LUDINGTON, Mich., Aug. 19 -- An historic beacon that guides Lake Michigan mariners past the western Michigan shore looks a little crooked, and federal engineers say it'll stay that way. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Friday it will let the Ludington Light tilt a little to the north.
The 50-foot-high beacon shifted about 18 inches while workers were shoring up the deteriorating foundation, said Tom O'Bryan, construction chief for the Corps project. Pushing the steel structure back to a perfectly vertical position would cost too much, O'Bryan said. Besides, in its tilted state the 60-year-old lighthouse has more character than ever. 'They've got that thing over in Italy, in Pisa, and now we've got the Leaning Lighthouse of Ludington,' O'Bryan said. The shift occurred after the Corps started a $500,000 project aimed at saving the unmanned lighthouse. An old wood-and-stone foundation is being reinforced with steel pilings and concrete. O'Bryan said the lighthouse is in no danger of falling. The foundation project should be complete in about two months.
