Michigan Man With Passion For Lighthouses Buys His Own

PORT SANILAC, Mich. (WWJ/AP) - A 43-year-old Michigan man with a passion and pedigree for lighthouses has bought his own.

Jeff Shook of Fenton bought the Port Sanilac Lighthouse in December for $855,000. Shook, who founded the Michigan Lighthouse Conservancy, said he's been interested in the lighthouse, located about 80 miles north-northeast of Detroit, for several years.

"I've got a lot of preservation knowledge and contacts and know what to do toward preserving lighthouses, and that knowledge will carry over into preserving this one," Shook told The Times Herald of Port Huron.

Shook said it was a private purchase and not on behalf of the conservancy, which owns lighthouses in Alpena and Muskegon. He plans to use the Port Sanilac light tower and historic home for vacations with his wife and two children, but said he envisions some public events because of interest in the property.

The Port Sanilac Lighthouse was built in 1886 and was once owned and operated by the U.S. Coast Guard. It was sold to Shook by Ian Aronsson and Tim Conklin, who listed it last year for nearly $1 million.

Shook said his passion for lighthouses runs deep through his blood. His ancestors were the first lighthouse keepers at Point Aux Barques lighthouse north of Point Hope, and his grandmother was the state's first female lighthouse keeper.

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