Crews Begin Restoring Fort Gratiot Lighthouse

PORT HURON (AP) - Crews have begun restoring one of Michigan's oldest lighthouses.

The Times Herald reports Saturday that the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse just north of Port Huron's Blue Water Bridge is undergoing an entire restoration of its tower. Crews started removing damaged bricks and installing new ones on Friday.

St. Clair County officials hope to have the station open to the public by next spring or summer.

Plans also include constructing a walkway from the station's fog signal building to the lighthouse and installing benches and interpretive panels. The county has been approved for a $30,000 grant but needs local matching funds to get it.

The light station property was transferred officially from the U.S. Coast Guard to the county last year.

The Fort Gratiot Lighthouse was built in 1829.

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