The Grand Island North Light Station (also known as the Old North Light) is a lighthouse located on the north end of Grand Island near

Munising, Michigan Munising ( ') is a city in Alger County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,355 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Alger County. The city is partially surrounded by Munising Township, but the two are administered auton ...

. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1985.

History

With the planned opening of the

Soo Locks The Soo Locks (sometimes spelled Sault Locks but pronounced "soo") are a set of parallel locks, operated and maintained by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, that enable ships to travel between Lake Superior and the lowe ...

in 1855, it was anticipated that shipping traffic in

Lake Superior Lake Superior in central North America is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. and the third-largest by volume, holding 10% of the world's surface fresh wa ...

would dramatically increase. Thus, in 1853, Congress appropriated money to locate a lighthouse on the northern end of Grand Island. A site atop a cliff was chosen for the light, and construction commenced in 1856 on the first lighthouse located here; the light was put into service with a fourth-order

Fresnel lens A Fresnel lens ( ; ; or ) is a type of composite compact lens developed by the French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel (1788–1827) for use in lighthouses. It has been called "the invention that saved a million ships." The design allows the c ...

later that year. However, due to the poor quality of materials used in construction, the condition of the building deteriorated rapidly, and by 1865 the light was judged to be in "wretched condition." A replacement was recommended, and Congress appropriated more money the following year. In 1867, the second Grand Island North Light Station was built. This was before the founding of nearby Munising, or indeed the before the establishment of the surrounding county of Alger. The light house was built of brick, using standard plans provided by the U.S. Lighthouse Establishment. The lens was transferred from the old tower, and the light was put into service the same year. A keeper and an assistant were stationed at the lighthouse; over the years a few minor changes were made to the boathouse location and associated stairs. In 1941, the lamp was automated and the station was boarded up and abandoned. In 1961, a 12-volt electrical system was installed on a pole near the cliff, the earlier light was decommissioned, and the Fresnel lens removed. The station, now surplus, was sold to

Loren Graham Loren R. Graham (born June 29, 1933, in Hymera, Indiana) is an American historian of science, particularly science in Russia. Career He has taught and published at Indiana University, Columbia University, the Massachusetts Institute of Techno ...

. Restoration work was done in 1972 - 1973. The lighthouse and associated buildings are currently used as a private summer home.

Description

The Grand Island North Light Station is a two-story building constructed of brick in a rectangular plan. A three-story, light tower and a one-story kitchen addition are attached to the station. The station has a tin-covered gable roof supported by queen-post trusses. The exterior is painted in the original colors of yellow, white, and black, and the station as a whole looks substantially as it did when built. The tower once housed a fourth-order Fresnal lens. Four other buildings are located on the site: a tool shed, fuel storage shed, and outhouse (all made of brick); and a wooden well-house.

References

{{authority control Lighthouses completed in 1867 Houses completed in 1867 Lighthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan Lighthouses in Alger County, Michigan 1867 establishments in Michigan Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan National Register of Historic Places in Alger County, Michigan

History

Description

See also

References