TWO HARBOURS, Minn. — A Minnesota man has a deep-rooted connection to one of the state’s most beautiful historical landmarks.
It landed him a job he never expected and he discovered a new passion.
Hayes Scriven’s relationship with Split Rock Lighthouse dates back to 1985, when he visited the site with his parents. He even proposed to his wife Jenny on nearby Day Hill.
But his official affiliation with the Split Rock Lighthouse on Lake Superior’s north shore wasn’t cemented until November 2019, when he replaced longtime keeper Lee Radzak, who retired after 36 years.
“I am responsible for the day-to-day operations of the site, overseeing all of our program activities, the gift shop and facility maintenance,” Scriven explains.
He also talks enthusiastically about the history of the lighthouse and is impressed by its construction at the beginning of the 20th century.
“They brought everything by boat and over the 120-foot cliff. They had to somehow get all that material up the cliff and then build the system to get it all over,” Scriven said.
Like his predecessor Scriven, his wife Jenny and their two children moved into the home just a few hundred yards from the lighthouse.
“We have 160,000 neighbors who stop by every year and say hello,” he laughs.
Not long after joining Split Rock, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and he picked up a camera.
“I used it as a way to cope. To get through the lockdowns and keep myself busy. I had a lot to do here, but I also needed an escape,” Scriven said.
Photography became a source of solace as Scriven further developed his skills.
In December 2020, on the night the Edmund Fitzgerald Beacon was lit, he captured one of his favorite photographs.
“It had just started snowing and all of a sudden the light beam stopped spinning because it’s on a clockwork mechanism. I took the picture and I looked at it and thought, oh. I didn’t know the camera could do that,” Scriven said.
He continues to highlight not only Split Rock, but the entire North Shore in all four seasons.
“I wouldn’t miss this job for anything,” Scriven said.
Scriven’s photography is featured in his calendars. The 2025 calendar features scenes from Minnesota’s North Shore and the Oregon Coast.
He also has one dedicated to the night sky, both of which are available on his website.
