Rock of Ages Lighthouse on Lake Superior seeks to raise $50,000

The Rock of Ages Lighthouse Preservation Society is raising $50,000 to restore and repair the historic building on Lake Superior. The Lighthouse is located off the coast of Isle Royale(47°52′00″N, 89°18′48″W) about 15 miles from Minnesota’s North Shore.

The lighthouse was completed in 1908 and remained in operation until 1978. It helped provide navigation aid for vessels traveling between the North Shore and Isle Royale. Owned by the National Park Service, “The Rock” now greets visitors en route to Isle Royale National Park. 

Since 2015, volunteers with the Rock of Ages Lighthouse Preservation Society (ROALPS) have worked to restore the building. The overall goal is to eventually open it to the public. Volunteers have restored the third and fourth floors of the lighthouse and partially restored many other areas. 

However, water damage is an ongoing an issue at the Rock of Ages Lighthouse. Cracks in the masonry and missing vent covers allow moisture build up during the off season on multiple floors. The damages have caused significant issues for the restoration progress over the past eight years.

ROALPS launched the Paint the Rock Challenge to help raise money to repair and paint the lighthouse’s exterior masonry. During the 2023 summer, a money from the fundraiser will help hire a contractor with painting the building. The fundraiser will help interior restoration work in lower parts of the tower that need considerable attention.

For more information you can look here https://rockofageslps.org/. For another story in the UP of Michigan you can look here https://www.wdio.com/tag/up-michigan/.