Save Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Light Keepers House

Send an Email to Wayne Kean opposing the demolition of the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Station Light Keepers House. Send to wayne.e.kean@uscg.mil or 216-902-6258 before April 8th, 2016

Article about demolition of Keeprs House

The U.S. Coast Guard has given notice that they intend to demolish the 1886 Light Keepers House at Sturgeon Bay Canal Station in Door County, Wisconsin. They are seeking public comment until April 8, 2016. The reason they give for tearing down the building is because it contains asbestos and lead paint. They also say the building is no longer suitable to use as housing since Coast Guard families often choose to live in Sturgeon Bay instead of at the Ship Canal Light Station. They say it has no historic value.

Demolishing the keepers house at Sturgeon Bay Canal Station would be great loss. To tear down this keeper's house will severely alter the historical integrity of the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Light Station.

edited to make email clickable - Dave

HISTORY OF THE KEEPERS HOUSE
According to historian Steven Karges in Keepers of the Lights Lighthouse Keepers & their Families Door County Wisconsin 1837-1939, the lighthouse keepers house was built in 1886:

“Congress finally appropriated $3,300 for a keeper’s dwelling in 1886, and on 13 May 1886, the Lighthouse Board signed a contract with Francis Carpel of Lakeside, Ohio to build the house. Leathem and Smith of Sturgeon Bay furnished the lumber for a two story dwelling and construction began in June and finished in October.”

In 1904, the keeper’s dwelling was doubled in size to fourteen rooms. This provided two complete sets of living quarters and a single room for a third keeper. The newly remodeled dwelling was first occupied by Head Keeper Charles O. Chapman and his family and Second Assistant Keeper Otto H. Schmiling and his family.

In 1939, the U.S. Coast Guard took over the operation of the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Station.

Suzanne,

I made the email a clickable link to automatically open an email in someone's email client.

Who is Wayne? Is he someone at a headquarters level in charge of properties?