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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.
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“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.
SUPPORT YOUR INDEPENDENT LOCAL NEWSPAPER: I started Old Mission Gazette in 2015 because I felt a calling to provide the Old Mission Peninsula community with local news. After decades of writing for newspapers and magazines like the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Family Circle and Ladies' Home Journal, I really just wanted to write about my own community where I grew up on a cherry farm and raised my own family. So I started my own newspaper.
Because Old Mission Gazette is a "Reader Supported Newspaper" -- meaning it exists because of your financial support -- I hope you'll consider tossing a few bucks our way if I mention your event, your business, your organization or your news item, or if you simply love reading about what's happening on the OMP. In a time when local news is becoming a thing of the past, supporting an independent community newspaper is more important now than ever. Thank you so much for your support! -Jane Boursaw, Editor/Publisher, Old Mission Gazette
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