Grays Reef Light
The Grays Reef Light is a lighthouse located in northeastern Lake Michigan, 3.8 miles (6.1 km) west of Waugoshance Island in Bliss Township, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.[3]
History
In the 1880s, as shipments of iron ore increased through the
By this time, with improvements in underwater construction, it had become feasible to construct a permanent light station on Grays Reef, rather than depending on a moored lightvessel.[2] In 1934, Congress approved funding for a new station. The Greiling Brothers Company was hired to construct the light station, and work began in the summer of 1934. The structure was finished in September 1936, two months behind schedule and over budget.[2]
In 1937, a radio beacon and 40 feet (12 m) tower was installed at the station; the tower was removed in 2010.[4] In 1939, the United States Coast Guard took over operational control.[2] The lighthouse was manned until 1976, when a solar-powered system was installed. The lighthouse now has a 7.5-inch (190 mm) 12-volt DC acrylic Tideland Signal optic.[2]
Description
The Grays Reef Light is built to exactly the same plan as the
The light sits on a square reinforced concrete pier, 30 feet (9.1 m) high and 64 feet (20 m) on a side.[5] Atop the pier is a two-story base, 15-foot (4.6 m) high and 30 feet (9.1 m) on a side.[5] The cellar and first floor in the base were built to house diesel generators, boilers, and compressors to provide power and heat to the light, fog signal, and keeper's quarters.[2] The second floor of the base housed the keeper's quarters. The lighthouse tower is placed in the center of the building roof. The tower is 65 feet (20 m) tall, and tapers from 16 feet (4.9 m) at the base to 10 feet (3.0 m) beneath the gallery. The entire light is covered on the exterior with steel plates.[5] The lantern atop the tower has helical astragals, and housed a red 3-1/2 order Fresnel lens.[2]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Inventory of Historic Light Stations, Michigan Lighthouses: Gray's Reef Light". National Park Service Maritime Heritage Program. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Grays Reef Light". Seeing The Light. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ Dave Wobser, Grays Reef Light, Lighthouse.Boatnerd.com, archived from the original on May 5, 2012, retrieved April 10, 2012
- ^ ISBN 0814325548