Lighthouse Rehab: Producer's Diary

Reflections from Producer JoAnne Garrett

This Old Lighthouse. Rehab at Raspberry. Cue the hammers. It's noisy out here!

Our job is to document the renovation of this beautiful old building. On a hot, hot day, hardhats slipping on our heads, we walk through the upheaval and din and grab shots of the skilled craftspeople who are bringing this beauty back into shape.

She's in good hands. I would characterize the style of these artisans as "sure strokes". Painting, plastering, pulling out molding, hammering on metal; these people never falter as they move forward. Forward into the past! I think it's the motto from an old cartoon show ("Peabody and Sherman"?) but it describes the job here; pull back the layers to reveal what this place was, what it meant to the mariners who plied the waters of Lake Superior. "It was life or death", said Bob Krumenaker, the Park Superintendent, "If the light went out, people could die."

One of the pleasures of my job is the chance to learn, to gain a new perspective and understanding. I always thought of lighthouses as quaint, cute objects, interesting relics. No longer.  I understand now that the Raspberry Island Lighthouse had a critical role. Imagine the solace of seeing that light if you were on a ship tossed by the swells of a storm on Lake Superior . How your heart would calm.

What Bob the Contractor and the crew are bringing back is part of Wisconsin 's history.

I imagine the intense satisfaction of the lighthouse keeper, living this lonely life out on Raspberry Island , keeping that beacon glowing through Lake Superior 's darkest storms.