Old Lighthouse Museum Upgrades

BY JESSICA O’BRIEN – Michigan City News Dispatch – Oct 18, 2014

Shannon Eason of the city’s parks department and Mayor Ron Meer were the first to enter the newly constructed lantern room atop the Old Lighthouse Museum during a dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony held Friday.

After cutting a yellow ribbon stretched across the stairway up to the lantern room, Meer and Eason were joined by museum volunteer Larry Swiger and project architect Roger Potratz, ascending the narrow spiral staircase into the room, which had been lifted into place by a crane Sept. 30.

The new structure, which features a copper roof, is a historical replica of the 1858 lantern room, replacing a similar replica placed on the building in 1973. Completed last month, the new room was the product of Gariup Construction Company and Potratz, a local architect with DH2W.

This work was made possible by a Lake Michigan Coastal Program grant for $37,100 with funds and support also received from the Michigan City Common Council, the Michigan City Redevelopment Commission and the Michigan City Park Board.

“The collaboration on this project was fantastic,” Eason said. “It shows what we can do when we all work together.”

Referring to the building as “one of the finest cultural attractions in Michigan City,” Eason said the restoration of the Old Lighthouse Museum is not yet complete.

The park department has recently secured $205,000 in funds for the exterior of the building, in the form of a historical structure grant from the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission (NIRPC) and support from the Michigan City Redevelopment Commission and the Michigan City Historical Society.

Eason said the repairs will be completed according to priority, beginning with east and west porches. Other improvements will include window frames, door frames, gutters and lighting.

https://www.thenewsdispatch.com/news/article_00fe9490-5712-11e4-9149-a32fd22efd1f.html