Want to live here?

Wind Point Lighthouse's next keeper will call this home, but the post has demands

By JENNIE TUNKIEICZ
jtunkieicz@journalsentinel.com

Posted: July 1, 2007

Wind Point - For many, it's a dream job - to live in a historic lighthouse on 5 acres with beach access along Lake Michigan, positioned at the easternmost point in southeastern Wisconsin and featuring one of the greatest views in the state.

After five years, that dream job is open again.

"It's been a great experience," said Missy Peterson, who with her husband, Jeff, has been living at the Wind Point Lighthouse since 2002. "We have met a lot of people from all over the world."

"Not too many people get to live in a lighthouse," Jeff Peterson said. "And it really is the best piece of property in the state."

Last time the job was advertised, there was interest from 135 people from around the country.

For the Petersons - Jeff, 42; Missy, 37; and their children, Malaney, 6, and Finnian, 4 1/2 - the time is right to pursue a normal life. It's become a bit more difficult to get the children to school functions and soccer practices and still juggle the demands of lighthouse keeping.

And, like most dream jobs, there is also that heavy dose of reality: The life of a lighthouse keeper comes with demands.

"It's too much of a fishbowl existence," said Jeff Peterson, who is also a Racine firefighter. "When you first get here, it's exciting, but then the novelty wears off. Just today, a kid walked into our living quarters, saying he was looking for the lighthouse."

And, if you like summer vacations and relaxing weekends, forget about it.

"Last year, there were 103 events out here, from meetings to weddings," Missy Peterson said.

Both admit that the transition will be difficult. Their children have come to believe that the lighthouse is their house - it's just that a lot of people visit all the time.

"I'm so glad we were chosen and we've had this opportunity," Missy Peterson said. "It's something we will never forget. And we might regret going back to normal life and living like everyone."

It also will be strange, she added, to no longer be automatically introduced as "the people who live in the lighthouse."

The search for new lighthouse keepers will begin in earnest soon. The Petersons hope to buy a house in Racine and move by August.

John Schmit, who is with the Friends of the Wind Point Lighthouse and will again serve on the lighthouse keeper search committee, said personality is probably one of the most important traits for a lighthouse keeper.

"It's a high-profile position, and cordiality is so important," Schmit said. "The lighthouse is visited by people all over the world."

Schmit pointed out that the job is for the keeper of the grounds, not the keeper of the light. The Wind Point Lighthouse is a navigational aid, so the duty of keeping the light still falls to the U.S. Coast Guard.

The lighthouse keeper has to cut the grass, pull the weeds, keep the buildings in good shape, clean and maintain the public facilities, keep the public events schedule and serve as an ambassador for the village and the Racine area, he said. An eye for detail is important, he said.

"It's a wonderful job and wonderful place to live, but it comes with responsibilities," Schmit said.

Wind Point Village President William Schalk said he appreciates the job the Petersons have done over the past five years because the lighthouse is so important to the ambience of the village.

"It's just a treasure," Schalk said.