National Register of Historic Places

Passage Island Light Station

Houghton Township, Keweenaw County, Michigan
Listed
July 18, 2006
Type
Site
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
06000632

About this property

The Passage Island Light Station is a lighthouse located 3.25 mi (5.23 km) NE of Isle Royale, in NW Lake Superior, Michigan on Passage Island. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006. The light tower is 44 feet (13 m) high, constructed of field stone, and is square on the first level, transitioning to octagonal above. It is topped with a ten-sided cast iron lantern, accessible via a spiral staircase within the tower. The tower is integral with the keeper's house, which is a two-story field stone house measuring 26 by 30 feet (7.9 by 9.1 m). The need for a lighthouse between Passage Island and Isle Royale was recognized as early as the 1860s, as lake traffic increased dramatically due to the upsurge in mining in the Upper Peninsula. However, it took until 1875 before Congress authorized funds for the construction of a lighthouse. However, because of Congress's desire to bring political pressure to bear on the Canadian government to force them to build a lighthouse in Lake Erie, the appropriated $18,000 for Pasage Light was not released until 1880. Construction began in 1881, and the light was completed the following year. A fog signal was added in 1884, and in 1894 a new flashing white lens manufactured by Barbier, Benard & Turenne of Paris was installed. In 1978, the station was automated, and in 1989 a 7.5-inch (190 mm) acrylic lens was installed, replacing the Fresnel. Passage Island Light Station, Survey number HABS MI-385, Historic American Buildings Survey Passage Island Light Station, Lighthouse, Survey number HABS MI-385-A, Historic American Buildings Survey Passage Island Light Station, Fog Signal Building, Survey number HABS MI-385-B, Historic American Buildings Survey Passage Island Light Station, Oil Storage Building, Survey number HABS MI-385-C, Historic American Buildings Survey Passage Island Light Station, Privy Building, Survey number HABS MI-385-D, Historic American Buildings Survey Passage Island Light Station, Tramway Equipment Building, Survey number HABS MI-385-E, Historic American Buildings Survey Passage Island Light Station, Pump House, Survey number HABS MI-385-F, Historic American Buildings Survey Media related to Passage Island Light Station at Wikimedia Commons

Location

Houghton Township, Keweenaw County, Michigan
48.22388, -88.36607

Categories

MARITIME HISTORYTRANSPORTATIONARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

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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Nearby Historic Sites

Rock Harbor Lighthouse
Industrial
13.5 mi
Edisen Fishery
Industrial
13.6 mi
Ojibway Fire Tower
Industrial
13.8 mi
Isle Royale Light Station
Industrial
26.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Passage Island Light Station listed on the National Register?

Passage Island Light Station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 18, 2006.

What type of historic resource is Passage Island Light Station?

Passage Island Light Station is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Passage Island Light Station?

The period of significance for Passage Island Light Station is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Passage Island Light Station?

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