The Manistee Pierhead lights are a pair of active

aids to navigation Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...

located on the north and south pier in the harbor of

Manistee, Michigan Manistee ( ') is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located in southwestern Manistee County, Michigan, Manistee County, it is part of the northwestern Lower Peninsula of Michigan, Lower Peninsula. Manistee is the county seat of Manistee County ...

, "Lake Michigan’s Victorian Port City."Terry Pepper, Seeing the Light, Manistee Pierhead Lighthouse.
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History

The first light was on the south pier in 1870. Unfortunately, it burnt in the Great fire of 1871, October 8, 1871, along with the town of Manistee. Coincidentally, Manistee burnt on the same day as the

Great Chicago Fire The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left more than 10 ...

, Peshtigo Fire in

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

, and fires in

Port Huron Port Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 30,184 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administered separately. Located along the St. Clair ...

and

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

. Two lighthouses were built, one on each pier in 1875. Over the years the lights have been moved several times, including moves to and from the mainland, and to and from the south to the north pier. Lights have been torn down and rebuilt. The current tower is located on the north pier. It is constructed of cast iron, and was first listed in 1927. The tower is a white cylinder, and the keepers house is separate. The original lens was a Fifth 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 ...

. The tower has also been rebuilt as the pier has been extended. Other changes have involved the placement and configuration of the

fog horn A foghorn or fog signal is a device that uses sound to warn vehicles of navigational hazards such as rocky coastlines, or boats of the presence of other vessels, in foggy conditions. The term is most often used in relation to marine transport. W ...

. The present tower is tall. The catwalk is one of only four that survive in the State of Michigan.

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 ...

, Reference # 90000718 The tower is capped with a ten-sided steel lantern. The light uses a 5,000 candlepower incandescent electric bulb, and has a flashing mechanism which displays "a group occulting white light" over 30 seconds. Its focal plane is , and is visible for in clear weather. The "Type C"

diaphone The diaphone is a noisemaking device best known for its use as a foghorn: It can produce deep, powerful tones, able to carry a long distance. Although they have fallen out of favor, diaphones were also used at some fire stations and in other situ ...

is powered by an electric compressor housed in the tower, and emits a group of three blasts every 30 seconds. There is also a radio beacon. The northern pier light is located on the same side of the river as the Manistee

Coast Guard A coast guard or coastguard is a maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to ...

station, and within shouting distance of the Manistee South pier light. The south pier has a steel tower navigational aid. This was constructed when the lighthouse was moved to the north pier in 1927. Manistee Pierhead Light was put up for sale under the

National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act The National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000 (NHLPA; Public Law 106-355; 16 U.S.C. 470w-7) is American legislation creating a process for the transfer of federally owned lighthouses into private hands. It was created as an extension o ...

in 2009. On June 30, 2011, ownership of the light was transferred to the City of Manistee. The Manistee County Historical Museum will maintain the light.

Directions

From

US 31 U.S. Route 31 or U.S. Highway 31 (US 31) is a major north–south U.S. highway connecting southern Alabama to northern Michigan. Its southern terminus is at an intersection with US 90/ US 98 in Spanish Fort, Alabama. Its ...

go west on Memorial Drive, to the Fifth Ave. Beach and Park.

Notes

External links

Live Webcam Feed, Manistee North Pierhead Lighthouse, from Manistee Surf Cam.

Aerial photos, Manistee North Pierhead Light, marinas.com.

Detroit News, Interactive map on Michigan lighthouses.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Manistee Pierhead Lights Lighthouses completed in 1870 Lighthouses completed in 1927 Buildings and structures in Manistee County, Michigan Lighthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan Tourist attractions in Manistee County, Michigan Transportation in Manistee County, Michigan National Register of Historic Places in Manistee County, Michigan

History

Directions

See also

Notes

Further reading

External links