By Jeri Baron Feltner, Secretary
DeTour Reef Light Preservation Society
DRLPS March 2004

In his 1937 book, legendary longtime commissioner of the Lighthouse Service, George R. Putnam stated "The building of the station at DeTour was the result of a conference I had at Detroit with marine representatives who were asking that a lightship be placed at the north end of Lake Huron, better to guide the immense Lake Superior traffic passing in and out of the St. Marys River. I proposed instead a lighthouse built on the submerged reef, close to the edge of the channel. This station was built and has proved most valuable to shipping; it is more reliable and less expensive to maintain than a lightship would have been. One of the distinguished Stevenson family of Scottish engineers, who for a number of generations have built the remarkable light towers of that wild coast, made a tour of the lighthouse systems of the United States and Canada a few years ago. When I visited the DeTour Reef Lighthouse a year later, I ran across this entry which Alan Stevenson had made in the station log: ‘Delighted to visit the most up to date lighthouse I have ever seen.’ I was told, however, that he added orally, ‘But oh, how extravagant!’ I expect he was referring to the bathtub and electric lights provided for the keepers' quarters!"heir-thoroughbred

After nearly seven years of dedicated volunteer effort and support from the general public and government agencies, the DeTour Reef Light today is being restored to its full glory by the DeTour Reef Light Preservation Society with over one million dollars in grant funds to be enjoyed for generations to come. Mr. Putman would be proud.

THE BEGINNING

In northern Lake Huron at the southeastern edge of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the first lighthouse marking the busy entrance to the St. Marys River at DeTour Passage was the DeTour Point Light Station built onshore in 1847 (the light wasn’t turned on until 1848). The light was rebuilt in 1861 (similar to the station at Whitefish Point) near the same location due to the original stone tower disintegration because of poor construction materials and the need for a higher tower for the lens due to rapid increase of vessel traffic following the opening of the first Soo Lock in 1855. By 1919, an average of 77 commercial vessels per day was traveling this strategic waterway connecting Lake Huron to Lake Superior. As larger and more sophisticated vessels with deeper drafts were developed, the shallow waters at the reef a mile offshore made it increasingly difficult to traverse the area safely. Shipping interests asked for an aid to navigation which would be nearer to the channel than the former station; thus, in 1929, the U.S. Lighthouse Service authorized building a new lighthouse to be located offshore in 24 feet of water on the outer end of the DeTour Reef to mark this dangerous shoal and the entrance to the St. Marys River.

Built in 1931, 4,050 feet and 126.5 degrees north from the onshore light station, the DeTour Reef Light is a unique steel-framed square tower of three distinct levels in Art Deco-architectural style. Sitting on a concrete (crib) platform that rises about twenty feet above the surface of the water, the 63-foot high lighthouse is painted white with a red roof. The lighthouse was manned from 1931 until the light was automated in 1974.
Due to more sophisticated navigational equipment aboard ships, and the massive conversion to unmanned automated beacons, along with insufficient operating funds, the Coast Guard rendered DeTour Reef Lighthouse obsolete in 1997. Federal government regulations, however, do allow for nonprofit organizations to obtain long-term leases and ownership on such surplus property for the purpose of preservation.

The DeTour Reef Light is a point of pride for residents of both DeTour Village and Drummond Island. The mutual objective of saving the lighthouse has brought the two communities, separated by the St. Marys River, together to preserve the lighthouse. Our communities value the historical contribution of the lighthouse and the keepers as a testament to the importance of shipping in the region’s and nation’s political, economic and social history. The lighthouse is also valued for its architectural beauty and esthetic value as a landmark of this area. In 1997, preservation of the lighthouse and honoring this important part of our history became a priority.

LIGHTHOUSE CONSTRUCTION

Building of the DeTour Reef Light began in early 1930 and was completed in late 1931 after 327 working days and a cost of $140,000. In this northern climate and exposed location, the winter months were not suitable for construction. A heavy wooden (fir timbers) crib 60 feet square and 21.6 feet high was constructed on shore at the Watson Coal Dock north of the present day DeTour Marina. Containing 180,000 feet board measure of lumber, the completed crib was then towed three-and-a-half miles to the reef site, and sunk upon a 75-foot square leveled bed of crushed rock (similar to the piers used for Martin Reef and Poe Reef Light Stations). The outer compartments of the crib were filled with cement placed by the tremie method and the inner compartments were filled with rock. Half-inch steel plating extending about two feet above and below the waterline encircles the crib and protects if from the grinding effects of the ice. Topping the crib is a solid concrete deck extending two feet out on all sides to create a wave deflector and prevent so far as possible the breaking of waves over the deck against the tower. A large basement level is inset into the crib. This lower level, eight feet six inches above water level, which housed machinery and mechanical equipment, contains a large open space in the middle which is open to the entry or top of the crib floor above (so that light to this lower portion would not be obstructed), and is surrounded by columns supporting the base of the tower. A heavy metal I-beam with a winch on a trolley is provided so that machinery from the basement floor level could be readily raised or lowered in and out of the main door of the structure.

Rising from the concrete platform, is a white steel-framed tower of three distinct levels. The first level, consisting of two stories, is 31 feet square and is framed with structural steel columns and beams encased in concrete. The interior floor surface at the entry level consists of open metal grating on three sides, supported on structural steel members. This gallery held smaller mechanical equipment including the radio beacon transmitters and clock controls. A short flight of stairs takes you to the keeper’s quarters in the second story where there is a kitchen, bathroom, dining room, two bedrooms, and an office. The second level, 12 feet square, contains the circular staircase and supports the third level which includes the ten-sided watch room and lantern with an inscribed diameter of nine feet. The lantern level is surrounded by a floor to ceiling glazed curtain wall, capped by a red painted cast iron roof. The total tower height is 63 feet to the top of the ventilator ball. The total lighthouse structure rises about 75 feet above the water. The staircase cylinder, circular stairs, lantern, Fresnel lens, radio beacons, and fog signal were relocated from the 1861 onshore lighthouse to the offshore lighthouse in 1931. The light was turned on November 7, 1931, and the onshore lighthouse was discontinued and is currently a private residence.

The third-and-a-half order Fresnel lens with four flash panels was made in 1907 in Paris by Barbier, Benard & Turenne at a cost of $2,940.50. The 16 boxes shipped weighed 4,580 which included the lens, lamps, pedestal, clock and supplies. The lens was originally placed in the onshore DeTour Point Light in 1909 and transferred to the DeTour Reef Light in 1931. The lens rotated every 40 seconds and produced a ten second interval between flashes and was visible up to 17 miles away with a focal plane of 74 feet above the water level. The lens is on display at the DeTour Passage Historical Museum in DeTour Village along with the original manual clockwork turning mechanism. The current light is a VRB-25 190 mm rotating beacon installed in 1996. Solar panels were installed by the Coast Guard in 2000 to operate the light and fog signal.

In 1998, one of the original foghorns from the lighthouse was discovered by DRLPS member Jeff Laser at the Great Lakes Historical Society in Ohio (who gave it to the DRLPS). He donated his time and funds to completely restore the 475-pound air-powered diaphone foghorn. It was on display at the Drummond Island Historical Museum for several years and was put back on the lighthouse in 2003 as part of the restoration effort.

BUILDING THE SOCIETY

Well-known lighthouse preservationist Dick Moehl (President of the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association) was made aware of the U.S. Coast Guard’s excessing of the DeTour Reef Light. In August 1997, he contacted Bob Jones and Jim Charles of DeTour Village and they (along with Dick’s wife Margaret, son Mike and a Coast Guard Sault Ste Marie crew) took a boat ride out to the lighthouse to investigate its condition. Dick inspired some people from the community to come together for a common cause to save the lighthouse; and, in January 1998, the DeTour Reef Light Preservation Society was formed as a nonprofit volunteer organization to restore and preserve the lighthouse. Founding members of the Board of Directors included Bob Jones (President), Jim Charles (Vice-President), Jeri Baron Feltner (Secretary), Dick Moehl, and Barb Snider (Treasurer).

Current members of the Board of Directors are Denny Bailey, Dave Bardsley (Vice-President), Paula Bardsley (Assistant Secretary), Jim Charles (Vice-President), Chuck Feltner (President), Jeri Baron Feltner (Secretary), Clif Haley (Legal Advisor), Dick Moehl, and Jim Woodward (Honorary Director). Additional team members include Collick (Endowment), Sheryl LaMotte(Webmaster), Mary Rogers (Membership), and Dotty Witten (Special Projects). Sadly, our founding president Bob Jones passed away in 2002. Bob was passionate about preserving the lighthouse and dedicated himself to this work. He his greatly missed and the light will be kept on for him. The success of the DRLPS is based on the unfailing dedication and determination of the volunteers and the loyal support of the constituency. The people have persevered and are preserving the lighthouse for all to enjoy.

The Purpose of the Society is: “To establish, support and promote efforts in the restoration and preservation of the DeTour Reef Light; to achieve the safe keeping of the building, artifacts and records; to educate and inform the public on its history; to raise awareness about the importance of volunteers in maintaining and preserving the DeTour Reef Light for all present and future generations; to be a premier tourist attraction as an offshore lighthouse museum; and to provide the public safe access to the lighthouse.”

PUTTING TOGETHER THE ORGANIZATION’S INFRASTRUCTURE

Starting with developing a team of dedicated, hard working volunteers from the two local communities, reams of paperwork had to be prepared to develop our successful organization. This included: Articles of Incorporation (for the State of Michigan which state our intended purpose); Bylaws (rules governing the internal affairs of the organization); obtained an EIN (Employer Identification Number from the IRS required for all corporations); we applied for nonprofit tax-exempt status from the IRS (501c3 application) in January 1998 which was approved on April 1998; developed a logo, stationery, brochure, newsletter (Passages), memorabilia, and a website. A computerized database was developed to keep track of members, donors, and marketing sources. Regular monthly Board Meetings were held. We did persistent PR with regular press releases distributed to publications around the country. Slide presentations were given to local and state-wide groups. Notices and sign-up sheets were placed in local communities. A “Wish List” was developed and published and many businesses and individuals donated items for use at the lighthouse and for auction fundraisers. We attended local and state functions to promote the DRLPS. Membership developed steadily with 424 members garnered at the end of our first year and a current roster of 657 members nationwide from 26 states who have signed up to preserve the lighthouse. Membership renewals are requested annually. DRLPS utilizes a double-entry accrual based financial system using Quicken software producing monthly reports to the Directors to keep them up-to-date on our financial position and to provide the proper reporting of IRS tax forms.

DRLPS has established a very strong and widely recognized and respected membership-based volunteer preservation organization along with a strong leadership team and active talented volunteers; and as a consequence, has become the “poster child” of Michigan lighthouse volunteer preservation groups.

FUNDING

Since 1998, the DRLPS has taken a very active approach to developing and maintaining a dedicated membership from around the country with annual dues and annual donations from a core group of individuals supporting much of the cost of operating the Society. Additionally, money has been raised from several annual successful fundraising and social events which include: benefit dinners, auctions, boat cruise to the lighthouse and up the St. Marys River and through the Soo Locks, an elegant Evening Under the Stars dinner on Drummond Island, major raffles (our 2000 Freighter Ride Raffle raised over $12,000), and memorabilia logo items that are sold on a regular basis at several DRLPS functions and local businesses as well as on our website DRLPS.com. We have raised over $110,000 from these sources since 1998. DRLPS is also in the planning stages of establishing an endowment for assuring the availability of funds for maintenance of the lighthouse into perpetuity. This endowment will provide charitable contribution tax saving incentives to donors. The most substantial source funds for restoration have come from grants.

GRANTS AWARDED

Since its inception in January 1998, the DRLPS has applied for and received several grants
that have helped the DRLPS succeed in its goal to restore the lighthouse and to share the history of the lighthouse with the people. Total historical and restoration grants awarded from state, federal and private agencies to the DRLPS to date total $1,040,700 matched by $47,500 in donated (in-kind service) labor, and $21,700 in cash from fundraising efforts. Our major exterior and interior restoration grants are state funds from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality – Clean Michigan Incentive (MDEQ-CMI) for $705,000, and federal funds from the Michigan Department of Transportation – Transportation Equity Act (MDOT-TEA21) $241,500. These grants required substantial matching share of funds (MDEQ-CMI $235,000 and MDOT-TEA21 $80,500), and we were very fortunate as it was determined that federal grants could be used to match state funds and visa-versa. The MDOT-TEA21 grant is funding the majority of the cost of the exterior restoration and providing essential program resources that were required to obtain the MDEQ-CMI grant that is funding the architectural and engineering services, a portion of the exterior restoration and the majority amount of the costs for the interior restoration. The DRLPS volunteer grant team includes Dave Bardsley, Chuck Feltner, Jeri Feltner and Clif Haley.

Following is a chronological listing of the grant funds DRLPS has received to date.

· Michigan Coastal Management Program (Department of Environmental Quality) historical grant of $10,000 (matched by $10,000 in volunteer services) was awarded in 1999 to produce an educational historical display, seven oral history videos with past keepers, and a builder of the lighthouse – Alfred Lemieux, Floyd Colvin, Bob Soldenski, Jim Williams, Glen Shaw, Ron Freels, Jim Woodward (from the USCG Cleveland), and a full color DRLPS brochure. This grant was completed in 2000 by Chuck & Jeri Feltner and Mike Spears with historical documents from Jim Woodward. The project included a trip to the National Archives in Washington DC to do research on the DeTour Point Light and the DeTour Reef Light by Chuck & Jeri Feltner. Architectural and engineering drawings of the lighthouse were obtained from Jim Woodward of the USCG Cleveland, the USCG Sault Ste Marie, and the National Archives. Chuck Feltner studied each of the 87 drawings and prepared a spreadsheet with annotated notes, and this document became an important attachment to our grant applications. The display is currently located at the Drummond Island Historical Museum and includes 120 interpretive panels of pictures and drawings describing the history of the Lighthouses of DeTour Passage.
· Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program (State Historic Preservation Office) restoration grant of $20,000 (matched by $10,000 in DRLPS cash and $10,000 in volunteer services) to restore a deck crane on the lighthouse that was completed in August 2001 by L&B Builders of Drummond Island. Chuck Feltner was project director. Large pieces of the original crane and the builder’s plate were discovered underwater near the lighthouse by divers Mike Spears, Chris Pemberton, Garey Eilertson, and Dock Borth and were used in the construction of the new crane. While salvaging the crane parts, the divers also made an engineering video of the underwater pier deck which documents the stability of the lighthouse foundation. DeTour High School students assisted in computer design drawings of the crane along with their teachers Brian Nettleton and Russ Norris.
· National Trust for Historic Preservation grant of $1,700 (matched by DRLPS cash of $1,700) for an existing conditions video awarded in 2001 produced by Ric Mixter of Airworthy Productions with Chuck Feltner and Anne Westlund of DRLPS.
· Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program restoration grant of $20,000 (matched by $10,000 in DRLPS cash) for window restoration awarded in 2001 and completed in the fall of 2003.
· Michigan Department of Environmental Quality - Clean Michigan Initiative (MDEQ-CMI) restoration grant of $705,000 (matched by $235,000 with DRLPS cash, donated property, and other grant funds) for lighthouse restoration and visitor access development awarded in 2001 and expires in 2004. As part of the local match, DRLPS member Rob Bloch donated DeTour area’s historic tug Philo B Leonard valued at $40,000, and Bruce Glupker donated use of a boat dock slip at the DeTour Marina valued at $10,000. This grant is conducted in partnership with the Drummond Island Township and is being used mainly for interior restoration and engineering services. Chuck Feltner is grant coordinator with Dave Bardsley.
· Michigan Department of Transportation – Transportation Equity Act (TEA21) 2002 restoration grant funding of $241,500 (matched by $80,500 of DRLPS cash and other grant funds) awarded in 2001 and expires in 2004. This grant is conducted in partnership with the Village of DeTour and is being used mainly for exterior restoration. Chuck Feltner is grant coordinator with Dave Bardsley.
· Plym Foundation cash award of $15,000 for restoration used as part of the MDEQ-CMI grant match.
· Michigan Coastal Management Program historical grant of $8,500 (matched by $8,500 in volunteer services) was awarded in October 2001 and completed in 2003 to reproduce lighthouse logbooks from the National Archives, and transcribe previously recorded oral history videos. The grant was coordinated by Jeri Feltner with Chuck Feltner and Chris Pemberton. DeTour High School student volunteers transcribed the oral history video tapes and built two bookcases to house the logbooks at the DeTour Village Public Library.
· Michigan Coastal Management Program historical grant of $10,000 (matched by $10,000 in volunteer services) was awarded in March 2003 to produce a video of the DeTour Reef Light being produced by Ric Mixter of Airworthy Productions with Dave Bardsley as project director. An additional $5,000 (matched by $5,000 in volunteer services) was obtained for this grant in 2004. The video will include historical and restoration documentation.
· Michigan Coastal Management Program historical grant of $9,000 (matched by $9,000 in volunteer services) was awarded in October 2003 to create a five module collection of historical material entitled “Lighthouses of DeTour Passage: A Collection of Historical Material.” This will include logbooks, government correspondence, architectural and engineering drawings, historical photographs and oral history videos of interviews with former keepers. Chuck Feltner is grant coordinator with Mike Spears and Chris Pemberton.

The grant funding process has been a challenging, yet exciting and rewarding effort of applications, negotiations and operations. The grant agencies have been a pleasure to work with, and the DRLPS is very grateful for the funding received. There were some learning curve challenges encountered with our initial involvement with MDOT for DRLPS restoration chairman Chuck Feltner involving lots of red tape with the contract approval process. DRLPS ended up getting state government representatives and lawyers involved in helping us solve the problem. Because we are restoring an offshore lighthouse, weather, waves and winter ice severely limit our working season, and time was of the essence in getting the contract approved and restoration completed before the grant deadline. It took over four months of effort (and legal expense) to negotiate a legal and financial agreement that DeTour Village (the official applicant) and MDOT, as well as the DRLPS Board of Directors, would find acceptable. It was a learning process for both the DRLPS and the government agency. Hopefully the DRLPS experience will help pave the way for other lighthouse preservation organizations with their grant agency encounters. DRLPS has developed an excellent working relationship with the grant agencies including Bryan Lijewski of SHPO, Jacqueline Shinn of MDOT, and Jami Harrington of MDEQ-CMI, and their staffs.

Note that the DRLPS is not the official recipient of either the MDEQ-CMI grant or the MDOT-TEA21 grant. Both grants require that a local government agency be the official applicant and recipient of the grant. To meet this requirement, DRLPS got Drummond Island Township and DeTour Village (the two local communities adjacent to the lighthouse) to be the official “local agencies” for the MDEQ-CMI and TEA grants, respectively, with DRLPS preparing the applications and agreeing to carry out all of the work. An important element to the success of the restoration grant funding was the cooperation of the local governments as the sponsoring agencies for the grants.

The MDEQ-CMI and MDOT-TEA21 grant applications were acquired and prepared by Jeri Feltner and Clif Haley was the grant writer artisan. Chuck Feltner developed a detailed restoration plan, work schedule and budget for the applications. Engineering services contractor Ken Czapski of U.P. Engineers & Architects of Marquette, with help from Chuck Feltner and Dave Bardsley, assembled the restoration details and worked with state and federal officials to get the required approvals.

RESTORATION

Crucial to the success of our restoration program was the obtaining of historical documents including photos and original architectural engineering drawings, the preparation of an existing conditions report, and the formulation of a restoration plan, work schedule and detailed budget, and acquiring a twenty-year lease of the lighthouse from the U.S. Coast Guard.

DRLPS first restoration project was the manufacturing and installation of one of the lighthouse deck cranes utilizing an MLAP grant. Major lighthouse exterior and interior restoration work is being accomplished with the MDEQ-CMI and MDOT-TEA21 grants and a second MLAP grant used for window restoration. The lighthouse exterior restoration is nearly complete and the interior restoration is expected to be completed by August 2004. DRLPS hired restoration project manager Ken Czapski of U.P. Engineers & Architects of Marquette in January 2002 and he has done an outstanding job keeping the program moving efficiently and with quality results. Frank Mihm of Mihm Enterprises from Hamilton, Michigan, was awarded the general contractor contract in May 2003, and his team has been working assiduously in all kinds of challenging weather to complete the exterior and interior restoration by the August deadline. They are doing an outstanding job in restoring the DeTour Reef Light. DRLPS volunteers Chuck Feltner and Dave Bardsley have been overseeing the project and have provided invaluable service to the restoration effort.

Nearly all restoration efforts thus far have been spent on the exterior of the lighthouse with only minor work undertaken on the interior. On the exterior, after setting up tons of scaffolding, the first thing that was done was repair of the roof on the lantern, along with scraping and painting the ventilator ball and dome. All the windows were removed from the lantern, the frames were cleaned and refinished, and new windows were installed. The exterior of the watch room walls were scraped and repainted along with the decking railing and ladder. A new flag pole was put in place, and a new smoke stack installed. All of the windows on the upper and lower towers were refurbished, repaired, repainted, and new glass was installed where necessary. The upper tower had all of the paint removed by hand scraping, and was then sandblasted, primed and painted. The same thing is true of the lower tower except that it has yet to be painted. Portions of the new chain rail on the outer edges of the pier deck have also been installed.

Interior work to this point included demolishing of some interior walls that needed replacement, along with cleaning and repainting of the inside walls of the upper tower which included the area outside of the cylinder tower that encases the staircase.

The total amount being spent on this single restoration project is $1,022,827, all of which has come from grant money with the exception of $36,321 which came from private funds raised by the DRLPS (memberships, donations, memorabilia, fund raisers, etc.). As of the end of 2003, we have spent $379, 915 and the program is about 38% complete.

Future restoration projects that are not yet funded and would cost around $200,000, include refurbishing of the barge that will be used as a landing dock and staircase carrier to access the lighthouse; manufacture and installation of boarding stairs to the lighthouse to facilitate public tours; construction and installation of cabinetry and the fabrication and installation of metal trim molding; rebuilding of the second deck crane; and installation of a video security system and “River Watch” web cam that will provide 24-hour viewing on the DRLPS web page of boat traffic passing the lighthouse.

PUBLIC ACCESS

Safe public access to the offshore DeTour Reef Light requires special ingenuity with a deck 20 feet above the water and significant wave action (both wind created and freighter wakes) against vertical sides. Transfer from a boat to the lighthouse requires agility and the strength to climb the 20-foot recessed ladder steps. Past keepers of the lighthouse have advised us that they did not climb the ladder, but remained aboard a 26-foot launch as it was lifted to and from the water and the deck boat cradle by the massive lighthouse cranes. After much discussion amongst the DRLPS Board of Directors with many ideas presented, President Chuck Feltner concluded that the best solution would be a huge pontoon boat supporting a gangway that could be moved around the lighthouse according to wave conditions and serve as a floating dock for the boat that would ferry tourists to the lighthouse. DRLPS director Dave Bardsley was aware that such a self-propelled pontoon style barge existed and was being offered for sale by DRLPS members Fred & Linda May. Dave asked them to consider donating their barge to the DRLPS, and with significant generosity, they did. Both in monetary value and in physical size – this gift is the largest donation the DRLPS has received. The barge is approximately 49 x 24 feet and is powered by a single 85 horsepower outboard. The barge deck is 41 inches above the waterline. Plans are in progress to overhaul the barge and design and build a scissors-type boarding ladder that will reach the lighthouse deck and safely board tourists.

MAJOR DRLPS MILESTONES

Several significant developments have evolved since 1998 that contributed to the success of the DeTour Reef Light. They include:

· Dick Moehl learns of U.S. Coast Guard’s (USCG) excessing of the DeTour Reef Light and takes a boat trip to access the lighthouse conditions with his wife Margaret, son Mike, the USCG Sault Group, Bob Jones, and Jim Charles in August 1997. Right after that visit, Dick rallies local citizens to form a society to save the lighthouse.
· Dick Moehl, Barb Snider and Jeri Feltner met at Weber’s Restaurant in Ann Arbor on December 5, 1997 to discuss formation of a society to preserve the lighthouse. Dick brought along a heap of 501c3 application forms and instructions.
· On January 4, 1998, the first official meeting of the Board of Directors of the DeTour Reef Light Preservation Society was conducted in DeTour Village at the Fogcutter Restaurant with Dick Moehl, Bob Jones (President), Jim Charles (Vice-President), Barb Snider (Treasurer), and Jeri Baron Feltner (Secretary). Dedicated volunteer and member Mary Rogers also attended.
· DRLPS nonprofit IRS tax-exempt 501(c)3 status applied for (application prepared by Jeri Feltner) in January 1998 and approved in April 1998.
· Historical documentation, architectural and engineering drawings, and photos acquired by Jeri & Chuck Feltner during 1998-2001 from various sources including local residents, the National Archives, the U.S. Coast Guard, and Jim Woodward.
· A replica of the solid oak dining room table used at the lighthouse was handcrafted by Eddie McGregor of Oxford, Michigan, and donated to the DRLPS in 1998.
· National recognition was received by the DRLPS in 1998 from the National Trust for Historic Preservation in naming Michigan’s historic lighthouses, exemplified by the DeTour Reef Light, to its 1998 List of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places (the first time a lighthouse was included on this prestigious annual list!).
· A painting of the DeTour Reef Light by Leo Kushel appeared on the cover of the Beacon with an article on the DRLPS in the Fall 1998 issue.
· Previous lighthouse keepers and a person who built the lighthouse were located and interviewed by Jeri Feltner as part of a historical grant project in 1998 and 1999.
· The original foghorn from the DeTour Reef Light was discovered by Jeff Laser at the Great Lakes Historical Society warehouse in Cleveland in March 1998. The GLHS donated it to the DRLPS and Jeff completely restored the 475-pound foghorn to working order. It was on display at the Drummond Island Historical Museum and is now back on the lighthouse as part of the restoration program.
· Chuck Feltner was interviewed about the lighthouse on NPR radio program “All Things Considered” June 15, 1998. He ends the conversation with “now remember – we’ll keep the light on for you!” - thus establishing our logo statement.
· DRLPS Secretary Jeri Feltner gave a presentation on Building a Successful Lighthouse Preservation Society at the first Michigan Lighthouse Project “Lighthouse Preservation Workshop” held in Lansing in November 1998. We also gave the presentation at a second state conference held in Mackinaw City in May 2001, and she and Chuck Feltner will be giving a presentation Forming and Sustaining a Volunteer Nonprofit Lighthouse Preservation Organization at the third lighthouse conference to be held in Traverse City in June 2004.
· A four-foot scale model of the lighthouse was handcrafted by Bob Jones and Jim Charles in 1999 and displayed on a trailer driven in the local July 4th parades of DeTour Village and Drummond Island, and displayed at other events including the local school.
· DRLPS is featured in a major article in Lighthouse Digest Magazine January 1999.
· DRLPS Board of Directors at a board meeting featured in a video produced by Equity Studies in 1999 and widely-distributed to government and nonprofit organizations, and shown on regional television programs.
· Local school children completed drawings in 1999 of the lighthouse (displayed at local businesses), made a lighthouse gingerbread house, and collected pop cans to raise over $500 for the DRLPS.
· Raffle of handcrafted Peapod boat made and donated by Jim Ross raised over $7,000 in 1999.
· Raffle of a Freighter Ride donated by the Interlake Steamship Company raised over $12,000 in 2000.
· Coast Guard removed damaged lead paint and encapsulated the plaster which contains asbestos at the lighthouse in 2000 at a cost of $66,000 (taxpayer’s money) to prepare for the DRLPS to obtain a long-term lease. An Asbestos Management Plan was prepared by Environmental Testing, Inc. for DRLPS to give to the Coast Guard as a condition of the lighthouse lease.
· Cullen Chambers (of Tybee Island, Georgia), nationally recognized lighthouse preservation consultant, volunteered his services to the DRLPS and conducted a significant two-day existing conditions survey on the lighthouse in June 2000. He prepared an outstanding 185-page extensive Assessment Survey and Recommendations Report for the Society that outlined recommendations for restoration and preservation and became the foundation of our restoration plan and grant applications.
· Jim Woodward (a great supporter of the DRLPS!) of the USCG Cleveland conducted a Joint Inspection of Conditions survey in summer 2000 as a condition of the lease application.
· On September 5, 2000, the U. S. Coast Guard’s twenty year lighthouse lease to the DRLPS was signed by President Bob Jones and witnessed by director Dick Moehl at the Fogcutter Restaurant in DeTour Village.
· USCG cutter Buckthorn installs a solar panel at the lighthouse in the fall of 2000 to power the light and fog signal.
· A traveling educational display of the Lighthouses of DeTour Passage completed by Chuck & Jeri Feltner in 2001 utilizing a Michigan Coastal Management Program grant and is on display at the Drummond Island Historical Museum.
· Legendary Lighthouse crew (Lloyd Fales, producer from New York) filmed the DeTour Reef Light in the fall of 2000 for a featured spot on a national PBS program on the History Channel on October 24, 2001 with their production Legendary Lighthouses II.
· First lighthouse restoration project of a new historically-accurate three-ton replica of a pier deck crane manufactured by Bunker Engineering of Sault Ste. Marie and installed by L&B Builders of Drummond Island, utilizing a Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program grant, completed in 2001.
· Obtained major restoration grants from the Department of Environmental Quality ($705,000), and the Michigan Department of Transportation ($241,500) in May 2001.
· Received State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) approval of our restoration Request-for-Proposal (RFP) in November 2001.
· Architectural and engineering services contract awarded in January 2002 to U.P. Engineers & Architects, Inc. (UPEA) of Marquette (represented by Ken Czapski), for preliminary design and planning along with construction administration and management of the restoration project. They are doing an outstanding job for the DRLPS.
· Bob Jones, DRLPS founding president dies in March 2002. DRLPS will keep the Light on for him!
· UPEA completed the exterior restoration bid document in April 2002. SHPO approves it in May 2002.
· The No-Adverse-Effect (NAE) approval letter received from SHPO June 2002. This NAE letter means that our restoration plans and specifications would have no adverse effect on this historic structure.
· Jeri Feltner, Secretary of the DRLPS, featured in Lighthouse Digest Magazine “Women of the Light” article in July 2002.
· A July 2002 meeting with MDOT, Village of DeTour, and the DRLPS was held in DeTour Village to discuss the MDOT-TEA21 contract. The consultant at the meeting hired by MDOT to assist them in administration of the contract insisted that procedures required for major road construction projects be applied to the restoration of the lighthouse. These inappropriate procedures caused great distress for the DRLPS and the Village. Resolution was achieved with the assistance of Jacqueline Shinn of MDOT after a personal visit to her in Lansing by Chuck Feltner with the development of a legally binding agreement between the Village and DRLPS which tied up our funding for maintenance of the lighthouse for twenty years. As a consequence, both DRLPS and the Village hired lawyers to work out the legal problems.
· SHPO approves the long-term maintenance schedule developed by UPEA in September 2002.
· MDEQ approves first CMI grant deadline extension request to July 1, 2004, in September 2002.
· $250,000 line of credit established in November 2002 at a local bank to cover restoration cash flow.
· MDOT approves exterior restoration plans and specifications in February 2003.
· Exterior restoration contract (CMI, MDOT, MLAP) signed with DeTour Village April 2003.
· Exterior restoration contract awarded to Mihm Enterprises May 2003.
· Exterior restoration begins in June 2003.
· Mihm Enterprises of Hamilton, Michigan, awarded the interior restoration contract in July 2003.
· Second MDEQ-CMI extension request to September 30, 2004, approved in July 2003.
· Channel 9&10 News Michigan This Morning program filmed and featured the DeTour Reef Light with Chuck & Jeri Feltner on August 22, 2003. It aired around Michigan showing lighthouse restoration in action.
· Great Laker Magazine featured the DeTour Reef Light being restored on the cover and in an excellent article by Dave Wobser in the summer 2003 issue.
· CMI interior restoration contract with Mihm Enterprises signed on October 17, 2003, at the Mainsail Restaurant in DeTour Village with Terry Nelson, Chuck Feltner, Dave Bardsley, Ken Czapski and Frank and Sharon Mihm.
· Alfred Lemieux, 94, the last known survivor who built the DeTour Reef Lighthouse died November 23, 2003.
· Interior restoration begins in September 2003 and will resume in the spring of 2004.
· A 1970’s vintage Ranch Oak dresser used at the lighthouse was donated to the DRLPS by former lighthouse keeper Floyd Colvin in October 2003.
· Drummond Island Lions organization members Dave Bardsley, Norm Muench and Ken Walker installed 100 feet of steel tubing around the power line to the lighthouse where it enters Lake Huron at DeTour Point replacing the existing damaged ice barrier in November 2003.
· Restoration grant work scheduled for completion August 31, 2004, at which time the DeTour Reef Light will be in condition to receive public tours.’
· A photo of the DeTour Reef Light surrounded by scaffolding appeared on the cover of the Beacon with a story of the DRLPS by Jeri Feltner in the Spring 2004 issue.

STATE PRESERVATION ORGANIZATIONS AND LEGISLATIVE ISSUES

The following organizations and legislative issues have great potential in supporting the DRLPS and other volunteer lighthouse preservation organizations succeed by helping them sustain the organization’s activity to continue to be a strong and viable organization in order to preserve the lighthouse for generations to come. The DRLPS looks forward to working with these organizations.

Michigan Lighthouse Project (MLP)
Established in 1998, the MLP was made up of representatives from federal and state government agencies and other interested parties to address the fate of Michigan’s historic lighthouses, to increase public and governmental awareness of lighthouse preservation issues and to ensure the long-term preservation of the lighthouses. MLP is currently working with government agencies to effect the transfer ownership of historic lighthouses under the guidelines of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act.

Michigan Lighthouse Alliance (MLA)
Established in 2004 and made up of nonprofit lighthouse organization stewards and interested stakeholders, the purpose of the MLA is to support nonprofit lighthouse preservation organizations through technical, financial and managerial assistance in the endeavor to maintain and publicly exhibit historic lighthouses in the State of Michigan. MLA will also support efforts in the lighthouse ownership transfer process, and establish education programs and foster public awareness of the lighthouses.

National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act (NHLPA)
The NHLPA of 2000 amends the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and establishes a national lighthouse preservation program and authorizes the disposal of historic lighthouses. It recognizes the cultural, recreational, and educational value associated with these historic resources by allowing lighthouse properties to be transferred at no cost to federal agencies, state and local governments, nonprofit corporations and community development organizations for park and recreation, cultural and historic, and educational uses. The program is administered through the combined efforts of the Department of the Interior’s National Park Service, the U.S. Coast Guard and the General Services Administration. The DRLPS is working with the Michigan Lighthouse Project to initiate the transfer of the DeTour Reef Light to the DRLPS.

Michigan Lighthouse and Maritime Heritage Act (MLMHL)
In November 2003, Senator Debbie Stabenow with Senator Carl Levin introduced the MLMHL Act; a Bill to promote and protect Michigan’s Great Lakes history including lighthouses and maritime museums and help preserve the history of this precious natural resource for generations to come. The Bill would require the National Park Service to study and make recommendations on the best ways to promote and protect these resources. Congress would then enact the study’s recommendations on how to best preserve and increase tourism to these lighthouses and maritime resources, such as creating a designated statewide trail. The study would also identify funding sources for communities to preserve and restore their lighthouse and maritime resource. In October 2003, William Anderson and Sandra Clark of the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries, presented a paper called “Positioning Michigan as a Maritime Heritage Destination.” They said that it was time for Michigan to capitalize on its exceptional maritime resources and stake claim to being the center of Great Lakes maritime heritage. Thus, they are creating a Michigan Maritime Heritage Destination that pulls together the state’s top maritime attractions and stories by pooling resources for marketing and publicity and creating regional clusters.

Bottomlands Transfer
The State of Michigan owns the Lake Huron bottomlands on which the lighthouse stands. In December 2002, the State Legislature passed a Bill regarding conveyance of bottomlands that offshore lighthouses rest upon. This would make it possible for organizations such as the DRLPS to enter into a lease or agreement for the use of State lands on which an offshore lighthouse is located, including the use of water over those lands immediately adjacent to the lighthouse. This Bill makes it possible for the U.S. Coast Guard to transfer ownership of offshore lighthouses to organizations like the DRLPS. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality prepared a draft “Agreement to Use and Occupy Unpatented Great Lakes Bottomlands for Lighthouse Private Purposes” dated July 1999. This controversial document is being investigated to incorporate a more positive position for all concerned.

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD

The DeTour Reef Light will be restored and preserved by the DeTour Reef Light Preservation Society for all to enjoy. Our long-term plan is to completely restore the lighthouse inside and out, to make it accessible to visitors with safe docking and boarding facilities, and to develop an onshore viewing and educational center. We plan to restore the lighthouse with original period furnishings and equipment.

An important goal of the DRLPS is to obtain ownership of the lighthouse. We currently have a lease on the lighthouse from the U.S. Coast Guard and are in the process of preparing an application, with help from the Michigan Lighthouse Project, under the auspices of the National Historic Preservation Act that will allow the lighthouse ownership to be transferred to our nonprofit organization. DRLPS will also work with the Michigan Department of Environment Quality on the legal issues with the transfer of the bottomlands that the lighthouse sits on. DRLPS is also in the process of establishing of an endowment to fund maintenance of the lighthouse in perpetuity. Other important goals include strategic planning and budgeting, volunteer management and membership development, and working closely with the newly established Michigan Lighthouse Alliance on preserving the DeTour Reef Light Preservation Society.

Along with restoration and preservation of the DeTour Reef Light, our ongoing vision is to enhance public awareness of the history of all of the lighthouses of DeTour Passage and appreciation for the maritime heritage of this region, and to make the DeTour Reef Light a premier tourist attraction in the Eastern Upper Peninsula as the best example of an offshore lighthouse in the nation.

SUSTAINING SUCCESS

Success of lighthouse preservation is based on the unfailing support of the people dedicated and committed to restoring and preserving the DeTour Reef Light and keeping the organization strong. Volunteers invest a huge amount of personal time, energy and expense in keeping the light on. It is important to insure that these individuals do not reach the burn out point. The DRLPS is confident that the lighthouse national and statewide programs and policies under development will help these individuals and organizations sustain their goals by developing potential sources of future funding to maintain the lighthouse and to help operate the individual societies.

As well-known lighthouse personality Terry Pepper stated as one of his personal team philosophies - “How far should we extend ourselves? All the way. Each challenge will bring new opportunities we never dreamed of. We must work with the conviction that if we build it, they will come.” This applies not only to the individual organizations but to all the national organizations that have recently been developed. We must all work together to be sure that we do not fail in keeping the light on in the spirit of George Putnam as he said in his 1917 book - “The building and the keeping of the lights is a picturesque and humanitarian work of the nation.”

JOIN THE TEAM

Along with restoration and preservation, the DRLPS’ ongoing vision is to enhance public awareness of the value this lighthouse and its keepers brought to our nation’s development, and to make the DeTour Reef Light a premier tourist attraction in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula as the best example of a faithfully restored offshore lighthouse in the nation.

The DRLPS plans to keep the light on for many years to come and will share the lighthouse with the people through public access. It is our hope and dream that this historic lighthouse will attract many visitors including lighthouse enthusiasts and boat watchers (as the deck will be a great place to take photos of the ships) to learn of the value this lighthouse and its keepers served to our nation.

The DRLPS is very grateful to state and federal agencies, and others, for the over one million dollars in grant funding. This funding, however, does not cover ongoing operational expenses, including lighthouse insurance and maintenance. We appreciate our loyal individual supporters who have steadfastly offered their support to keep the DRLPS functioning. We continue to actively work at raising funds through donations, memberships and fundraising events. DRLPS is a nonprofit 501c3 organization and donations are tax deductible as allowed by law. Memberships can be obtained for as little as $20 which includes a newsletter. Please join us in this worthwhile endeavor and become a member of the DRLPS team to restore and preserve this magnificent monument to Michigan’s maritime history -- and remember -- We’ll Keep the Light on for You!

Visit the DRLPS at their website www.DRLPS.com or contact, DRLPS, PO Box 519, DeTour Village MI 49725, email: jeribaron@aol.com or call 906-493-6079 for more information about the lighthouse, how to join the team, or to sign up for the DRLPS annual Father’s Day cruise up the historic St. Marys River and through the famous Soo Locks.

About the author: Jeri Baron Feltner is Secretary and a founding member of the Board of Directors of the DeTour Reef Light Preservation Society (DRLPS) since 1998. Her key responsibilities have been the establishment of the DRLPS as a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, and the development and maintaining of the grant, membership, fundraising, marketing, historical and administration programs. Jeri presented papers on the subject of forming and sustaining a lighthouse preservation organization at the first State of Michigan lighthouse preservation conference in Lansing in 1999 and at the second conference in Mackinaw City in 2001. She will be making a presentation on this subject at the third lighthouse conference in Traverse City in June 2004. She is co-author (with her husband Chuck Feltner) of two books on Great Lakes maritime history, including Shipwrecks of the Straits of Mackinac. Jeri is President of Seajay Publications; a firm dedicated to the publication of material on maritime history. She lives on Drummond Island with her husband and their two Golden Retrievers Daisy and Scooter. Jeri wishes to acknowledge the contributions and encouragement to this article from Chuck Feltner, Terry Pepper, Bob Trapani, Dick Moehl, Sandy Planisek, Jim Woodward, and our dedicated group of volunteers and members who have made the DRLPS an organization to be proud of.

Sources of Information: National Archives lighthouse documents and correspondence, the Lighthouse Service Bulletin, U.S. Coast Guard.

© DeTour Reef Light Preservation Society 2004.