MUNISING, MI – The beacon that guided ships through dangerous waters for a century, called in volunteers from across the country to help restore its foundation this fall. The East Channel Lighthouse near Grand Island’s eastern passage is one of the few surviving historic schoolhouse-style lighthouses in the Great Lakes region. After weathering Lake Superior storms for 158 years it was in major need of some TLC.
In 2021, the Hiawatha National Forest staff recognized both the cultural and economic importance of the forest’s six lighthouses and applied for Great American Outdoors Act funding to restore and restabilize these historic icons. This September, volunteers from six states, including both Michigan peninsulas, joined the three-week restoration project in the U.P. The volunteers came with a range of experience. Among them was a mason, several carpenters, two historic architects, architectural historians, and a retired architect. “Others joined with a learning spirit,” the U.S. Forest Service said in a press release. Together, they camped on the mainland and traveled by boat each day to the lighthouse.
At the worksite, volunteers underwent the process of “painstakingly hammering and chiseling Portland cement from between each sandstone foundation blocks.”
The lighthouse’s wooden structure was built in 1868 with locally acquired sandstone and timber. In a nontraditional move, Portland cement was used as a binding agent instead of mortar. “This cement causes the sandstone to crack and spall when exposed to the stresses caused by annual freeze and thaw cycles. Between the cement and extreme environmental conditions, the foundation of the lighthouse had become degraded and unstable,” according to the U.S. Forest Service.
After chiseling out the old Portland cement, volunteers repointed the sandstone with a historically appropriate mortar. The new mortar recipe was chosen to match the color of the sandstone and allow the foundation of the building to remain weathertight through the seasons, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
“After three weeks of work, fueled by good music, great views, new friends and plenty of coffee, the foundation was finally completed. Between clean-up and handshakes, volunteers reflected on the hours spent staring at sandstone rocks and Lake Superior, and the dedication to a project that required them to stand all the way up and stretch,” the Forest Service wrote.
Phase two of the project is planned for next year and will focus on repairing the lighthouse roof, soffits and facia.
The Forest Service is working with the restoration nonprofit HistoriCorps to mobilize volunteers for these lighthouse projects. The nonprofit previously assisted numerous historic preservation projects on the Hiawatha, including the Point Iroquois Lighthouse stabilization project that concluded in 2023.
Find more details about this project and upcoming volunteer opportunities at historicorps.org.
East Channel Light.
