Michigan - Old Presque Isle Lighthouse

This lighthouse is located on Presque Isle, MI at Lake Huron. It was built in 1840 at a cost of $5000 and constructed of both brick and stone. The tower stands 38 feet high and the stairs winding up the inside of the tower are made of stone. Due to deterioration from storms the lighthouse and keepers house were deactivated in 1871 after a new Presque Isle Lighthouse was built in a different location. I visited that lighthouse also and it will be posted during my next update. This Old Presque Isle Lighthouse was restored in 1959 and converted into a museum. This lighthouse was one of the oldest surviving lighthouses on the Great Lakes at the time of my visit in 1998.

Michigan - Presque Isle Harbor Front Range Light

The Presque Isle Harbor Front Range Light is located at Presque Isle, MI - Lake Huron. The tower stands fifteen feet high, and as noted in its name, it's a "front range light" which means it worked together with a rear range light to guide the ships into the harbor. I visited this lighthouse in 1998 but was unable to gather much information about it.

Michigan - Round Island Passage Lighthouse

The Round Island Passage Lighthouse is located near Mackinac Island on Lake Huron in the straits of Mackinac. It was built in 1947 of concrete and the tower stands 60 feet above the water. A fog horn is housed in the lower portion of the tower. The light was first lit in 1948 but I have no knowledge of the type of light. Then in 1973 the light was automated. At the time of my visit in 1998 the lighthouse displayed a red beacon at the top of the tower.

Michigan - Ludington North Breakwater Lighthouse

This lighthouse is located at Ludington, MI on Lake Michigan. It was built of steel in 1924 to replace a previous light made of wood. The tower stands 57 feet high and is a four-sided pyramid style. The lighthouse is also unique in that it has round windows. The lower portion of the tower houses a fog horn. The unusual base (dark) part of the tower was made with a curl on the top of the base to help deflect water during storms. Originally the lantern room housed a fourth order Fresnel lens and the light could be seen for 15 miles out on the lake. In 1972 the light was automated, and then in 1995 the lens was replaced with a beacon light. I visited this lighthouse in 1998.

Michigan - Point Betsie Lighthouse

The Point Betsie Lighthouse is located at the southern end of Manitou Passage at Frankfort, MI. It was built at a cost of $3,000 in 1858. The original name given was "Pointe Aux Becs Scies." This was such an important light that the original thirty-seven foot tower was replaced with a new 100 foot tower. The cylindrical light tower is surmounted by a ten sided cast iron lantern and produces a lens focal plane fifty-two feet above the mean low water level of Lake Michigan. It contains a fourth order Fresnel lens with flash panels. It was the last staffed light station on the east shore of Lake Michigan when the Coast Guard automated the light in 1983.  The crystal lamp originally burned coal oil and later kerosene. At the time of my visit in 1998 this lighthouse had been electrified and the light automated. The lighthouse was owned by the Coast Guard and the old keepers quarters were being used for Coast Guard family housing.

Michigan - Big Sable Point Light Station

The Big Sable Point Light Station is located in Ludington State Park, Ludington, MI. This lighthouse was built in 1867 with the 112 feet high tower first being made of brick. Then in 1902 it was covered with steel plates to stop weathering of the brick. The keepers quarters were added in 1906 and they provided room for one head keeper and two assistant keepers. In 1908 a fog signal was installed. A sea wall which can be seen at the left of the picture was built in 1943 to control shore erosion. The light station was electrified in 1949 and then in 1968 the light was automated. Due to automation manning of the light station was no longer required. At the time of my visit in 1998, the station was open to the public but required a 1 1/2 mile hike back to the lighthouse.

Michigan - Little Point Sable Lighthouse

This lighthouse is located at Silver Lake, MI on Lake MI. It was built in 1874 and stands 107 feet high. Originally there was also a brick Keepers House attached to the tower until 1955 when the light was converted from kerosene to automatic electric power. The light is a third order Fresnel lens and can be seen for 17 miles out on the lake. I visited this lighthouse in 1998 and remember how small I felt standing there on the beach next to it. When you see this structure in person, it makes you pause and think what men built over 100 years ago without the help of modern machinery, and the lighthouse still stands against the many weather moods of Lake Michigan.

Michigan - Frankfort N. Breakwater Lighthouse

The Frankfort North Breakwater Lighthouse is located on Lake Michigan at Frankfort, MI. The original light was built in 1873 at the south pier and was made of wood. This lighthouse was built in 1932, stands 67 feet high, and is made of steel. This is one of the newer lighthouses on Lake MI. It houses a fourth order Fresnel lens which can be seen for 12 miles out on the lake in clear weather. I visited this lighthouse in 1998.

Michigan - White River Light Station / Museum

The White River Light Station is located at Whitehall, MI and was built in 1875. This stately old building is made of Michigan limestone and brick. It reverberates with the character of such figures as Captain William Robinson, his wife Sarah and their children. William was instrumental in the building's commissioning and construction. As the first keeper of the light, he served 47 years, making him one of Michigan's eldest keepers.

At the time of my visit in 1998, this lighthouse had been converted into a museum. It offered an opportunity to visualize a life that was centered around the Great Lakes. Visitors could see the original lighthouse lens on display, and climb a wrought-iron spiral staircase to the top of the 38 foot tower.

Michigan - Manistee N. Pierhead Lighthouse

The Manistee North Pierhead Lighthouse is located on Lake Michigan at Manistee, MI. It marks the entrance to the Manistee River. The first light was lit in 1875, but since then several lights have been built and replaced before this one was built. This cylindrical tower stands 39 feet tall and the light can be seen for 15 miles out on the lake. The original lens was a fifth order Fresnel. The light was automated in 1927. At the time of my visit in 1998, this lighthouse was one of only four lighthouses with a Catwalk that remained in MI.