Michigan's J.J. McCarthy picked by Minnesota Vikings at No. 10 overall in NFL draft 2024
MICHIGAN

Michigan license plates help preserve 3 historic lighthouses

Detroit Free Press staff

Specialty license plates sold in Michigan are helping to preserve three historic lighthouses across the state.

The Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program awarded grants to help assess and repair three structures:

North Manitou Shoal Light

Courtesy photo The North Manitou Shoal Light, which sits in Lake Michigan roughly 8 miles off the shore of Leland.

The North Manitou Light Keeper, Inc. received a $40,000 grant to hire a consultant to produce a Historic Structure Report (HSR) for the North Manitou Shoal Light to guide future rehabilitation in compliance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.

The North Manitou Shoal Light, which opened in 1935 and ius known locally as "the Crib," is located in Lake Michigan southeast of North Manitou Island near Leland.

Grosse Ile North Channel Front Range Light

The lighthouse. The picture was taken June 15, 2006 at the lighthouse on Grosse Ile on the north side of the island on the Detroit River. The wooden structure was built in 1906. this is its 100th year in existence and needs rebuilding. MARY SCHROEDER/Detroit Free Press. Architectural tourism story by John Gallagher

The Township of Grosse Ile will receive $40,000 to hire contractors to replace deteriorated exterior wood features, repaint the entire exterior of the Grosse Ile Light, rehabilitate four double-hung wood windows and repair damaged interior finishes in compliance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. The lighthouse was built in 1904.

Eagle Harbor Lighthouse

"Eagle Harbor Lighthouse" by Kim-Tong Gan, is part of a photo exhibit with Tom Coratti, at Meadowbrook Art Center in Novi that runs through Jan. 31, 2006.

The Keweenaw County Historical Society will use $33,000 to hire contractors to replace or rehabilitate 12 double-hung wood windows, rehabilitate two original wood casement windows in the tower and build and install 13 new wood storm windows at the lighthouse on Lake Superior, which was built in 1871. The project will also include improvements to the interior ventilation of the lighthouse. All work will comply with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.

The lighthouse repairs likely wouldn't happen without funds from the sale of the specialty plates.

More: Michigan is a hotbed of sin

More: Postal worker accused of stealing 15,000 pieces of mail

Awardees are chosen annually through a competitive application process. Grant recipients are required to contribute 50 percent of the grant amount as matching funds. 

To date, the program has awarded $2.2 million to help rehabilitate and preserve lighthouses for tourists and residents alike to explore and appreciate, according to a news release.

“Because of the generosity of people 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,” said Earl Poleski, executive director for the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, which administers the program.

“The lighthouses that dot Michigan’s vast coastlines and stand tall offshore are vulnerable to the elements and require upkeep. ... Preservation grants help lighthouse stewards protect and preserve these beacons for all of us.”