Featured Lighthouse #20- North Point Light- Milwaukee, WI

 

Milwaukee’s North Point Lighthouse is a historic, maritime treasure, standing tall overlooking Lake Michigan since 1855. One of the oldest structures still standing in what is now Lake Park, the North Point Light Station consists of a 74-foot lighthouse tower and a two-story wood-frame Keeper’s Quarters. Located on a two-acre semi-wooded parcel nestled between two ravines extending to Lake Michigan, this iconic structure played an important role in the region's maritime trade and economic growth for more than 120 years, where it remained in use until being decommissioned in 1994.

Each year, visitors are drawn to the beauty and historical significance of Lake Park and Milwaukee's East Side vintage neighborhoods. Public tours are available Saturdays and Sundays from 1 – 4 p.m. year round.

Featured Lighthouse #19- Old Port Washington- Port Washington, WI

Nothing remains of Port Washington's first lighthouse that was constructed atop St. Mary's Hill, just north of the harbor in 1849. The tower was poorly constructed and was replaced with the current lighthouse in 1860, the year set in brick on the front of the building. The light was discontinued in 1903, as the pierhead light that had been added to the harbor in 1889 was deemed sufficient for navigational needs. The Port Washington Lighthouse still continued to house the keepers who maintained the pierhead light and later served as housing for the Coast Guard. The original tower was removed from the dwelling around 1934 when the new pierhead light was added. In 1992, the old lighthouse was leased to the Port Washington Historical Lighthouse, and the group obtained ownership of the property in 1998. Painted white and without its tower, the original purpose of the structure was masked. The historical society began a restoration in 2000, which included the addition of a tower and the removal of the exterior paint. A dedication ceremony was held on June 16, 2002.

Featured Lighthouse #17- Rawley Point Lighthouse, Two Rivers, WI

About five miles north of the city of Two Rivers, Rawley Point has seen its share of shipwrecks, even though it boasts the second tallest lighthouse in Wisconsin. The treacherous shoals around the point have long been a danger to Great Lakes vessels. Although a lighthouse has stood at this location since the 1850s, the current 113-foot tall iron tower is a lighthouse built for the 1893 Chicago World's Fair and afterward moved to Rawley Point.

An active aid to navigation, the lighthouse and keeper's quarters are utilized by the Coast Guard and are not open to visitors. The light can be viewed from the beach and dune area that is part of Point Beach State Forest., which includes 2,900 acres of forest land, bordered on the east by some six miles of sand-ridged beach on Lake Michigan.

Featured Lighthouse #17- Cana Island Lighthouse, Door County, WI

Cana Island Lighthouse is one of the most illustrated and visited lighthouses in Door County. The majestic white tower is attached to the brick keepers dwelling and closely resembles the mental image visitors have of a lighthouse. The Lighthouse Board began looking for a new location for a lighthouse along Door County’s Lake Michigan shore once it decided that the original Baileys Harbor Light was not in a proper location to serve as both a coast and harbor light.

Cana Island Lighthouse is situated northeast of Baileys Harbor on a peninsula separating Moonlight Bay and North Bay, both prime locations for anchoring ships. A three hundred foot long natural causeway links Cana Island to the mainland and is a convenient way for visitors and workers to travel to the light, but it can at times be flooded due to the constantly fluctuating level of Lake Michigan.

Featured Lighthouse #16- Manistique East Breakwater Light

Established in 1915, the picturesque red Manistique East Breakwater Light is located on the end of a concrete breakwater on the east side of the harbor where the Manistique River flows into Lake Michigan in the Upper Peninsula. The tower was constructed of prefabricated steel plates which were bolted together and lagged to the foundation. 

Square in plan, the tower stood approximately 38 feet tall, and was surmounted by a square gallery upon which a decagonal cast iron lantern housed an electrically powered fixed red Fourth Order Fresnel lens. Within the body of the structure, duplicate electrically powered compressors fed a pair of diaphone fog signals. The work on the station was completed in 1916, and the light exhibited for the first time on August 17, 1916. 

The Manistique light was automated in 1969, and the keeper's dwelling sold into private ownership. As part of automation, the Fourth Order Fresnel lens was removed and replaced by a 300 mm Tidelands Signal acrylic optic.

Featured Lighthouse #15- Whitefish Point Light Tower

 

The year 2011 marked the 150^th anniversary of the Whitefish Point Light Tower. This lighthouse has become one of Michigan’s icons, saving countless Lake Superior mariners with its powerful beacon. It is the big lake’s oldest operating lighthouse- in continuous official operation since 1861- and is still a major aid to navigation on the U.S. Coast Guard Light List.

                       

The tower is called an “iron-pile” style due to its skeletal frame, using structural members that are solid iron piles and rods. Built during President Abraham Lincoln’s administration, it was constructed to assure safe transport of iron ore necessary for defense of the Union.

The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society has just completed Phase 2 of a major three-phase restoration project of this historic lighthouse. Tower tours for a small fee are now available and all proceeds benefit ongoing restoration.

Featured Lighthouse #14- Old Mackinac Point

 

The increase in size and volume of vessel traffic almost immediately caused a need for a light on Mackinac Point. The brick two-story keeper’s dwelling with attached brick tower was completed in 1892. The tower is 6-feet in diameter and 40-feet tall.

The light from the Fourth Order lens was visible for 16 miles, but was taken out of service in December 1957 as the lights on the new Mackinac Bridge served as navigation aids.

The property was acquired by the Mackinac Island State Park Commission in 1960 and   had been converted to a maritime museum that operated for a number of years, but was closed in 1987. Restoration of the property to its circa 1910 appearance started in 2000 and now the lighthouse has been reopened to the public.

Located next to the Mackinac Bridge in Mackinaw City, Michigan. The park surrounding the lighthouse is a great place to view the bridge, enjoy lunch and watch the boat traffic.

Featured Lighthouse #13- Old Mission Point

 

The picturesque Old Mission Point Lighthouse was built in 1870 to warn ships away from the dangerous shoals at the tip of the Old Mission Peninsula in Grand Traverse Bay, but was replaced by an offshore beacon in 1933. Perched atop a low bluff overlooking the rocky shore, the lighthouse is open for tours daily during spring, summer and fall, and it is the centerpiece of an attractive park with popular beaches, historical exhibits and extensive hiking and skiing trails and is a popular stop for sightseers exploring the Peninsula’s many wineries. Like the Grand Traverse Lighthouse, it has a volunteer lighthouse keeper program, providing opportunities for lighthouse-lovers to live and work in the facility. 

Featured Lighthouse #12- Grand Traverse Lighthouse

The best-known of the Traverse City area’s lighthouses is the Grand Traverse Lighthouse. Located at the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula on Cathead Bay, near the village of Northport, it is one of the oldest lighthouses on the Great Lakes, guiding ships through the northern entrance to the Manitou Passage for 150 years. Today it is a museum surrounde...d by a picturesque state park where visitors can envision the once-isolated life of lighthouse keepers and their families, with extensive exhibits and period furnishings from the 1920s and 1930s. Its popular “volunteer lighthouse keeper” program also provides opportunities for enthusiasts to spend several weeks living in the lighthouse, carrying on routine maintenance and answering the questions of its frequent visitors.

Featured Lighthouse #11- Robert Manning Memorial Lighthouse- Empire

The Robert Manning Memorial Lighthouse, on the public beach in the village of Empire, is not an official nautical lighthouse, and no tours are available, but people love to have their pictures taken with it. Robert H. Manning was a life-long resident of Empire who spent as much time as possible indulging his passion for fishing on Lake Michigan, and longed to see a lighthouse built at Empire for returning fishermen. After his death in 1989, Manning’s family and friends raised money to build this tiny lighthouse in his honor. Directions: From the intersection of M72 and M22, go west on Front street, Travel toward Lake Michigan until the intersection with Lake Street. Take Lake street North into the Empire Beach park. The memorial lighthouse is located at the northernmost end of the park.
 

Featured Lighthouse #10- Frankfort North Breakwater Light

This 67-foot tower was built in 1932 and is mounted at the end of a pier just north of Betsie Lake. It replaced an earlier light that was constructed in 1873, which sat along a wooden pier and had an elevated catwalk. The original pyramid style lighthouse was increased in size with a two-story, 25-foot addition.  A door located halfway up the current steel tower suggests that at one time an elevated catwalk may have been proposed to connect the lighthouse to shore, but was never actually built. Frankfort's light still shines from its cast iron lantern room with a fourth order Fresnel lens, with a focal plane of 72 feet, visible for 16 miles in clear weather.

Although the lighthouse is not accessible to the public, it is still a great lighthouse to snap a picture of from land or sea.

Featured Lighthouse #9- Manistee North Pier Head

 

 

Built in 1927, the Manistee North Pierhead Lighthouse and Catwalk is listed on the National Register of Historic Places; the catwalk is one of only four remaining on Lake Michigan. The Lighthouse is owned by the City of Manistee and is undergoing restoration by the Manistee
County Historical Museum.

The Manistee Harbor has been served by four lighthouses in the last 142 years. The first lighthouses were dwellings with lights atop. Pierhead lights were added in 1875, and eventually included fog signals, range lights, and a catwalk.

The current 39-foot steel tower was built in 1927 and was transferred to the City and Museum in 2011. The light still shines over Lake Michigan from the ten-sided lantern atop the steel tower. When restoration is completed in several years, the Lighthouse will be open to the public on select summer days.

Featured Lighthouse #8- Big Sable Point Lighthouse

 

Nestled among jack pines down a two mile walk along a breathtaking trail stands Big Sable’s noble black and white tower. This historic beacon, (1867) is located within Ludington State Park and is operated by SPLKA, a non-profit which proudly manages historic lighthouses along Lake Michigan’s shoreline, offering a Volunteer Keepers program which allows its members the opportunity to live and work for free within the lighthouses, May-October. Visitors are welcome to tour the original Keeper’s Quarters and Gift Shop, stroll along the sand dunes or climb the 112 foot tower. In 2012, SPLKA begins the first phase on the Seawall Reconstruction Project. Along with restoration efforts, special entertainment and transportation are provided every summer month- June 5, July 3 and August 7 from 7-8 p.m

Featured Lighthouse #7- Little Sable Point Lighthouse

Featured Lighthouse #7- Mears/Silver Lake is home to the 107 - foot tall Little Sable Point Lighthouse. Built in 1872, it is the tallest light on Lake Michigan's eastern coastline. It features the original fixed Third-Order Fresnel Lens. The keeper's dwelling was destroyed in 1954 when the station was automated. Its brick tower was left standing in the sandy dunes. Tours are provided on Wednesday - Sunday 10 AM - 6 PM May - September.

Directions: Exit US-31 at the Hart/Mears exit, take Polk Road west to 56th, south on Fox, west to 34th (B-15), south through Silver Lake past the state park campgrounds, then follow the lighthouse signs.

Featured Lighthouse #6- White River Light Station

 

The White River Light station was built in 1875, just four years after the Great Chicago fire. A channel was dug in 1870 between Lake Michigan and White Lake to facilitate the access of lumber schooners. The ship captains were headed to the sawmills which were located on White Lake, a tributary of the White River and adjacent to the majestic pine forests. Eventually passengers traveled on steamships from Chicago to enjoy the summer resort activities in the area.

The stately old building still reverberates with the character and stories of such prominent residents as the first keeper. Captain William Robinson came from England and served 47 years with his wife Sarah and their large family. Many significant keepers followed, including a woman offering years of brave and dedicated service.

The light station was decommissioned in 1960 and opened its doors as a museum in 1970 under the ownership and management of Fruitland Township.

Featured Lighthouse #5- Muskegon South Pier and Breakwater Lights

 

Muskegon South Pier and Breakwater Lights

The first light was constructed on the shore in Muskegon in 1851 and included a keeper's dwelling. With completion of the harbor pier in 1902, the shore light was replaced with a new light at the end of the pier. The pier juts out into Lake Michigan between two breakwaters at the mouth of Muskegon Lake. The 53-foot red conical stee...l tower, equipped with a fourth order Fresnel lens, was erected in 1903. The Fresnel lens has been replaced by a modern 300mm acrylic optic.

The 70-foot South Breakwater Square Tower was built in 1930. The red square tapered steel tower sits on the south breakwater, also along the Lake Michigan shore at the mouth of Muskegon Lake.

Featured Lighthouse #4- Grand Haven South Pier and Pierhead Inner Lights

Established as a federal lighthouse in 1839, the Grand Haven light was first constructed at the south side of the mouth of the Grand River. In 1855, a new lighthouse was built on a high bluff located east of the shore. In 1875, the original fog signal building was reconstructed at the end of the South Pier. In 1905, the South Pier was extended and the fog signal building was moved to its end. At that time, the current 52-foot high conical South Pierhead inner tower light was constructed.

The tower and fog building, each with their own light, are connected along the pier and to the shore by a long catwalk. The Grand Haven South Pier Lighthouse is an operating lighthouse at the end of the pier, an extension of the Grand Haven boardwalk. The pier is open to the public year round, but weather conditions can make the pier unsafe for pedestrians during winter months, storm conditions and high winds. The lighthouse is not open inside because it is an operating lighthouse, but the public can walk up and around the lighthouse.

Featured Lighthouse #3- Holland Harbor Lighthouse

Holland Harbor Lighthouse

One of Michigan’s most-photographed lighthouses sits along the breakwater of Holland Harbor. “Big Red,” as it is affectingly known, has welcomed boaters and visitors to Holland for over 135 years. The first Holland Harbor lighthouse was erected in 1872; however the structure as we now know it became a reality in 1936.

It was originally painted pale yellow, but in 1956,... its color was changed to satisfy a Coast Guard mandate that all structures or lights on the right side of any harbor entrance must be red. Fifteen years later, the Coast Guard declared Big Red to be surplus. Local townsfolk united and formed the Holland Harbor Lighthouse Historical Commission, taking ownership of Big Red in 1974 and installing a new light that shines for 20 miles.

Featured Lighthouse #2- South Haven South Pierhead Lighthouse

The original 37-foot wooden tower was two stories tall. The lower level was used for storage. The upper level housed the lens and a fifth order lamp which ran on mineral oil. The current tower was reconstructed of steel in 1903. It now measures 12' in diameter at the base and stands 35' tall. The ship, Hyacinth, transported the steel structure and U.S. Lighthouse Establishment workers built the light. It eventually was electrified in 1923, utilizing a 200 watt bulb.

The pier itself has undergone several transformations over the years. The originally wood structure measured 300 feet in length. The pier was rebuilt twice, once in 1888 and again in 1889. In 1913, it was extended 425 feet, making the wooden structure more than 700 feet in length. In 1925, 800 feet of steel elevated walkway was taken from the Calumet station, brought to South Haven and reinstalled on the pier. Then in 1940, today's 1200-foot concrete pier was constructed. 

Together, the lighthouse and its pier have taken the concept of aging gracefully to new heights.No one knows when the first fog signal was used in South Haven. A 1900 account cites the use of a bellows-style operated by hand. In 1913, the fog signal was replaced by a 1600-pound electrified fog bell. It remained in use until 1937 when a drone-type fog horn was installed. It could be heard seven to 15 miles away, depending on the weather.
The South Pierhead lighthouse is open for public tours one weekend each year, during the annual Harborfest -- always the third weekend in June. There is no cost to tour the lighthouse.

To pre-order your very own copy of the 2011-2012 Lake Michigan Circle Tour and Lighthouse Map- Follow this link!

It's Back!

It is that time of year again! The famous Lake Michigan Circle Tour and Lighthouse Map is off to press and will be available FREE to you on January 2, 2012 (pre-order here). We are so excited to show of the design of this years map. It is in honor of our 95th anniversary and has some incredible detail! But alas, you must wait just a few more weeks.

Until then, each day we will be giving you a sneak peek at one of the 22 featured lighthouses! Make sure to check back each weekday to see if your favorite Lake Michigan Lighthouse made it! 

 Today we will introduce you to the St. Joseph North Pier Lighthouse.  

The St. Joseph historic lighthouse and catwalk, located on the city’s North Pier, was erected at the mouth of the St. Joseph River in 1832. In 1859, a replacement lighthouse was built on the bluff. The tower and the beacon were constructed first and the keeper’s house was built at a later time. Range lights replaced the beacon after the north and south piers were built in 1907 and 1919, respectively. In 1938, the U.S. Coast Guard assumed responsibilities for navigation warning signals and marine safety, absorbing the lighthouse services. The original St. Joseph lighthouse with tower and beacon was torn down in 1955. The current lighthouse replica was constructed later on the North Pier. Both the North Pier and the South Pier, which house the range lights, are publicly accessible