Grand Island North Light
Encyclopedia
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
. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1985.
in 1855, it was anticipated that shipping traffic in Lake Superior
would dramatically increase. Thus, in 1853, Congress appropriated money to locate a lighthouse on the northern end of Grand Island. A site atop a 175-foot 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
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 eletrical 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
. Restoration work was done in 1972 - 1973. The lighthouse and associated buildings are currently used as a private summer home.
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.
Grand Island Township, Michigan
Grand Island Township is a civil township of Alger County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The township consists entirely of the Grand Island in Lake Superior just north of Munising. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 45...
near Munising, Michigan
Munising, Michigan
Munising is a city on the southern shore of Lake Superior on the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 2,539. It is the county seat of Alger County...
. It was listed on 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...
in 1985.
History
With the planned opening of the Soo LocksSoo Locks
The Soo Locks are a set of parallel locks which enable ships to travel between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes. They are located on the St. Marys River between Lake Superior and Lake Huron, between the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan and the Canadian province of Ontario...
in 1855, it was anticipated that shipping traffic in Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
would dramatically increase. Thus, in 1853, Congress appropriated money to locate a lighthouse on the northern end of Grand Island. A site atop a 175-foot 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
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...
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 eletrical 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 Graham
Loren R. Graham is a noted historian of science, considered the leading scholar on Russian science outside that country....
. 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, 40 foot 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.
See also
- Lighthouses in the United StatesLighthouses in the United StatesThis is a list of lighthouses in the United States. The United States has had approximately a thousand lights as well as light towers, range lights, and pier head lights...