Marquette, to examine the lighthouse tower.

The firm found no evidence of damage to the inner wall or the structural integrity of the tower. But excess moisture had caused the bricks to crack. Late this summer, the Township hired Meridian Restoration of Alpena to bring in a 125-foot-high lift, repair the lintels above and below the tower windows, replace the cracked bricks, and repaint the affected area. This essential work went well as the cracked bricks were replaced in advance of winter to prevent future damage. According to Matt Bedard, Township Facilities and Project Manager, although the interior and exterior walls of the 1870 tower will continue to be monitored closely, the repair will prevent any further water intrusion that could cause damage to the inner wall or structural integrity.

Funds to repair the 1870 tower were drawn from the Presque Isle Lighthouses Restoration Fund at CFNEM, the Lighthouse Gift Shop Committee Fund, and the Township’s Facilities Budget. To reduce costs, bricks that had been retained from the 1988 rebricking of the tower were reused for the recent repair.