Baileys Harbor range lights photos via Lighthouse Friends.

A fundraising effort to “Restore the Range Light” in Baileys Harbor has come to a victorious close, raising $305,000 to restore the iconic Upper Range Light of the Baileys Harbor Range Lights to its early 1900s appearance. The fundraising efforts got a tremendous boost this summer with a $100,000 gift from the David L. and Rita E. Nelson Family Fund within the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region, to help restore the Baileys Harbor Range Lights, Privy and Oil House.

More than 8,000 people visited the Range Lights last year to learn the story of the maritime history of Baileys Harbor and Door County. This summer The Ridges threw a party to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Baileys Harbor Range Lights. More than 250 people turned out for the event.

The Ridges Sanctuary in Baileys Harbor began the “Restore The Range Light” campaign in the spring of 2016. The Ridges is a nonprofit organization that protects more than 1,600 acres of land and is open year-round. The Lower Range Light restoration project closed in 2013, and the focus on the remainder of the project has culminated in having the funds to complete the entire project by next summer.

Tours are open through the end of this month. To learn more about these historic structures or how to volunteer, visit ridgessanctuary.org or call 920-839-2802.

Who were the Nelsons? Learn more about the David L. and Rita E. Nelson Family Fund and find out more about this couple here.