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As part of the recent massive restoration project at the lighthouses of Wisconsin’s Apostle Islands, the old Michigan Island Lighthouse has undergone a major restoration as shown here with the scaffolding up around the tower.
Actually, the first Michigan Island Lighthouse tower was never supposed to have been built on Michigan Island, but instead on another island. Built in 1856, the tower, made of rough stone and whitewashed, was discontinued after one year of operation. After being abandoned for more than 10 years, the government felt that it should be put back into service and $6,000 was spent to refurbish it.
Later the government decided that Michigan Island should have a taller lighthouse. So, when the 1880 Schooner Ledge Rear Range Lighthouse in Pennsylvania was discontinued, in 1919 the Lighthouse Service shipped the disassembled Pennsylvania tower by train and then by boat to Michigan Island where it sat on the beach for ten years while it waited to be reassembled. Once the new Michigan Island light tower was erected, the old tower was left standing and thankfully avoided demolition. Its restoration was long overdue. Photo courtesy David J. Cooper, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.
This story appeared in the
Jan/Feb 2014 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.
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