St. helena island lighthouse, mi. / free downloadable pictures

Over the ensuing years, the entire lighthouse complex has been lovingly restored, including the installation of a new wood shingle roof, rebuilding of the boat house and assistant keepers dwelling, installation of new lantern and chimney, and the replacement of thousands of bricks in the tower.

Perhaps most amazingly, as a result of shallow waters which surround the island, all of the volunteers and materials have to be transferred to the island in small inflatable boats. Lighthouse preservation is not a one- time affair, and it is anything but inexpensive! With work at St. The new roof which was installed in the late 's is now almost 25 years old, and due to the lighthouse's exposed location, is showing significant signs of deterioration, and will will need to be replaced this year.

Coast Guard Charles Marshall served as an assistant to his brother George at Old Makinac Point until , when his health had deteriorated to the point that he had to be hospitalized at Northern Michigan Asylum in Traverse City.

Helena to take the place of Keeper Leggatt, who drowned after less than a year on the island. The efforts of Keeper Fountain to save people in trouble near the lighthouse were twice recognized in records of the Lighthouse Service. The first instance occurred in , when Keeper Fountain rescued two men, lost out on the ice and nearly frozen, and brought them to the lighthouse. The next year, Keeper Fountain and Wallace Hall, his assistant, went to the aid of two men in a leaking boat.

A single keeper was responsible for St. Helena Lighthouse until , when Louis P. Beloungea, Jr. Helena Lighthouse lost its resident keepers on June 4, , when the light was converted to an unattended acetylene light that displayed a red flash every five seconds.

All windows, doors, and banisters had been torn out, along with much of the flooring. The lighthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in , and the following year Boy Scout Troop 4 from Ann Arbor began what has become an annual pilgrimage to help save the light station.

Over twenty Eagle Scout projects have been carried out at the lighthouse. Representative Bart Stupak. Keepers: Head: Thomas P. Assistant: Assistant: Louis P. References Annual Report of the Lighthouse Board , various years. Annual Report of the Commissioner of Lighthouses , various years. Latitude: Visitor Information. Charles served as the keeper at St. Helena until , when an accident while painting the tower damaged his mental and physical health. Unfortunately, Leggatt served only a year on St.

Helena before drowning in a boating accident. Charles, meanwhile, served at Old Mackinac Point until Chet grew up at the station with his aunt and uncle, George and Maggie Marshall. Courtesy Margaret Marshall Greicar. On St. Helena, the station continued to grow through the early years of the 20 th century. The Lighthouse Service assigned an assistant keeper in , requiring the construction of an additional dwelling. The St. Helena light continued as a manned station until , when it was automated and the last keeper departed.

Responsibility for the lighthouse passed to James Marshall, the adopted son of George and nephew of Charles, who was then serving as the keeper at Old Mackinac Point.