Full-scale restoration of Rock of Ages lighthouse will begin this summer. The venerable lighthouse has been left to the ravages of nature since 1979, and a nonprofit all volunteer group, the Rock of Ages Lighthouse Preservation Society, is partnering with the Isle Royale National Park to save the structure. The work is expected to take several years.
There are few places that more completely define solitude than Rock of Ages Lighthouse. Perched atop a knife-edged reef on the western brink of the Isle Royale archipelago, Rock of Ages Lighthouse has stood watch, silently guarding the rocky shores of Isle Royale for more than a century.
Standing 10 stories tall with a second order Fresnel lens, Rock of Ages Lighthouse is just as striking a sight today as when it was built in 1908. One of the most powerful lights on the Great Lakes with a range of 25 miles, the light serves as an important signpost for ships crossing Lake Superior, and marks the dangerous Rock of Ages Reef.
Since 1979 the Rock of Ages Lighthouse has been left to the wind, waves, and ice without a keeper to maintain it. The Rock of Ages Lighthouse Preservation Society, an all-volunteer nonprofit, has partnered with Isle Royale National Park to pick up where the last lighthouse keeper left off. Over the next few years, the Rock of Ages Lighthouse will undergo restoration with the help of dedicated volunteers, preserving the history of this amazing historic structure.
“Rock of Ages is a world set apart,” said David Gerth, founder and director of the Rock of Ages Lighthouse Preservation Society. “Those fortunate enough to set foot on the Rock know the overwhelming power of just being there, surrounded by the vast waters of Lake Superior and beauty of Isle Royale.”
The restoration of the Rock of Ages Lighthouse to 1930s timeframe will allow visitors “to not only experience the beauty of the place, but also to feel what it is like to live the life of an offshore lighthouse keeper.”
Full-scale restoration work begins this summer with the keeper’s quarters on the fourth floor of the lighthouse. Restoration will be completed by volunteers and funded by the Rock of Ages Lighthouse Preservation Society through grants and individual or business donations. Rock of Ages Lighthouse Preservation Society also accepts in-kind materials donations for the project: Action Floor Systems of Mercer, Wisconsin has generously donated all of the hard wood flooring for the lighthouse.
Rock of Ages Lighthouse has a bright future thanks to the Rock of Ages Lighthouse Preservation Society and its supporters. Gerth reflected that, “The history and future of this publicly owned place belongs to everyone. With the help of all those who love Isle Royale, Lake Superior, and its history, Rock of Ages will become a living lighthouse once again.”
Learn how to become involved at: rockofageslps.org or email rockofageslps@gmail.com.
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