In case you hadn’t heard, Mission Point Lighthouse is celebrating a very special birthday this year. The iconic lighthouse on the north end of the Old Mission Peninsula turned 150 years old on Sept. 10, 2020. The historic light was first lit on Sept. 10, 1870.
To celebrate, there’s an event happening at the lighthouse on Monday, Nov. 9, at 10 a.m. Mission Point Lighthouse will be accepting a check from the Old Mission Peninsula Historical Society, which helped to fund the new historically-accurate shutters (read more about those here). The funds were transfered from the now-dissolved Friends of Mission Point Lighthouse to the Historical Society and were earmarked specifically for the shutters.
Old Mission Gazette is Reader Supported.
Click Here to Keep the Gazette Going.
“Friends of the Lighthouse started raising money to restore replicas of the historic shutters over four years ago,” says Historical Society President John Scarbrough. “They deserve a big thank you for this challenging task. The shutters had been missing for over ninety years.”
He adds that the historical research, designing the shutters, getting state approval, having the shutters custom-built, and working with the contractor for installation was done jointly by Ginger Shultz, OMPHS members Laura Johnson, Chris Rieser, and John Scarbrough, as well as Peninsula Township staff Rob Manigold, Marge Achorn, Becky Chown and others.
The event, which is open to everyone in the OMP community, will also celebrate recent upgrades to the lighthouse, including renovations to the kitchen, keeper’s quarters and more. There will be an open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Laura Johnson will be giving a presentation on the history of the lighthouse around 10 a.m., as well.
While you’re there, be sure and check out the informative signs throughout the grounds, which outline the history of the lighthouse. The signs were designed by Historical Society member Karen Rieser.
Refreshments will be available, and it looks like we’ll have a good day weather-wise, too. My weather app promises temps in the 70s, with only a 20 percent chance of rain. Covid-19 protocols will be in place, so bring your mask with you.
Mission Point Lighthouse is located at the north end of Center Road/M37 on the Old Mission Peninsula.
[…] happened to swing into the cooling pad yesterday on my way to the Lighthouse open house (photos forthcoming), and both brothers were loading up the last truck of the season. After a long […]