SHEBOYGAN, Wis. — Along with Blue Harbor and the twin smoke stacks, the big red lighthouse stands as a pillar of the Sheboygan skyline.
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The 110-year-old structure has been a popular spot for walkers and fishermen for generations, but now faces an uncertain future as it changes ownership.
Brett Koller, a regular fisherman at the lighthouse, has deep personal connections to the landmark.
"Since I was little, a kid, I've spent a lot of time down here. Perch fished when I was 8, 9 years old, with cane poles and crab tails," Koller said.
Even as an adult, the lighthouse pier remains his sanctuary.
"Coming to the pier is just almost like a daily thing for me," Koller said.
The federal government is now looking to transfer ownership of the lighthouse, according to Sheboygan officials.
"[It's] opening it up, trying to get rid of the building maintenance and owning and operating the lighthouse," Sheboygan Mayor Ryan Sorenson said.
Before any transfer happens, the structure needs significant repairs. The lighthouse is rusting from the inside out, with visible deterioration allowing specks of sunlight to penetrate through the metal.
"I think the thing that's really holding this lighthouse together is the layers of red paint," Sorenson said.
"Fraying from the inside, really coming apart here," Sorenson added while pieces of the wall flaked to the ground.
The city is currently assessing repair costs. If Sheboygan can't afford the repairs, ownership opportunities will open to nonprofits. If no nonprofits express interest, private buyers will have a chance to purchase the landmark.
Watch: Historic Sheboygan lighthouse faces uncertain future as ownership changes
If no buyers come forward, "Is it going to be an iconic-looking lighthouse like we have today?" Sorenson asked.
Or will it be replaced with a more utilitarian structure similar to one on Sheboygan's southern sister pier — solar-powered lights and a foghorn attached to metal poles.
"Me personally, being born and raised in Sheboygan, I want the lighthouse. We need a lighthouse," Sorenson added.
For locals like Koller, the prospect of losing the historic lighthouse is difficult to imagine: "I would hate to see it go."
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