Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse
150th Anniversary Marks Capital Fund Raising Project
The 150th Anniversary of the Pointe aux Barques
Lighthouse, to be celebrated at the Lighthouse
Festival August 4th and 5th, 2007, will mark a significant
point in the Capital Fund Raising Campaign of the
Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse Society (PABLS). The
Society's fundraising goal of $10,600.00 in donations
and letters of intent is based upon the extreme need
to have the Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse Tower painted
before the coming winter.
This is the first capital fund raising effort by
the Board of Directors of the PABLS. Fund raising
is undertaken at this time since it has become quite
evident in the past year that the condition of the
tower requires immediate preventative maintenance
to stop damage next winter to the original bricks
of the tower. As a "return on investment" process,
painting of the tower is indicated at this time.
It is not commonly known that the Pointe aux Barques
Lighthouse is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse
navigational aide on the Great Lakes. The light continues
to be maintained by the Coast Guard as an official
navigational aide, although the lighthouse belongs
to Huron County and the Lighthouse Society is the
steward of the lighthouse. When you visit the Pointe
aux Barques Lighthouse at Lighthouse County Park
on the weekend of the Festival, you can not only
climb the tower, but will have the opportunity to
see first hand the deteriorating condition of the
paint protecting the interior and exterior of the
tower.
During the past three years the PABLS, in collaboration
with the Huron County Road Commission and the County
Parks Manager, Steve Romzek, has worked through the
processes of, restoring the cedar shake roof, copper
gutters, eaves, and downspouts of the Keeper's Dwelling;
reconfiguring the rooms of the second story of the
dwelling to their original 1857 layout, restoring
the foundations of the keeper's dwelling and the
tower, refinishing all the floors as well as plastering
and painting the interior of the keeper's dwelling;
and installing heat and air-conditioning in the keeper's
dwelling. The latter has enabled the PABLS to enhance
and increase the high quality of interpretive displays
in the museums. The recent addition of a two room
display of lighthouse artifacts and equipment has
made the Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse Museum one
of the top three comprehensive lighthouse displays
in Michigan's Great Lakes Museums. Jeff Shook, descendent
of Peter Shook - the first Lighthouse Keeper at the
Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse, has placed the display
on loan to the Museum.
Parties interesting in being a part of this significant
step in completing the restoration of the Pointe
aux Barques Lighthouse, may contact Judy Valentine,
Vice President of PABLS and Chairperson of the Fundraising
Committee at 989-856-4505, cjvalent@glis.net.
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