Hiawatha Lighthouses

Awardees: Hiawatha National Forest, Round Island Lighthouse Preservation Society, Bay Mills Indian Community, Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society, HistoriCorps, and YouthWork

Long-term collaborative stewardship of Hiawatha National Forest lighthouses

Hiawatha National Forest covers nearly one million acres of Michigan’s upper peninsula, stretching from Lake Superior to Lakes Michigan and Huron. It is the only national forest to contain historic lighthouses, six in total.

Hiawatha has partnered with nearby stakeholders to help care for these important cultural resources. The Round Island Lighthouse Preservation Society has assisted with the preservation of this landmark lighthouse near Mackinac Island, repairing metal doors and outbuildings, and installing rip-rap to protect it from rising lake levels. A new partnership with the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society will help implement public interpretation of the Grand Island North Light near Munising.

A creative partnership resulted in the recent rehabilitation of the Point Iroquois Light near Brimley. Working with HistoriCorps and YouthWork, adult volunteers and at-risk youth were able to get their hands dirty, learning valuable construction and preservation skills and forging new friendships over three summers while repairing damaged brick, reconstructing stone walls, and restoring the circular interior stairs at this lighthouse built in 1870. A new agreement with the Bay Mills Indian Community will soon open an Indigenous history museum at Point Iroquois, sharing important tribal history with lighthouse visitors.

With partnerships established, the Hiawatha National Forest historic lighthouses are poised to be illuminating destinations for years to come.

Hiawatha Lighthouses

Awardees: Hiawatha National Forest, Round Island Lighthouse Preservation Society, Bay Mills Indian Community, Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society, HistoriCorps, and YouthWork

Congratulations!