MANITOWOC (NBC 26) — After years of decay, the Manitowoc lighthouse is being returned to its former self.
- After manned-operations ceased in the 70's, the lighthouse fell into a state of disarray.
- When a new owner came in in 2018, more than $300,000 were spent to return it to its former self.
- Paul Roekle and the Manitowoc Sunrise Rotary now care for the building.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
For more than a century, if you sailed a boat into Manitowoc, the lighthouse would be the first thing you see. Now, it's returning to its former glory.
Built in 1918, the lighthouse guided ships on their way into the harbor.
"It stood the test well through the years and it's still there,” said Paul Roekle, a keeper of the Manitowoc lighthouse. “It's probably one of the most pictured icons that is in the area."
He says that the years haven't always been easy to the lighthouse since manned-operations ceased in the 1970s.
"The plaster was off the walls. The outside is all metal and that was rusting apart,” Roekle remembered. “The windows had been all boarded up because they had been busted out and their was graffiti all over the place."
But in 2018, the Coast Guard sold the lighthouse to a private owner from Long Island, New York, Phil Carlucci.
"Along with that comes the understanding that you have to restore the lighthouse,” explained Roekle. “So, he stuck over $325,000 into the lighthouse to get it into the condition it is today."
Most of the renovation is now complete and it's up to Paul and other members of the Manitowoc Sunrise Rotary to take care of it.
"We've got an owner of this lighthouse that is supporting the community by maintaining,” said Dennis Huckins.
A Manitowoc monument that has seen many ships, including of course, the S.S. Badger
"It never gets old to see the Badger go by,” Roekle laughed.
For a schedule of events at the lighthouse or to find out more information, a link to their website can be found here.
