Crews begin work on Split Rock Lighthouse to better withstand harsh Lake Superior conditions
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Visitors trekking to the North Shore of Lake Superior expecting to see the iconic vista of Split Rock Lighthouse perched atop a cliff overlooking the lake will soak in a slightly different vista beginning Monday.
That’s when Minnesota Historical Society crews begin scaffolding around the iconic structure, part of a three-month restoration project to repair damaged bricks and mortar.
To help prevent future cracking, the historical society will also install moisture sensors to measure the humidity in the lighthouse. When it reaches certain levels, a new HVAC system will turn on, to help circulate air around the building to prevent condensation.
The work is modeled after a project at a lighthouse in New York that fell into disrepair.
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“The air isn't moving through the building like it's supposed to, and it essentially sits in there and causes the buildup of water in the building and causes through the freeze-thaw cycle the cracking that we're seeing,” said Hayes Scriven, the lighthouse site manager. “This is a pretty typical issue that a lot of lighthouses have.”
Work crews began site preparation on March 1. The scaffolding will go up starting on March 16.
Hayes said construction will resemble work done in 2008-09, when bricks and the curved windows at the top of the lighthouse were replaced.
“The lighthouse will definitely look a little bit different. But it's all for the sake of progress and restoration,” said Scriven, who added that he hopes visitors “can give us a little grace.”
In March and April, visitors can get an up-close look at the restoration work through special “Hard Hat Tours.” Regular site tours resume in May. Repair work is expected to be completed by late June.
The lighthouse has been a busy place in recent months. Archaeologists discovered remnants of a historic tram last summer while working on a trails and landscape restoration project that’s also expected to be completed this spring.
And more than 2,000 visitors gathered at the base of the lighthouse in November to mark the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald with a ceremony honoring the 29 crewmembers who died when the ship capsized in Lake Superior.
