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“It really needs a complete restoration to keep it standing,” Sabo told MLive/Muskegon Chronicle. “While it is structurally sound now, the way it is deteriorating, over the course of the next couple of years it could end up tipping over if we got strong winds.”

If that happened, Sabo said the community would be stuck with a “light pole” to house the beacon that is still used for navigation.

The 90-year-old lighthouse is owned by the Michigan Lighthouse Conservancy, which also owns the south pierhead lighthouse located closer to the harbor.

Michigan Lighthouse Conservancy President Jeff Shook said the south breakwater lighthouse was so deteriorated, it was in danger of collapsing. Many iconic photos of the lighthouse show it being pummeled by Lake Michigan waves.

Another $200,000 is needed to fully renovate and restore the lighthouse, and fundraising is underway, Shook told MLive.

He’s hopeful that repair work can begin next year.

“The lighthouse is going to cost more down the road if we don’t do something about it soon,” he said. “We have to do something sooner rather than later.”

The repair price tag is particularly high because equipment must be transported by barge and much of the work must be done off the barge as well, Shook said.

He praised Sabo’s efforts to secure funding, calling it a “dream come true for me.”

Residents about a year ago expressed concern about the image of Muskegon the rusting lighthouse was portraying. The city formed a group to look at what could be done for it, Sabo said.

“I think the task of raising the money looked pretty daunting to them,” he said.

Several metal panels on the lighthouse likely have to be replaced, Shook said. The sealing of air vents long ago caused condensation to build up, causing rust inside the lighthouse, he said.

The top of the structure that once housed a foghorn had been enclosed using plywood and thin sheet metal that weren’t appropriate for the harsh conditions, he said.

“It is all rotted and gooey and everything else up there,” Shook said.

The concrete base also needs repairs, he said.

The paint that is on the lighthouse is lead-based and care must be taken to remove it, Shook said. No welding can be done on the structure until the paint is removed, he said.

“The lead paint along with the steel deterioration are the two big headaches out there,” Shook said.

The Michigan Lighthouse Conservancy also owns Muskegon’s older south pierhead lighthouse located closer to the harbor, and paid for its lantern room to be refurbished last year. That lighthouse was built in 1903, but the lantern room had been transferred onto it from another lighthouse that was built in 1870.

The Michigan Lighthouse Conservancy took ownership of both lighthouses from the federal government in 2010. The Coast Guard maintains the lighthouses’ lights and fog signal.

Both lighthouses are on the National Register of Historic Places.

The conservancy raises funds by offering tours of the south pierhead lighthouse and has a chalet where it will sell souvenirs at Pere Marquette Beach.

Those who would like to contribute to the lighthouse repairs can do so by clicking here. Those who would like to volunteer to offer tours and other assistance can call 810-750-9236 or send an email to michiganlights@gmail.com. The conservancy is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization.