Old Mackinac Point Light

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Coordinates: 45°47′15″N 84°43′46″W / 45.78750°N 84.72944°W / 45.78750; -84.72944
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Old Mackinac Point Light
MarkingsNatural with black lantern
HeritageNational Register of Historic Places listed place Edit this on Wikidata
Light
First lit1892
Deactivated1957
Focal height62 feet (19 m)[3]
LensFourth order Fresnel lens
Range14 nautical miles; 26 kilometres (16 mi)[4]
Mackinac Point Lighthouse
U.S. Coast Guard vintage photo
LocationMichilimackinac State Park, Mackinaw City, Michigan
Area0.9 acres (0.36 ha)
NRHP reference No.69000068[6]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPOctober 1, 1969
Designated MSHSApril 14, 1972

Old Mackinac Point Light is a deactivated lighthouse located at the northern tip of the Lower Peninsula in the U.S. state of Michigan. The lighthouse is part of Fort Michilimackinac State Park in the village of Mackinaw City just east of the Mackinac Bridge.

The lighthouse was constructed in 1892 along the Straits of Mackinac at the junction of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. It was deactivated in 1957 and currently serves as a museum.[7][8][9]

History

Preparations

Even before the advent of European explorers, the Straits of Mackinac were a significant hazard to water borne travelers. Consequently, before lighthouses, the

Ojibwa lit the shore with fires.[10]

In the early 19th century, with large vessel traffic increasing from Lake Huron into the Straits, the first step in guarding the Straits was taken in 1829, through the construction of Bois Blanc Lighthouse to both guide mariners in making the westerly turn into the Straits, and to warn them of the shoals and shallows surrounding the island.

Three years later in 1832, Congress acted on Stephen Pleasonton’s recommendation that a lightship be placed on Waugoshance Shoal as the first attempt to mark the western entrance to the Straits. In 1838, Lieutenant James T. Homans reported that the lightship was wholly inadequate. He recommended a better solution for Waugoshance and also that a light be built on the point to the west of Mackinaw Harbor. Nothing came of Homans' recommendations. In 1854, the new Lighthouse Administration decided (against the recommendation of local residents) to put a light at McGulpin Point, approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) to the west of Old Point Mackinaw.

Construction

In 1889, the

cords of stove wood in order to keep steam up for the foghorn.[12]

The lighthouse "grew out of the fog station."

Fresnel Lens
.

Its light was visible for 14 nautical miles; 26 kilometres (16 mi), which made it "particularly valuable" to the

railroad car ferries SS Chief Wawatam and SS Sainte Marie operated between Mackinaw City and St. Ignace.[4]

Deactivation and preservation

The completion of the

aid to navigation
than the light.

The light as seen at night

In 1960, the lighthouse property was purchased by the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, incorporating it into surrounding Fort Michilimackinac State Park. The Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in November 1969, as Reference #69000068 (listed as: Mackinac Point Lighthouse).[13]

It is also a registered Michigan Historic Landmark. The Michigan Historical Marker on site states:

  • Mackinac Point Lighthouse.[13] The lighthouse complex, including the lightkeeper's quarters and tower, was reopened to the public in 2004 by Mackinac State Historic Parks as part of the Fort Michilimackinac complex. The light's original Fresnel lens is on display. An admission fee is charged.

A state historical marker was erected in 1972. It is Registered Site S0377. The marker states:

"This lighthouse is opposite the turning point for ships making the difficult passage through the Straits of Mackinac, one of the busiest crossroads of the Great Lakes. McGulpin Point Light, two miles to the west, had been established in 1856, but it was not visible from all directions. In 1889 Congress appropriated funds for the construction of a steam-powered fog signal here, which went into operation on November 5, 1890. Construction of the light tower and attached lightkeepers' dwelling began, and the light was first displayed on October 25, 1892. Heavy iron and brass castings were used throughout the structure, and the light was visible to ships sixteen miles away. In operation until 1958, the lighthouse is now a maritime museum."[15]

In 2000, serious restoration was undertaken, with the intent of restoring it to its appearance around 1910. The lighthouse is reopened to the public, and the castle-style structure, which design is unique in the Great Lakes was restored.[16] the first floor is fully accessible, and includes period furnishings and accoutrement, plus hands-on exhibits that test one's nighttime navigation skills, light a miniature Fresnel lens, and put on Lighthouse keeper clothing. Historic interpreters lead tours up the tower and into the lantern room.[4]

Starting in 2018, major exterior and interior masonry restoration was undertaken by National Restoration Inc.

Current status and getting there

Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse, June 2019
Sign summarizing the history of the lighthouse

Adjacent to the Mackinac Bridge, the park offers a good view of the bridge and boat traffic.[4]

Admission is through the 1907

Fog Signal
Building, which houses the museum store. An admission fee is charged. Pets are welcome.

The tower is open to the public.[17]

The lighthouse is located within Michilimackinac State Park, just a few hundred feet east of the Mackinac Bridge and the Colonial Michilimackinac Visitors Center. At this time the light is a museum run by Mackinac Parks Commission Archived 2006-08-13 at the Wayback Machine.

Because of its prime location and exposure to tourists, plus its unique picturesque form and color, it is the subject of photographs,[18] drawings, and needlepoint illustrations. Historical photographs are a prominent feature of the Mackinac Island State Park Commission website.[19]

An exciting and expensive alternative is to charter a seaplane to make a tour of the Mackinac Straits and environs.[20]

See also

  • Great Lakes Storm of 1913
  • Shipwrecks of the 1913 Great Lakes storm
  • List of victims of the 1913 Great Lakes storm
  • Lighthouses in the United States

Further reading

References

  1. ^ a b c Michigan Lighthouse Conservancy, Old Mackinac Point Light.
  2. ^ Pepper, Terry. "Database of Tower Heights". Seeing the Light. terrypepper.com. Archived from the original on 2000-09-18. Retrieved 2009-09-12.
  3. ^ Pepper, Terry. "Database of Focal Heights". Seeing the Light. terrypepper.com. Archived from the original on 2008-08-30. Retrieved 2009-09-12.
  4. ^ a b c d Wobser, David. "Old Mackinac Point". Boatnerd.com. Archived from the original on 2013-01-28. Retrieved 2009-05-02.
  5. ^ Brisson, Steven (2001) Brief history, Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse, Mackinac Parks Archived 2009-12-22 at the Wayback Machine, Mackinac Island State Park Commission.
  6. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  7. ^ Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse, official website.
  8. ^ Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society Old Mackinac Point (Straits of Mackinac) Light, ARLHS USA-463.
  9. ^ Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society, World List of Lights (WLOL).
  10. How Stuff Works
    .
  11. ISBN 978-0-9747977-1-7
    .
  12. ISBN 978-0-7627-2269-3
    .
  13. ^ a b c National Park Service Maritime History Project, Inventory of Historic Lights, Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse. Archived 2006-10-06 at the Wayback Machine
  14. ^ Pepper, Terry. "Old Mackinac Point Light". Seeing The Light. terrypepper.com.
  15. ^ "Michigan Historical Markers, Old Mackinac Point Light". Archived from the original on 2014-07-17. Retrieved 2008-04-06.
  16. ^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of the United States: Michigan's Eastern Lower Peninsula". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
  17. Detroit News
    .
  18. ^ Light house friends, Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse.
  19. ^ "Historical photographs of Old Mackinac Point Light". Archived from the original on 2009-05-24. Retrieved 2009-07-11.
  20. ^ Stoke, Keith, A seaplane tour of the Straits.
  21. ^ Old Mackinac Point Light Press Release. Archived 2008-03-04 at the Wayback Machine

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Old Mackinac Point Light.
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