The silent sentinel at the mouth of the Black River in South Haven looks like a giant transluscent holiday package waiting to be opened on a Christmas morning. Fortunately for fans of the South Haven Lighthouse, nobody will have to wait until December 25th to “find out what’s inside.” Instead, the unveiling of the century-old structure on South Haven’s south pier entrance from Lake Michigan is slated to take place tomorrow morning at 9:30am.
The Historical Association of South Haven (HASH) is pleased to announce the completion of the exterior phase of the South Haven Lighthouse Restoration Project.
The lighthouse has been surrounded by scaffolding and shrouded in plastic since early September while workers removed an estimated 10 coats of paint, made repairs and re-painted it with approximately 52 gallons of its signature red paint. As we have reported here before, the interior restoration was completed this past spring.
The $300,000 restoration project was made possible through contributions to a community-wide “Save The Light” initiative sponsored by the Historical Association of South Haven. The project was also supported by a $60,000 grant from the Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program.
The restoration work was done by Mihm Enterprises of Hamilton, Michigan, who also assisted with the reconditioning of the iconic St. Joseph North Pier earlier this year.
A formal re-dedication of the South Haven lighthouse will be conducted next spring, according to authorities from the historical group.
