Detroit River Light
Encyclopedia
The Detroit River Light, also known as Bar Point Shoal Light, was first established as a lightship
in 1875. The current sparkplug lighthouse
was built in 1885. It sits in Lake Erie, south of the mouth of the Detroit River
, 1.75 nmi (2 mi; 3.2 km) from land and about 20 nmi (23 mi; 37 km) from the Ambassador Bridge
in the Detroit River. It is about 0.4 nmi (810.1 yd; 740.8 m) from the border with Canada, and just under 24 nmi (27.6 mi; 44.4 km) from Put-in-Bay, Ohio
. Its original 4th order Fresnel lens
is on loan to the Michigan Maritime Museum.
that had been posted in this channel location since 1875, guiding upbound vessels making a turn in the Detroit River.
The United States Lighthouse Board
completed the Detroit River Light in 1885 at a cost of $78,000. The Light was first lit on August 20, 1885.
The crib
was transported to the site from Amherstburg, Ontario
. It was built pre-fabricated 45 by, sunk in 22 feet (6.7 m) of water, filled with concrete and surrounded by a granite
pier
. The light station pier is shaped like a vessel. Its pointed end is directed toward the mouth of the river to break river-powered ice floes. Above the crib and pier, the 49 feet (14.9 m) high cast iron
boiler plate
tower is 22 feet (6.7 m) in diameter at its base and 18 feet (5.5 m) up top. There is an attached storage building and radio beacon.
s of stone were loaded onto the pier, "mostly on the high side." Upon the crews return the following spring, gravity and ice floes had made the granite pier level.
." The light is now automated.
With Prohibition
the light served as a rendezvous point for rum runners. The nearby city of Windsor
was a noted point for the distillation of Canadian whiskey, much of which was exported to the U.S.
" with a 25 feet (7.6 m) gash.
The lens has been changed several times, and this has altered the characteristic signal generated by the light to passing boats and ships. The present lens has six panels of 60 degrees, with three bull's-eye panels each separated from the other by a 60 degree blind panel.
The station contains a fog signal, similar to Harbor Beach Light
(also built in 1885). The station is an active aid to navigation, is closed to visitors, and visible only from a boat. A good launch point is the south end of the island of Grosse Ile, Michigan
.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
as Detroit River Light Station on August 4, 1983, reference number 83000886.
The light has been memorialized in sculptures.
Lightvessel
A lightvessel, or lightship, is a ship which acts as a lighthouse. They are used in waters that are too deep or otherwise unsuitable for lighthouse construction...
in 1875. The current sparkplug lighthouse
Sparkplug lighthouse
A sparkplug lighthouse, sometimes known as a bug light, is a type of caisson lighthouse so named because of its shape. Generally speaking, a sparkplug lighthouse consists of a three-story living area, with the lantern on top; the whole is then placed upon a concrete or metal caisson. The...
was built in 1885. It sits in Lake Erie, south of the mouth of the Detroit River
Detroit River
The Detroit River is a strait in the Great Lakes system. The name comes from the French Rivière du Détroit, which translates literally as "River of the Strait". The Detroit River has served an important role in the history of Detroit and is one of the busiest waterways in the world. The river...
, 1.75 nmi (2 mi; 3.2 km) from land and about 20 nmi (23 mi; 37 km) from the Ambassador Bridge
Ambassador Bridge
The Ambassador Bridge is a suspension bridge that connects Detroit, Michigan, in the United States, with Windsor, Ontario, in Canada. It is the busiest international border crossing in North America in terms of trade volume: more than 25 percent of all merchandise trade between the United States...
in the Detroit River. It is about 0.4 nmi (810.1 yd; 740.8 m) from the border with Canada, and just under 24 nmi (27.6 mi; 44.4 km) from Put-in-Bay, Ohio
Put-in-Bay, Ohio
Put-in-Bay is a village located on South Bass Island in Put-in-Bay Township, Ottawa County, Ohio, United States. Many believe that the name originates from some early maps of South Bass Island that showed the harbor being named Pudding Bay, probably because it was shaped like a pudding sack. The...
. Its original 4th order Fresnel lens
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design...
is on loan to the Michigan Maritime Museum.
Construction and infrastructure
The Detroit River Light replaced a Canadian lightshipLightvessel
A lightvessel, or lightship, is a ship which acts as a lighthouse. They are used in waters that are too deep or otherwise unsuitable for lighthouse construction...
that had been posted in this channel location since 1875, guiding upbound vessels making a turn in the Detroit River.
The United States Lighthouse Board
United States Lighthouse Board
The United States Lighthouse Board was the agency of the US Federal Government that was responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of all lighthouses in the United States...
completed the Detroit River Light in 1885 at a cost of $78,000. The Light was first lit on August 20, 1885.
The crib
Crib pier
A crib pier is a type of pier built with the supporting columns made of 'cribs'. Typically a crib is made from wood, but it could be made from any long cylindrical material...
was transported to the site from Amherstburg, Ontario
Amherstburg, Ontario
Amherstburg is a Canadian town near the mouth of the Detroit River in Essex County, Ontario. It is approximately south of the U.S...
. It was built pre-fabricated 45 by, sunk in 22 feet (6.7 m) of water, filled with concrete and surrounded by a granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
pier
Pier
A pier is a raised structure, including bridge and building supports and walkways, over water, typically supported by widely spread piles or pillars...
. The light station pier is shaped like a vessel. Its pointed end is directed toward the mouth of the river to break river-powered ice floes. Above the crib and pier, the 49 feet (14.9 m) high cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
boiler plate
Sheet metal
Sheet metal is simply metal formed into thin and flat pieces. It is one of the fundamental forms used in metalworking, and can be cut and bent into a variety of different shapes. Countless everyday objects are constructed of the material...
tower is 22 feet (6.7 m) in diameter at its base and 18 feet (5.5 m) up top. There is an attached storage building and radio beacon.
Challenges in construction
Construction was eventful and problematical. When the crib settled, it was uneven, about 16 inches (40.6 cm) off level. As winter was approaching and work set to stop, 550 short tonShort ton
The short ton is a unit of mass equal to . In the United States it is often called simply ton without distinguishing it from the metric ton or the long ton ; rather, the other two are specifically noted. There are, however, some U.S...
s of stone were loaded onto the pier, "mostly on the high side." Upon the crews return the following spring, gravity and ice floes had made the granite pier level.
Operational history
Detroit River Light was constructed to be a manned lighthouse. Coast Guardsmen assigned to this close-but-eerily-isolated station used to refer to it as "The RockAlcatraz Island
Alcatraz Island is an island located in the San Francisco Bay, offshore from San Francisco, California, United States. Often referred to as "The Rock" or simply "Traz", the small island was developed with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, a military prison, and a Federal...
." The light is now automated.
With Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
the light served as a rendezvous point for rum runners. The nearby city of Windsor
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
was a noted point for the distillation of Canadian whiskey, much of which was exported to the U.S.
The light today
In December 1997 the 635 feet (193.5 m) freighter M/V Buffalo struck the station dead on (a "direct hit") as it sailed down bound for Lake Erie. The station suffered minimal damage to rock and stone foundation. The freighter had its steel bow pushed "in like a tin canTin can
A tin can, tin , steel can, or a can, is a sealed container for the distribution or storage of goods, composed of thin metal. Many cans require opening by cutting the "end" open; others have removable covers. Cans hold diverse contents: foods, beverages, oil, chemicals, etc."Tin" cans are made...
" with a 25 feet (7.6 m) gash.
The lens has been changed several times, and this has altered the characteristic signal generated by the light to passing boats and ships. The present lens has six panels of 60 degrees, with three bull's-eye panels each separated from the other by a 60 degree blind panel.
The station contains a fog signal, similar to Harbor Beach Light
Harbor Beach Light
The Harbor Beach Lighthouse is a "sparkplug lighthouse" located at the end of the north breakwall entrance to the harbor of refuge on Lake Huron. The breakwall and light were created by the United States Army Corps of Engineers to protect the harbor of Harbor Beach, Michigan, which is the greatest...
(also built in 1885). The station is an active aid to navigation, is closed to visitors, and visible only from a boat. A good launch point is the south end of the island of Grosse Ile, Michigan
Grosse Ile Township, Michigan
Grosse Ile Township is a general law township of Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The township is situated on several islands in the Detroit River, but the largest island is also referred to as simply Grosse Ile. The name comes from French Grosse Île, meaning "Big Island"...
.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
as Detroit River Light Station on August 4, 1983, reference number 83000886.
The light has been memorialized in sculptures.
Keepers
- Charles Northup (1885–1886 and 1893–1898)
- Richard Oddrey (1887–1890)
- Joseph Crawford (1898–1902)
- Enoch Scribner (1902–1912)
- Horace Watts (1912–1916)
- Walter Marshall (1916–1919)
- Harry K Condway (1919–1921)
- John Sweet (1926–1933)
- William Small (1933–1938)
- Eli Martin (1938–1939)
Specialized further reading
- Greenwood, Tom, Detroit River Light (September, 1998) Lighthouse DigestLighthouse DigestLighthouse Digest is a specialty magazine for lighthouse and maritime history enthusiasts published in East Machias, Maine. Launched in May, 1992, by FogHorn Publishing, it is dedicated to preserving lighthouse history, current and yesteryear, for future generations.-Scope:Coverage includes...
. - Nolan, Jenny, How the Detroit River shaped lives and history (February 11, 1997), Detroit News.
External links
- Aerial photo of Detroit River Lighthouse at marinas.com.
- Satellite view of Detroit River (Bar Point Shoal) Lighthouse at Google mapsGoogle MapsGoogle Maps is a web mapping service application and technology provided by Google, free , that powers many map-based services, including the Google Maps website, Google Ride Finder, Google Transit, and maps embedded on third-party websites via the Google Maps API...
. - Colchester Reef Light (Lake Erie, West)Colchester Reef Light (Lake Erie, West)The Colchester Reef Light is a lighthouse situated on Colchester Reef in the Western Basin of Lake Erie south of the town of Colchester, Ontario....