Dexter Man Saving Lighthouses One Beacon at a Time

Jonathan Coffer’s passion for preserving historic lighthouses combines engineering expertise, construction skills, and a love for adventure from Michigan’s coastlines to Alaska’s remote islands.

Photo: Jonathan Coffer (2^nd from right) and his team atop Eldred Lighthouse in Alaska.

By Delaney Krause

As home to the largest freshwater coastline in the world (3,288 miles), it is no surprise that Michigan also harbors the most lighthouses of any state in the US. Aside from providing breathtaking views and nostalgic charm for visitors, these lighthouses remain an important navigational checkpoint for maritime travelers. However, as technology has progressed, so too have the capabilities of the lighthouse; kerosene was replaced with electricity, and lighthouse keepers were replaced by control centers– largely leaving these structures untouched since the 1950s. That being said, lighthouses are not indestructible and still require a level of human intervention to be preserved.

Jonathan Coffer has been fortunate enough to apply his engineering expertise to maintain lighthouses across the country for the past 25 years. Jonathan moved to Dexter when he was six and has since created an additions and remodel business in Washtenaw County (Coffer Contracting) and raised his five children in the community.

As far as Jonathan’s involvement and interest in lighthouses, he explained, “I worked for a private collector of maritime museum pieces including Fresnel lenses and clockworks for rotating lenses.” Whilst in this position, Jonathan met Chad Kaiser, “who is now the general manager at the New Dungeness Light Station in Washington,” and to this day, “Chad calls [Jonathan] when he has a project that needs [their] combined skill sets and resources.”

In terms of specific repairs, Jonathan described that “The needs and scope of work vary from one project to the next.” He continued, “Sometimes it’s the buildings that are in need of repair. Many times, the focus is on the tower and lantern room itself. It’s late 1800’s technology, and many times, we find that the new construction techniques don’t work as well. For building work, our company normally takes the lead role.”

It can be incredibly challenging to apply modern construction techniques to structures designed with 19th-century technology; modern construction materials and methods, though more advanced, might not suit the pre-existing structure or its longevity. Thus, Jonathan’s historical and mechanical background serves as an incredibly important tool for addressing the unique needs of a given lighthouse.

While the lighthouse tower and its lantern room are often a lighthouse’s most notable (and noticeable) features, they could not exist without the maintenance of the building itself. When it comes to the actual lens portion of these structures, however, Jonathan said that he “usually plays more of a support role.”

He continued, “This usually involves dismantling and moving the Fresnel lenses and support structures,” and most frequently occurs when “museums want to move a lens or when a lens gets put back into the lighthouse.” Ultimately, lighthouse repairs require specialized knowledge that cannot be derived from one person or even one field of discipline.

Jonathan celebrates this intersection of his niche interests, emphasizing, “Working on lighthouse lenses and buildings is a great way to combine engineering skills and construction practices in cool locations.” From the California coastline to the isolated islands off the coast of Alaska. Jonathan’s work has ushered in countless adventures. When asked about his favorite project, Jonathan highlighted the Eldred Rock Lighthouse in Alaska– he described it as “a literal island of rock in the middle of a fjord.” It is the most remote location that Jonathan has ever worked in, but “It was also the most beautiful area: mountains, whales, glaciers, and porpoises, and bald eagles are as common as seagulls in the area.”

The journey to Eldred requires a three-hour boat ride to a tiny two-acre island. Jonathan explained, “We camped on the island for a week, and although we slept in the lighthouse, there was no running water or functional kitchen.” Fortunately, the group had generators for electricity during the day. During this project, Jonathan and the team had to replace the glass in the lantern room as the existing pieces were broken. Jonathan emphasized, “This was also the most logistically challenging project as we had to ship the glass up from Seattle and carry each pane up four stories of stairs by hand. If we broke one, there was no running to the store to pick up another one.” It’s precarious work that not only requires a unique set of knowledge but is also physically demanding and risky.

Jonathan is returning to Eldred Rock Lighthouse this summer to paint the tower of the structure, and upon their return, the team might also undertake the repair of 50 feet of concrete boat ramp. According to Jonathan, “This would involve bringing concrete mix out on a barge and lifting the supplies onto the island with a helicopter.” Many lighthouses are situated in incredibly isolated areas, and as a result, it is easy to ignore the logistics of preserving their beauty. Jonathan’s work highlights the specialized knowledge and experience required to maintain lighthouses, which are not only functional but also part of the country’s shared cultural and architectural heritage.

While lighthouses no longer play the critical role they once did in navigation, their preservation remains culturally and historically important. The work of maintaining these structures goes beyond simply keeping the light shining– it involves restoring and protecting buildings that were constructed with 19th-century technology, using materials and methods that often require special consideration and adaptation in the modern era.

The challenge of applying modern construction techniques to these aging structures makes Jonathan’s expertise truly invaluable. Ultimately, lighthouse maintenance today is a blend of art, engineering, and history, and thanks to people like Jonathan, visitors will be able to enjoy the serenity and history of these structures for many years to come.

Photos of Eldred Lighthouse, Alaska. Courtesy of Jon Coffer.