Port Huron Historian turns family roots into community action

The Community Correspondent role provides readers with on-the-ground and inclusive stories about the Port Huron area. This is made possible through funding provided by the Community Foundation of St. Clair County.

St. Clair County Parks are heavily used and deeply loved by the local community, but many visitors don’t realize just how much work goes into keeping these public spaces preserved, accessible, and safe. Much of that work is made possible through years of volunteer labor.

One of those volunteers is David Brooks, president of the Friends of the Fort Gratiot Light, whose involvement with the park and its preservation efforts spans more than 15 years. Brooks’ dedication to volunteerism is rooted in family values.

“My parents, Walt & Mary Brooks, were founding members of the Port Huron Museum,” he says. “They taught myself and my two brothers about how important it was to volunteer and give back to the community you belong to.”

That early connection to local history eventually led to serving on the board for Port Huron Museums. He was chairman during a pivotal moment, when the retired United States Coast Guard Station was transferred to St. Clair County and became what is now known as the Fort Gratiot Light Station County Park.

Brooks has been involved with the Friends of the Fort Gratiot Light since its earliest days. He says, “The steering committee started around 2008, I think, and I’ve been involved with it since the beginning.”

Today, Brooks serves as president of the nonprofit, which raises funds and supports restoration projects in collaboration with St. Clair County Parks and Recreation and the Port Huron Museums.

“We started out as a Steering Committee for the Port Huron Museum,” Brooks explains. “After a few years we decided to become a 501 c3 ourselves, and set up a managed fund at the St. Clair County Community Foundation.”

When project funding requests are made, Brooks and other fund advisors review proposals to determine whether they will be supported, a process designed to ensure accountability and long-term planning for the park.

In addition to administrative work, Brooks is actively involved in restoration efforts. “I really love getting my hands dirty with demolition of non-historic parts of the structures in the park so that the County can turn back the clock to the mid-1930’s,” he says. 

His connection to the Fort Gratiot Light Station is also personal. In 2009, Brooks made a promise that continues to guide his involvement. 

“Back in 2009, ‘Lighthouse’ Bob Hanford, who used to give tours of the Lighthouse until the USCG stopped the practice due to safety concerns about brick falling from the Lighthouse, chatted with me at the Lighthouse one day and asked me to promise him I would stick around and see that the Lighthouse was restored,” he says. “I did, and even now that the Lighthouse has been restored, I saw that there’s more valuable work to be done. So, I’m still sticking around to see those projects through.”

The impact of this work goes beyond historic preservation. He says, parks provide a space for reflection and relaxation. Adding “historic landmarks remind us of what has come before us.” 

Some of Brooks’ most meaningful memories are tied to working alongside his late wife, Denise. “Working shoulder to shoulder with my wife Denise…pulling large nails and staples out of a historic maple floor…or painting walls with historically accurate colors,” he says, stands out. 

He adds, “My wife was very involved in volunteering…that definitely rubbed off on me. I learned a lot from her and her style, which was just to always involve people…It’s really all about giving back to the community that I live in, that’s just a core belief that I feel quite strongly about.”

Despite the progress, Brooks says funding remains an ongoing challenge for the park. Since its creation, the Friends of the Fort Gratiot Light have contributed more than $750,000 in funding and volunteer labor, easing the burden on taxpayers.

“You go to a park and enjoy it, but probably don’t realize how much effort goes into its maintenance, and at what cost,” he says. “A person can make a difference if they choose to get involved.” 

The group’s biggest goal right now is restoring the retired station building, which will eventually house maritime exhibits. The target completion date is 2029—the lighthouse’s 200th anniversary.