North Manitou Light Keepers has been awarded a Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program grant from the State Historic Preservation Office. The $50,000 grant will be used to replace old decking and prevent water intrusion and structural damage. A consultant will oversee the rehabilitation the watch deck of this offshore lighthouse known as “The Crib,” including removing non-historic steel plates, repairing holes and cracks in the deck, making improvements to drainage, sealing and flashing of seams and joints, and resurfacing the entire watch deck. The North Manitou Light Keepers will be able to match the grant (a requirement) through a previous grant from the Edmund F. and Virginia B. Ball Foundation.

It was one of three Michigan organizations to receive a grant. The others are St. Clair County Parks and Recreation for the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse of Port Huron, which received a $16,667 grant, and Crisp Point Light Historical Society for the Crisp Point Lighthouse near Newberry, in the amount of $60,000.

Funding for this program comes solely from the sale of specialty “Save Our Lights” license plates, available at all Secretary of State branch offices. To date, the State Historic Preservation Office has awarded nearly $2.7 million in matching funds to help rehabilitate and preserve lighthouses for tourists and residents to explore and appreciate. 

Representatives from the North Manitou Light Keepers shared, “We are thankful to have such supportive people championing “The Crib.”  This grant helps us complete an integral part of preserving the lighthouse, allowing us to look forward to restoring the living quarters and other interior spaces. This is a really important step as we are gearing up to begin tours to The Crib and look to provide overnight stays and more comfortable tours in the future.”