North Manitou Light Keepers completes acquisition, starts restoration work
From staff reports
North Manitou Light Keepers (NMLK), a Michigan nonprofit organization, announces that its acquisition of the North Manitou Shoal Light (also known in its local area as “The Crib”) is complete and its restoration of the lighthouse starts now. NMLK plans to fully restore the lighthouse and make it available to the public for tours and appreciation by July 4, 2021. The organization also invites fellow enthusiasts to become members of the NMLK team and help restore the lighthouse by contributing to the “Campaign for the Crib!”
“This is a major milestone moment for the Crib because we are completing our startup phase and beginning to actually work on the lighthouse, build our membership, and raise funds to complete the restoration,” said Daniel Oginsky, NMLK President. “Now that we officially own the lighthouse, we can start cleaning it up and working toward its full restoration.”
After winning a public auction for the lighthouse on September 27, 2016, NMLK applied for and recently received a necessary regulatory approval from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. Following this approval, NMLK officially closed on the acquisition of the lighthouse from the United States General Services Administration.
NMLK is initiating its restoration of the exterior and interior of the lighthouse. Plans for summer 2017 restoration work, which begins now, include:
• Cleaning the structure of the lighthouse, including the removal of lead-based paint, asbestos and bird excrement
• Stabilizing and weatherproofing the structure
• Cleaning and painting the exterior of the lighthouse structure
• Repairing damaged metalwork
• Conducting an underwater evaluation of the structure and surrounding bottomlands
• Replacing glass panes and painting the lantern house
NMLK has engaged Michigan-based Mihm Enterprises, Inc., an experienced contractor that has completed restorations of other historic Great Lakes lighthouses, to complete this summer’s restoration work. Mihm will utilize best practices and work procedures that protect the environment and comply with all federal safety and environmental regulations.
“With its experience completing similar jobs in the past,” said David McWilliam, NMLK board member, “we are pleased to be working with Mihm and feel secure that we, the lighthouse, and the environment will be in good and responsible hands.”
Future restoration plans for the lighthouse include renovating its interior, replacing windows, installing historic cranes on the lighthouse deck, installing electrical and other interior systems, and installing finishes and furnishings. “Our first step is to clean up the lighthouse,” Oginsky said. “After that we will fully restore it, and then offer tours and other chances to spend time at a wonderful, historic lighthouse amidst one of America’s most beautiful places.”
NMLK’s membership program now allows Lake Michigan, Leelanau County, lighthouse, Coast Guard, and history enthusiasts, and other friends to become official members of the NMLK team. Annual membership levels and related benefits initially are donations of $50 for Lake Level, $100 for Crib Level, and $250 for Light Keeper Level. Members and their contributions will help build and grow NMLK as a community, and support the ongoing operation of the lighthouse.
NMLK also is initiating a capital campaign to fund the restoration of the lighthouse, called the “Campaign for the Crib!” The Campaign for the Crib! will be a finite campaign targeted specifically at raising funds for the restoration of the lighthouse. Campaign donor levels and related recognition are initially established at $1,000 and $5,000. Donors also are encouraged to speak with NMLK about other opportunities to help fund specific portions of the lighthouse restoration. In addition to initial funding and other support provided by NMLK’s founding members, support from the community will be needed to complete the restoration of the lighthouse, which could cost as much as $1 million to $1.5 million. NMLK will apply for grants to help fund its restoration, but grants are expected to cover a relatively small amount of needed funding.
NMLK is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization, and donations made to the organization are tax deductible as allowed by law. Additional information about NMLK, membership in the organization, and the Campaign for the Crib!, as well as how to join and donate, can be found on NMLK’s website at http://northmanitoulightkeepers.org.
About the North Manitou Shoal Light (“The Crib”)
The North Manitou Shoal Light is an offshore lighthouse built in 1935, and it marks the southern end of the shoal (or shallow area) south of North Manitou Island. Since being built, it and its crew have protected lives and shipping making its way through the Manitou Passage in Northern Lake Michigan. The lighthouse stands on a man-made “crib” of wood, rock, and concrete sitting on the bottom of Lake Michigan in 26 feet of water. The lighthouse was run by a rotating three-man Coast Guard crew until 1980, when its navigational equipment was automated. In 2015, the federal government deemed the lighthouse “excess property,” and offered it for auction in 2016 under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000. While the lighthouse now is owned by NMLK, the Coast Guard will continue to maintain and operate navigational equipment there.
About the North Manitou Light Keepers
NMLK is a Michigan nonprofit organization formed in August 2016 to acquire, restore, and make available to the public the North Manitou Shoal Light. NMLK was founded by Daniel and Anna Oginsky, David and Sherry McWilliam, Jacob and Suzanne Kaberle, and Todd and Natalie Buckley. NMLK’s mission is to renovate and preserve the North Manitou Shoal Light, make it and its history available to the public for education and appreciation, and cultivate an active community of stewardship for this piece of Michigan maritime history that stands amidst one of America’s most beautiful places. More information about NMLK can be found on its website at www.northmanitoulightkeepers.org.
