FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Press Contacts: Theodore Neitzke IV, Mayor, tneitzke@portwashingtonwi.gov, 262-284-5585

Melissa Pingel, City Administrator, mpingel@portwashingtonwi.gov, 262-284-5585

 

Engineering Contact: Rob Vanden Noven, P.E., Director of Public Works, rvandennoven@portwashingtonwi.gov, 262-268-4267

 

PORT WASHINGTON, WI – (September 17, 2024) – The City of Port Washington is pleased to announce it has been awarded a $2,231,900 grant from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s Transportation Alternative Program (TAP) for the preservation of the historic north breakwater lighthouse. The total project cost is estimated at $2,814,875, and it is anticipated that the preservation work will be completed in summer 2025.

The lighthouse, originally constructed in 1935, has guided commercial ships and pleasure craft and has served as a destination for thousands of tourists, fishermen, and sightseers annually for nearly 90 years. It is entered on the National and State Register of Historic Places.

The Lighthouse was acquired by the City of Port Washington in 2018 from the U.S. Coast Guard after being divested by the federal government. This lighthouse is located at the end of the half-mile federal breakwater which has been repaired and improved since 2014 utilizing state, federal, and local funding. In 2017, the City commissioned Legacy Architecture, Inc. (Sheboygan) to perform a comprehensive evaluation of the lighthouse which summarized the concrete, architectural metals, windows, doors and hatches, finishes, mechanical systems, and health and safety repairs necessary to preserve this historic structure. In 2022, with financial support from the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program (WCMP), the City hired Legacy Architects to provide a full set of plans, specifications, and estimates for the preservation of the lighthouse. The grant will enable the City to fulfill its obligation to maintain the lighthouse while minimizing the impact on local property taxes.