SHEBOYGAN – The historic lighthouse off Sheboygan’s lakeshore is available for new ownership.
The United States Coast Guard has deemed it no longer needs the 55-foot-tall red Sheboygan lighthouse on the north pier and is making it available for select entities at no cost, according to a notice from the United States General Services Administration.
If a new owner doesn’t take over the lighthouse, it will be sold in accordance with the federal disposal program of the National Historical Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000, which has since allowed lighthouses to be given away or sold.
The Keweenaw Waterway Upper Lighthouse in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is another lighthouse the federal government hopes to offload at no cost.
Sheboygan’s lighthouse, built as a beacon for maritime activities in 1915, is among about 50 still standing across Wisconsin, according to Lighthouse Friends.
The city’s first lighthouse was built on North Point in 1839. It was among lighthouses also built in Milwaukee, Manitowoc and Racine at the time, each supported by $20,000 in appropriated congressional funds.
Who can take over the lighthouse?
Federal, state and local agencies, nonprofits, educational groups and community development organizations can apply for ownership.
Can the lighthouse be used for commercial purposes?
The lighthouse must be used for educational, park, recreational, cultural, or historic preservation purposes, unless the entity receives approval from the Secretary of the Interior.
Would the applicant own the breakwater, too?
No. A selected applicant would need to secure a lease from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to access the lighthouse at the end of the breakwater because it’s under the branch’s jurisdiction.
Will the US Coast Guard or NOAA still have access to the lighthouse?
The U.S. Coast Guard will maintain ownership of navigational devices on the lighthouse, including a flashing red light and fog signal.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which has a weather station atop the lighthouse, will still have access to data collection devices on it.
What does the application process look like?
Eligible groups must submit a letter of interest to GSA by Sept. 1. Letters should include the name of the property, name of interested entity and contact information. Nonprofits should also submit a copy of state-certified articles of incorporation or evidence of filing.
After receiving an application from the National Park Service, applicants will have a chance to inspect the site. Applicants have 90 days from the inspection date to submit an application to NPS.
Where should letters of interest for the lighthouse be sent?
Send letters of interest to: U.S. General Services Administration; Office of Real Property Disposition, Chicago Operations Branch; 230 S. Dearborn St., Room 3540 for U.S. Mail or Room 3523 for UPS/FedEx; Chicago, IL 60604; Attention: Kristopher Mendez (kris.mendez@gsa.gov).
Is Sheboygan’s lighthouse on the national or state historical registry?
The lighthouse is not on either list of historic places, but it is eligible to be added to the National Register of Historic Places.
More than a dozen lighthouses across the state are on the historical registries, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society. Some include Milwaukee’s North Point Lighthouse in Milwaukee, the Port Washington North Breakwater Light and the Kewaunee Pierhead Lighthouse.
Have other Wisconsin lighthouses been made available through the federal disposal program?
Yes. The city of Algoma was granted ownership of its lighthouse, built in 1907, and the city of Port Washington acquired its lighthouse in 2018. In Milwaukee, the North Point Lighthouse is owned by the county and managed by the North Point Lighthouse Friends.
Lighthouses have also transferred to nonprofits, individuals and NPS.
Contact Alex Garner at 224-374-2332 or agarner@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: Want the Sheboygan lighthouse? This federal agency is making it available.
Reporting by Alex Garner, Sheboygan Press / Sheboygan Press
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