Preservationists seek to keep two Irish Hills sightseeing towers

Work was finished on Tuesday to remove the tops of the Irish Hills sightseeing towers in Onsted, Mich.

ONSTED, Mich. -- Preservationists said today that they hope decapitating the tops from two Irish Hills area sightseeing towers will be help stave off the threat of demolition.

Cambridge Township officials gave the Irish Hills Historical Society, which owns the towers built in 1924 along U.S. 12, until Aug. 1 to come up with a plan to stabilize the twin structures and pay for repairs.

This week, crews finished work to remove the towers’ tops -- an estimated 18 feet from the once 64-foot-tall towers.

The society’s President Donna Boglarsky contributed $20,000 for the work and hopes it will help convince township officials to give the group more time to raise the money necessary for a full restoration, which could cost roughly $300,000.