Restoration
2015 - Present

Read about the Lighthouse's Pre-Restoration History

2024

Metal Foundation Belt

The floor of the machinery space was frequently wet, suggesting water infiltration between a gap between the steel sheeting of the 1st floor and the concrete foundation.

A custom-formed metal belt was welded around the entire perimeter to seal the gap between the concrete and steel. This repair cost $4,500, paid by donations. The finish work of caulking and painting was completed by volunteers.

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Gap between the foundation and the steel sheeting

Paplham Welding at the lightohuse to work on the belt

The bare steel belt being installed on the South face.

The newly installed and painted belt. The gap between welds has since been caulked.

The SW corner of the lighthouse showing the new foundation belt

Detail of the new belt on the South side of the lighthouse.

In September, the white steel covering the first floor of the lighthouse was pressure washed, loose paint was sanded (rivets were sanded by hand), the metal was primed in a marine-grade primer, and 3 coats of white paint applied. The process took a team of 2 men one week to complete. It cost $10,236 paid for by donations.

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The NW corner in the process of being painted

The crisp white paint is quite a contrast to the spider webs and bugs that are stuck to the paneling

The east face (left) waits for priming while the north face (right) gets its 3rd and final coat of w

Paint is applied to the North face while primer dries on the west

Pier side of the lighthouse after painting

2023

Window Replacement & Electricity

The main (machinery) level of the lighthouse has 5 windows on each side of it. Several of these windows had steel plates welded to the exterior of the lighthouse to cover the window. Palphalm Welding of Kewaunee County removed the steel plates covering the windows in the spring of 2023.

Barry Nelson expertly crafted replica windows to replace the badly deteriorated windows formerly in place on the first floor. In most cases, the hardware from the windows wasn’t able to be salvaged and Barry has fabricated new hardware to replace it. Barry and a crew of volunteers spent several working days removing the badly deteriorated windows and replacing them with the new ones.

Around the same time, Jim Schaller of the City’s Lighthouse Preservation committee was working with electrician Dan Jerabek of Kewaunee to reconnect power to the lighthouse.
When the lighthouse was mothballed in 1981, the power was disconnected from the entire building, except the single line running directly up to the light. Jim and Dan installed new conduit in the machinery space, added a few outlets, and installed 6 light fixtures salvaged from local Hillcrest School before its demolition.

An attic inspection in 2021 showed that the conduit and electrical fixture boxes above the 2nd floor ceiling were still in place. The conduit from the first floor to the second was replaced along its former path and tied into the existing wiring in the 2nd floor ceiling. Simple fixtures were installed on the 2nd and 3rd decks and all light bulbs are LED. A photocell turns the interior lights on and off automatically daily.

Carpentry and Master Electrician labor done in-kind.

Materials paid for by donations.

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Dan Kruse, Dale Neumier, Jim Schaller, Frank Voyles, Barry Nelson - Windows 2023

Salvaged light fixtures in the first floor (From Hillcrest School)

Kewaunee Lighthouse lit at night for first time 7-4-23

2022

Lighthouse & Pier Accepted to Registers of Historic Places

The Kewaunee lighthouse and pier were both added to the Wisconsin and the National Registers of Historic Places. A commemorative plaque was installed on the lighthouse in 2023.

2020/2021

Entry Door & Deck

The large door that faces the city was heavy plywood and in very poor condition. A set of historically accurate doors were installed in the summer of 2020, paid for by donations.

To accommodate the anticipated tours, the entry level deck was enlarged and a permanent railing installed in 2021.

Prior to 1981, the staircase from the catwalk extended down to this platform. (See vintage photos below)

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Early 1970s - Bowling Green State University

Note the lack of railing on the shoreward side of the platform. 1982 - EPA

2019 - June 6

Fresnel Lens Decommissioned

The 5th Order Fresnel lens that shone atop the lighthouse for more than 100 years was decommissioned on June 6, 2019. It was replaced by an LED light that is far more efficient than the 500-watt bulb that lit the lens until that point.

The delicate lens was removed from the tower, professionally stabilized, and placed on display at the Kewaunee County Historical Society, located at 217 Ellis St in Kewaunee. Typically open Thursdays and Fridays from 10am – 4pm.
Stop in and visit!

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2017

Exterior Stabilization & Restoration

Using approximately $100,000 of the 2015 grant from the State, the initial lighthouse stabilization took place in 2017 as a comprehensive exterior restoration. The asphalt roof was replaced with a new metal roof system. Rotted roof sheathing was replaced and a complete ice and water shield synthetic layer was laid. Along with the extensive roof repairs, exterior wood elements were stripped of their paint, repaired or replaced if needed, then primed and painted. Additionally, corrugated metal siding on the tower exterior was replaced with fiber/cement board siding to give the structure a cleaner and more uniform look.

Plywood and plexi-glass enclosures on window openings were removed, allowing more light into the interior and new aluminum storm windows were installed to keep the weather out. The existing window units remain in place, protected from further deterioration for a future restoration project.

The project was paid for primarily by grant funding, however donations allowed the roof to be upgraded to metal.

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2015

City Awarded $4.2M Grant For Harbor Work

The State of Wisconsin awards the City of Kewaunee a $4.2 million grant, for harbor repairs and initial stabilization of the Kewaunee Pierhead Lighthouse. The main (lighthouse) focus was to protect the lighthouse structure from the elements and curtail further damage.