Some volunteers for the St. Joseph Lighthouse are urging the city to do everything in its power to keep heirlooms on loan to the community from the U.S. Coast Guard in St. Joseph as the deadline looms to return them.

Speaking to city commissioners Monday, lighthouse volunteer Jim Brooks said the Heritage Museum and Cultural Center has had two antique Fresnel lenses from the lighthouse light on display for the past ten years.

“These lights have been on loan for 10 years,” Brooks said. “I’m led to believe that the loan expires next month and that they’re supposed to be shipped to a museum on the east side of Michigan, which for me is a tragedy.”

Brooks said the Fresnel — pronounced “frennel” — lenses were used in the lighthouse for about 50 years, helping protect ships from hitting the pier or running aground before the lighthouse was electrified in 1930.

There’s a Fourth Order lens, standing about two feet tall and weighing about 440 pounds, and a Fifth Order lens, which is smaller. Brooks suggested they be put on display at St. Joseph City Hall and perhaps St. Joseph Today.

City Manager Emily Hackworth said she just learned of this issue earlier in the day and was already on the phone trying to find the right person at the Coast Guard to keep the lenses here.

“I understand the passion behind this and I am happy to reach out,” Hackworth said. “I think once we find the right contact to be working with, and we’ve also got our Harbor Master who has some insights, and I’ll reach out to him as well. I think your passion should be shared with them.”

With recent changes at the Heritage Museum, it’s unknown exactly what will happen with the lenses. It’s believed they’re still at the Heritage Center. Brooks said the items are extremely fragile and shipping them across the state would be risky.

Commissioners and Hackworth agreed an effort should be made to keep these pieces of St. Joseph history in St. Joseph.