Big Sable Point Light Station

About this property

Big Sable Point Light is a lighthouse on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located within Ludington State Park just north of the city of Ludington. First constructed in 1867, it continues to be an active navigational aid. On July 28, 1866, Congress appropriated $35,000 for a new lighthouse at Big Sable Point. Approximately 933 acres (378 ha) was deeded from the State of Michigan to the U.S. at no cost and in early 1867 construction began, making it the first light station in the area. Built in 1867, the 112-foot (34 m) tower was originally made of yellow cream brick. It has a focal plane of 106 feet (32 m). The building was made of so-called Cream City Brick. The brick deteriorated and was thereafter covered with boiler plate in 1900. Construction materials were brought up by ships. The first road to the site was not completed until 1933. Because the brick deteriorated from exposure to the elements, a steel plate encasement was installed in 1900 at a cost of $3,225. The yellow brick now encased in steel plate was difficult to see and a daymark was needed. Several changes to the daymark over the years were made. Currently, the tower is painted white with a black watch tower and a black band around the middle of the tower. Despite the artist who colorized this historic post card coloring the middle third of the lighthouse red there is no evidence it has ever been any color other than black. It was the last Great Lakes Lighthouse to get electricity and plumbing, which came in the late 1940s. The original lens was a third order Fresnel lens, inscribed "Sautter & Co., Constructeurs." It was removed in 1985, and is now on display at the Rose Hawley Museum at White Pine Village. The lighthouse follows a design first used at New Presque Isle Light, which was also used on several other lights on the Great Lakes. After the light was automated, the keeper's house was severely vandalized. In 1986, the lighthouse station was leased to the Foundation for Behavioral Research. The foundation has worked with the Big Sable Lighthouse Association to preserve the buildings. Lighthouse keepers were: Alonzo Hyde Sr. (1867–1869), Alonzo W. Hyde (1869–1871), Newton Bird (1871–1873), Burr Caswell (1874–1882), Hans Hansen (1882–1887), James Rich (1887–1888), Tomas Bailey (1889–1893), George Blake (1899–1903), Samuel Gagnon (1905–1923), Joseph Kimmers (1922–1923), Leweilyn Vanatter (1923–1936), George Rogan (1936–1949), David Sauers (1949–1954), Henry Vavrina (1955–1965), Homer Meverden (1965–1968). In the middle of the 20th Century, 1949, Big Sable was electrified. It was the last Great Lakes light to give up wicks. This paved the way for automation and the elimination of the Lighthouse keeper's job.

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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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