PORT WASHINGTON, Wis. — Volunteers in an Ozaukee County city are ensuring that a 165-year-old lighthouse lives on for another century.
The 1860 Light Station has overlooked downtown Port Washington for generations, delighting thousands of visitors to the lakeside city.
Last year, the Port Washington Historical Society issued a call for volunteers to help maintain the lighthouse, in keeping with tradition.
Dave Garacci and Nicole Sova are two of the volunteers. Both Wisconsin natives, they married in the 1990s. Several years ago, they returned home to Port Washington and became part of this growing tradition.
In Sova’s case, she grew up in Port Washington, spending her days in the glow of that same lighthouse.
“I never imagined that I would be able to stay in the lighthouse,” Sova said. “The thing I like most about it are the stories.”
The lighthouse’s museum and adjoining apartment are filled with items from the city’s history. That includes furniture and even a phonograph manufactured by Port Washington’s Wisconsin Chair Company.
Watch: Volunteers travel far and wide to preserve historic Port Washington lighthouse
“It just feels good to be here,” Garacci said. “I would start in the morning, 6 or 7 a.m., getting up and starting to clean.”
To this day, visitors can climb several flights of stairs and ladders to reach the light room. The historical society restored it a few decades ago so that it could once again shine down on the surrounding marina.
Nicole and Dave are just a few of the volunteers who maintain the lighthouse. The historical society’s keeper program allows anyone to sign up to live at the lighthouse for a week in the summer.
In addition to living there, the keepers also serve as hosts and tour guides for visitors. In the program’s first year last summer, enthusiasts came from as far as the East Coast to take part.
The Port Washington Historical Society is still looking to fill spots for this upcoming Summer. You can visit their website here.
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