DETROIT (AP) — Looking for lakefront property? The federal government wants to unload three Michigan lighthouses that it no longer needs and is looking for local communities, museums or nonprofit groups that want to take over their upkeep.
The U.S. Coast Guard wants to find new owners for the Frankfort North Breakwater Lighthouse; the Middle Island Lighthouse, across Thunder Bay from Alpena; and the South Haven south pier lighthouse, the Detroit Free Press reported Monday.
"These lighthouses are still an important part of our heritage," said Jennifer Radcliff, president of the Michigan Lighthouse Fund. "These lighthouses will tell us to remember that the lakes are still an important part of our economy."
The three lighthouses are among several nationwide recently made available under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act. For the past decade, the act has allowed lighthouses to be transferred to those with the means and commitment to maintain them.
With other modern navigation aids being used, lighthouses like those in the Great Lakes now are valued more for the role they played in shaping maritime history and their significance as a symbol of communities where they stand.
"They draw tourism and economic development to the community, so they have a broader importance than just being historic monuments," said Martha MacFarlane-Faes of the State Historic Preservation Office.
If no local communities, museums or nonprofits want them, they could be sold at auction to the public.
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Related Photos
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A surfer rides a wave past the Frankfort North Breakwater Lighthouse, which is among three in Michigan for which the federal government is seeking new owners. Record-Eagle file photo/Jan-Michael Stump
Gov't looks to unload three lighthouses
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