On Wednesday afternoon just before 2 p.m., a giant yellow crane lifted a shanty into the air and placed it in its original home on the Leland River. This was the third shanty to be moved and repaired in Leland’s Historic Fishtown.
High water levels and large waves caused by low pressure systems in Lake Michigan led to flooding.
Amanda Holmes, the executive director of the Fishtown Preservation Society, said each building posed unique challenges and “Otherside Shanty” is no exception.
“It flooded so much that we lost all the flooring,” said Holmes. “We lost insulation, we lost utilities, there’s just a lot more work that has to happen before that building can be occupied again.”
The Otherside Shanty got its name while in service as the storage building for Carlson’s Fishery. The family would often ask for supplies from the otherside of the river. In 2000, it was converted into a vacation rental. It is expected to be ready for occupancy next year.
Carlson’s Fishery is the next shanty to be removed and repaired. That is slated to happen in November.
