Half Of Phase 2 Foundation Repair Complete
- Jake Heffernan
- Sep 16
- 3 min read
A group of masons were out at the Kewaunee Lighthouse on last week, allowing us to check two important projects off of our "to do" list!
On Wednesday, John Kruse of J&K Sealants had poured new mastic into the gap between the lighthouse foundation and the pier top, replacing the sealant which had been removed in 2018 due to asbestos. On Thursday, Kruse and his crew were hard at work removing the steel plates from the four foundation level openings and sealing them with concrete construction blocks.
Throughout the course of the day, the openings which now allowed sunlight to stream into the basement for the first time in more than 40 years, were slowly sealed back up - returning the basement to an even darker state than before. The previous steel which covered the north side windows was rusted around the edges and the supporting concrete was badly chipped. Enough light peeked through the north openings to allow one to see the rough outlines of the massive fuel oil tanks. By the end of the day, it was impossible to see my hand in front of my face.
We are confident that these two projects will vastly help in keeping the basement dry during the fall storms. The concrete floor has a thick layer of dirt, leftover from previous leakage. Occasionally, a glance down the hatch to the basement previously revealed wet, sticky mud at the base of the ladder. In the future, we expect to clean this space. While it likely will not be possible to host visitors in the basement - there isn't much to see down there anyway - we hope we can possibly use the area for safe storage of some items not directly related to the museum, such as the shop vac and other items which don't fit inside the cabinet on the main level.
Despite this accomplishment, our work on the foundation is not over yet! These two projects are the simpler, cheaper, and most urgently needed of the four planned projects to complete this final phase of the foundation repair. The remaining two projects are somewhat more cosmetic in nature, however still crucial to the overall scope of the restoration. Only the accomplishment of all four parts of the project will ensure the longevity of the repairs we've completed.
Project 3 involves using hydraulic cement to repair deep gouges where the concrete has broken away over the building's 113 years of existence. These gouges are most easily seen on the eastern face of the lighthouse, facing the lake. (Photo)
Project 4 is the application of a 2-part epoxy coating to the entire concrete foundation. This will seal moisture out, eliminating the damaging effects the freeze/thaw cycle has on masonry.
The remaining two projects are expected to cost approximately $10,000. We would love to hit the ground running in spring and get these repairs complete, but can't do it without your continued support! We just received an incredible donation of $2,500 this weekend, which helps us immensely in planning for next season!
Once the foundation has been completed, we will be able to turn our attention to the interior. Historic research in preparation for our Historic Structures Report is already underway, though the cost of the completed report is not yet known.
KEWAUNEE LIGHTHOUSE RESTORATION TIMELINE TO DATE Click here to view more detailed restoration info and photos
2012 - City of Kewaunee obtains the Kewaunee Lighthouse from the US government
2015 - Grant awarded by State of Wisconsin for harbor upgrades and lighthouse stabilization
2017 - Initial exterior restoration/stabilization of the top 2/3 of the lighthouse (photo in the "Historic Preservation Donation" box above) New metal roof and composite siding tiles are the main repairs done at the time. (Approx. $150,000 using 2015 grant funding)
2019 - 5th Order Fresnel lens removed from tower and placed on display at the History Center. Tours begin.
2020 - Entry door replaced with historically appropriate door (Approx. $45,000)
2021 - Entry landing enlarged and railings installed for added visitor safety (Approx. $2,000)
2022 - Kewaunee South Pier & Lighthouse added to National & State Registers of Historic Places
2023 - Steel covers on 1st Floor machinery space windows removed, 10 replica windows installed in machinery space, power and lighting installed throughout the building and set to turn on/off automatically nightly.
2024 - Steel belt installed between metal sheeting outside 1st floor and the concrete foundation to cover a gap which allowed water to enter the building. 1st floor steel repainted white (Total for both projects approx. $14,800)
2025 - Base gap filled with new mastic and four foundation openings are sealed with concrete blocks