(PORT HURON) — A 186-year-old lighthouse in Port Huron has received a fresh coat of paint as part of ongoing maintenance work to ensure the 82-foot structure doesn’t fall back into disrepair. Thousands of dollars have been invested in the restoration of the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse after years of neglect left it closed to visitors. Safety concerns prompted its closure to the public in August 2008 when bricks started falling from the structure. It underwent renovations in 2011 and reopened to the public in May 2012. Port Huron Museum executive director Susan Bennett says nearly 85,000 people have visited the lighthouse since its opening. The Fort Gratiot Lighthouse is the oldest lighthouse in Michigan.
