MHAL - 'Save Our Lights' License Plates Generate $215,800 for Projects at Eight Historic Michigan Lighthouses

March 14, 2008

Department of History, Arts and Libraries Director Dr. William Anderson and Michigan Historical Center Director Sandra Clark today announced more than $215,800 in 2008 lighthouse preservation grants to eight organizations.

The Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program, administered by the State Historic Preservation Office, is funded by proceeds from the sale of the "Save our Lights" license plate. Lighthouse grants are given to state and local governments or nonprofit organizations that are maintaining or restoring a lighthouse. Recipients must provide 50 percent of the grant award as matching funds. Since the program's inception in 2000, more than $1 million has been awarded.

"With more lighthouses than any other state in the nation, Michigan has an opportunity to build upon these communities' character and unique sense of place," said Dr. Anderson. "Each 'Save Our Lights' license plate that you see on the road represents a commitment by that car owner to the preservation of the picturesque lighthouses that help define the Great Lake State."

Clark added, "Whether perched on a small island in the middle of Lake Huron, or high on a bluff overlooking Lake Superior, these beacons are preserved through the hard work and dedication of our grant recipients. The lighthouse people are committed to maintaining some of our most remote and important structures."

The Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program was established to assist in the preservation, rehabilitation and protection of lighthouses in Michigan. The program arose from a concern about the disposal of over 70 lighthouses in Michigan by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Fiscal Year 2008 Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program (MLAP) grant recipients include the following projects. These awards are pending approval of the State Administrative Board.

$39,800 - Charlevoix Historical Society - Charlevoix South Pier Lighthouse
Phase II of the rehabilitation of the exterior will include rust removal and paint preparation work, including lead paint abatement and repainting. This is the third MLAP grant for this lighthouse.
$20,000 - DeTour Reef Light Preservation Society - DeTour Reef Light Station
The DeTour Reef Light Preservation Society has received $105,000 in Michigan Lighthouse Assistance grants in five previous awards. The society has already completed a major rehabilitation of the lighthouse. This project will rehabilitate the diaphone foghorn system, including the procurement of tanks, valves, non-functional diaphone, housing and piping and a compressor.
$40,000 - Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum - Grand Traverse Light Station
The Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum will use its third MLAP grant to replace windows in the lighthouse and fog signal building with historically correct wood windows.
$21,000 - Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association - Cheboygan River Front Range Light
The GLLKA will use this second MLAP grant to reinforce the deteriorated timber frame, repair damaged windowsill at lantern, and restore the lantern room exterior and the walkway surface of the observation deck.
$9,000 - Peninsula Township - Old Mission Point Lighthouse
Peninsula Township will use the grant funds to repair the lighthouse fascia and soffit, reroof and paint the catwalk, and pay for scaffolding rental.
$40,000 - Ontonagon County Historical Society - Ontonagon Harbor Lighthouse
MLAP grants funded a Historic Structures Report in 2000, and plans and specifications in 2006. The 2008 grant will be used to perform masonry repairs on the Keeper's Dwelling, Privy and Oil House as specified in the previous projects.
$6,000 - Delta County Historical Society - Sand Point Lighthouse
The Delta County Historical Society will hire an architect to prepare plans and specifications for directing water away from the masonry base and walls of the lighthouse in addition to partially rebuilding and repainting the chimney.
$40,000 - Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society - Whitefish Point Light Tower
This project will include stripping the paint from the light tower, doing lead paint abatement, and priming and painting the tower.

Michigan residents can support the preservation of Michigan's lighthouses by purchasing "Save Our Lights" license plates through the Secretary of State. The first year adds an additional $35 to the regular registration fee, and reduces to a $10 fee in subsequent years.

The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) assists in the identification, rehabilitation and interpretation of Michigan's historic resources. SHPO is a division of the Michigan Historical Center, part of the Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL). Dedicated to enriching quality of life and strengthening the economy by providing access to information, preserving and promoting Michigan's heritage and fostering cultural creativity, HAL also includes the Library of Michigan, the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the Michigan Film Office. For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/hal.