This is an AP Member Exchange shared by The Detroit News.PORT SANILAC, Mich. (AP) — Ice chunks
cling to therocks and float along the shoreline of Lake Huron as heavy snow cloudshover over the horizon,
threatening a storm to come. But no matter howdark it gets, the Port Sanilac lighthouse will guide anyone
out on thelake to shore.It’s been that way since 1886."When you’rethere in the winter and the winds
start kicking up, you get a real senseof what it was like when there was a keeper there carrying kerosene
upthe stairs to the light, doing his job," said Tim Conklin, who has ownedthe lighthouse and its
attached caretaker’s house with his wife, IanAronsson, since the 1990s when she inherited
it.Aronsson’sgrandfather Carl Rosenfield, founder of Carl’s Chop House in Detroit,bought the property from
the government in 1928 for $4,000 after it wasdecommissioned."Back when the government originally sold
thelighthouse, it didn’t have that kind of historic connotation that theydo now," Conklin told The
Detroit News ( http://bit.ly/18RLAHE ). "They
just sold it as surplus government property."Nowthe couple have decided to sell the property, which has
been the timecapsule for more than 80 years of their family’s memories."It’sbeen a constant living
history for us," Conklin said. "The things thatare inside, it’s not a museum where things were
collected from theperiod; it’s stuff that’s been used."Conklin and Aronsson haveused the lighthouse as
a weekend and summer home, taking the time torenovate the attached 2,400-square-foot three-bedroom, 1
1/2-bath home.Price for the lighthouse and caretaker home: $999,800.Thelighthouse is a beacon for both ships
and for the village of about 620residents in the Thumb area, said Port Sanilac village president
AndyFabian."The history is just incredible. There are some greatstories attached to that
building," said Fabian, owner of the Van CampHouse Restaurant. "It’s the centerpiece of our
community."Thelighthouse was built as a response to increased shipping traffic in theGreat Lakes. Two
families lived in the caretaker’s house beforeRosenfield bought the property.Until the lighthouse’s lamp
waselectrified in 1929, the keeper would lug the fuel up 58 feet of stairsto the tower to keep the light
burning. The light is now automated andcan be seen 16 miles out into the lake, beamed by the
lighthouse’soriginal Fresnel lens, which is owned and cared for by the Coast Guard.Thelighthouse is so
important to Port Sanilac, the village consideredbuying the lighthouse last year, but couldn’t find the
funds, saidFabian."It was just out of our reach," he said. "To do a (loan)we would have had
to have a supporting millage and it would have been abad time to put a tax on our residents."According
to the statetourism website, Michigan has 115 lighthouses, more than any otherstate. The opportunities to
buy one are few and far between.Since2000, the federal General Services Administration has sold 26 lightsfor
prices ranging from $10,000 to $933,000, mostly to governmentalentities or nonprofits, said Cat Langel, a
spokeswoman for the agency’sGreat Lakes Division.Once the U.S. Coast Guard determines a lightisn’t necessary
anymore, the GSA is authorized to begin the process tofind new stewards for the light under the National
Historic LighthousePreservation Act.If the government can’t find a qualified buyer,the law allows the
property to be sold at auction, usually with aminimum bid deposit of $10,000, Langel said."As with any
realestate, there are numerous factors that affect each property’s finalprice including location, condition
of the property, and fluctuations inthe real estate market," she said.Privately owned
lighthousespresently for sale in Michigan include one on Squaw Island, near BeaverIsland, which is listed
for $3.2 million and includes 69 acres, and theRound Island lighthouse on St. Mary’s River, which is listed
for $2.4million and includes the 7-acre island and a 3-acre mainland parcel.Anyonewho takes on a lighthouse
will have to be prepared for theresponsibility, said Jeff Shook, president of the Fenton-based
MichiganLighthouse Conservancy, which specializes in restoring decommissionedlighthouses around the
state."It’s somebody that has to have apassion and interest in history, because it’s a lot of upkeep
andmaintenance in general," said Shook. "It would be very beneficial tohave somebody who has that
respect for the history of the tower and thehouse."The Port Sanilac lighthouse is unusual because
unlike most lighthouses, it’s in a village, rather than a remote area, he said."Ialways say there’s
this lighthouse keeper romance that people have,"said Shook. "You get a remote lighthouse
someplace that’s hard to get toand off the beaten track, and hey there’s this family that used to liveout
there and keep the light and guide ships."The view from thetop of the Port Sanilac lighthouse includes
the water and the nearbymarina, which is closed during the winter. But even with few shops openin the area,
people still drive past, stopping to pause, roll down theirwindows and snap photos of the stark white tower
standing out againstthe cloudy sky."It’s an iconic monument for our beautiful littletown," said
Fabian. "That light shines through the whole winterreminding us we’ll be out on the water
soon."___Information from: The Detroit News, http://detnews.com/Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.
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