Gull Rock Light Station
Encyclopedia
The Gull Rock Light Station is an active lighthouse located on Gull Rock, just west of Manitou Island
, off the tip of Michigan
's Keweenaw Peninsula
in Lake Superior
. The light was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1984, even as its condition deteriorated, resulting in its placement on the Lighthouse Digest
Doomsday List
.
The bay on the eastern side of the Keweenaw Peninsula
offers protection to mariners from the prevailing northwestern winds on Lake Superior
; however, the passage by Gull Rock, a tiny islet about one-half mile off Manitou Island's western tip, proved a serious threat. With that in mind, in 1866 Congress appropriated $15,000 for lighthouse construction on Gull Rock. Construction began in 1867 and the light was put into service on November 1 of the same year. The lighthouse shares its design with that of Granite Island Light
and Huron Island Light Station.
In 1901, a 40 feet (12.2 m) retaining wall was built northeast of the structure to protect the lighthouse from waves waching over the island. In 1913, the light was automated and responsibility for care of the light was transferred to the keeper of the nearby Manitou Island Light Station
. Since that time, Gull Rock was all but abandoned and the station fell into disrepair. In 2005, the station was transferred to the Gull Rock Lightkeepers, a nonprofit organization. They are working to restore the lighthouse, which is still an active navigational aid.
The original Fourth Order Fresnel lens was manufactured by Barbier and Fenestre of Paris. It is said to be on display at Whitefish Point Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum
, although Terry Pepper claims that the lens may be misidentified. Lighthouse painted white; lantern and gallery painted black; roofs are red. Gravely endangered by erosion and wave action, this lighthouse is on the Lighthouse Digest
Doomsday List
.
The lighthouse exterior was recently repaired and painted. The interior had been left open, and is in ruins with the removed roof jettisoned into it, and it suffered extensive water damage.
The rocky shoals claimed six vessels, namely: Spokane (October 28, 1907), E.N. Saunders (May 30, 1910), L.C. Waldo (November 8, 1913), Taurus (November 27, 1918), Samuel Mather (October 19, 1923), Charles C. West (September 7, 1926). All were salvaged and removed to sail another day. The likely culprit was low visibility due to fog
. The failure to place a fog signal would have been a factor. It is said that this was a low priority area, used by relatively few vessels, “as a short-cut . . . to find safety on the lee side of the point during northerly storms, [and not] a normal traffic route.” As noted by Terry Pepper, the author of Seeing the Light and the Director of the Great Lakes Light Keepers Association: "Two hundred and fifty feet in length and one hundred feet in width, the highest point of Gull Rock stood less than twelve feet above the water under the calmest conditions, becoming virtually invisible in the gray darkness of stormy days when vessels were most likely to be threading their way through the passage."
is also on site and survives to this day.
, or by the Isle Royale Queen IV
out of Copper Harbor, Michigan
.
Manitou Island (Lake Superior)
Manitou Island is a small island in Lake Superior, off the northeastern tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located approximately three miles from the mainland, it encompasses around . Manitou has seen limited impact from human activity, due to its remote location and the...
, off the tip of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
's Keweenaw Peninsula
Keweenaw Peninsula
The Keweenaw Peninsula is the northern-most part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It projects into Lake Superior and was the site of the first copper boom in the United States. As of the 2000 census, its population was roughly 43,200...
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...
. The light 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 1984, even as its condition deteriorated, resulting in its placement on the Lighthouse Digest
Lighthouse Digest
Lighthouse 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...
Doomsday List
Doomsday List
The Doomsday List is a list of endangered lighthouses compiled by Lighthouse Digest magazine. The list usually consists of lighthouses in the United States, Guatemala, and Canada, but occasionally will include sites from other countries as well. Inclusion on the list raises awareness that a...
.
History
The diminutive island is the “peak of an underwater mountain” between the tip if the Keweenaw Peninsula and Manitou Island.The bay on the eastern side of the Keweenaw Peninsula
Keweenaw Peninsula
The Keweenaw Peninsula is the northern-most part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It projects into Lake Superior and was the site of the first copper boom in the United States. As of the 2000 census, its population was roughly 43,200...
offers protection to mariners from the prevailing northwestern winds on 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...
; however, the passage by Gull Rock, a tiny islet about one-half mile off Manitou Island's western tip, proved a serious threat. With that in mind, in 1866 Congress appropriated $15,000 for lighthouse construction on Gull Rock. Construction began in 1867 and the light was put into service on November 1 of the same year. The lighthouse shares its design with that of Granite Island Light
Granite Island (Michigan)
Granite Island is a 2½ acre island in Lake Superior located about northwest of Marquette in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. Posted upon it is the Granite Island Lighthouse, also known as Granite Island Light Station, and is "one of the oldest surviving lighthouses on Lake...
and Huron Island Light Station.
In 1901, a 40 feet (12.2 m) retaining wall was built northeast of the structure to protect the lighthouse from waves waching over the island. In 1913, the light was automated and responsibility for care of the light was transferred to the keeper of the nearby Manitou Island Light Station
Manitou Island Light Station
The Manitou Island Light Station is a lighthouse located on Manitou Island, off the tip of Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula in Lake Superior. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.- Description :...
. Since that time, Gull Rock was all but abandoned and the station fell into disrepair. In 2005, the station was transferred to the Gull Rock Lightkeepers, a nonprofit organization. They are working to restore the lighthouse, which is still an active navigational aid.
The original Fourth Order Fresnel lens was manufactured by Barbier and Fenestre of Paris. It is said to be on display at Whitefish Point Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum
Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum is located at the Whitefish Point Light Station north of Paradise in Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The light station property was transferred to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society , the Michigan Audubon Society , and the United States...
, although Terry Pepper claims that the lens may be misidentified. Lighthouse painted white; lantern and gallery painted black; roofs are red. Gravely endangered by erosion and wave action, this lighthouse is on the Lighthouse Digest
Lighthouse Digest
Lighthouse 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...
Doomsday List
Doomsday List
The Doomsday List is a list of endangered lighthouses compiled by Lighthouse Digest magazine. The list usually consists of lighthouses in the United States, Guatemala, and Canada, but occasionally will include sites from other countries as well. Inclusion on the list raises awareness that a...
.
The lighthouse exterior was recently repaired and painted. The interior had been left open, and is in ruins with the removed roof jettisoned into it, and it suffered extensive water damage.
The rocky shoals claimed six vessels, namely: Spokane (October 28, 1907), E.N. Saunders (May 30, 1910), L.C. Waldo (November 8, 1913), Taurus (November 27, 1918), Samuel Mather (October 19, 1923), Charles C. West (September 7, 1926). All were salvaged and removed to sail another day. The likely culprit was low visibility due to fog
Fog
Fog is a collection of water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. While fog is a type of stratus cloud, the term "fog" is typically distinguished from the more generic term "cloud" in that fog is low-lying, and the moisture in the fog is often generated...
. The failure to place a fog signal would have been a factor. It is said that this was a low priority area, used by relatively few vessels, “as a short-cut . . . to find safety on the lee side of the point during northerly storms, [and not] a normal traffic route.” As noted by Terry Pepper, the author of Seeing the Light and the Director of the Great Lakes Light Keepers Association: "Two hundred and fifty feet in length and one hundred feet in width, the highest point of Gull Rock stood less than twelve feet above the water under the calmest conditions, becoming virtually invisible in the gray darkness of stormy days when vessels were most likely to be threading their way through the passage."
Description
The Gull Rock Light includes both the light tower and an attached keeper's house. The tower is constructed of brick, and measures nine feet by nine feet by 46 feet (14 m) high with an internal stair. The lantern is iron with ten sides and vertical bars. The original lens was a Fourth Order Fresnel lens manufactured by Barbier and Fenestre of Paris. The original lens was replaced by a two hundred and fifty millimeter plastic lens; this lens continues to function in the light. The keeper's house is a two-story structure, constructed of brick with a gable roof. The house has suffered severe interior deterioration because of the length of time it has been abandoned. It formerly had a dormer, which is now missing. A brick outhouseOuthouse
An outhouse is a small structure separate from a main building which often contained a simple toilet and may possibly also be used for housing animals and storage.- Terminology :...
is also on site and survives to this day.
Getting there
The light is closed and off limits to visitors. It may be seen by private boat or on lighthouse cruises run by the Keweenaw Star out of Houghton, MichiganHoughton, Michigan
Houghton is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan's Upper Peninsula and largest city in the Copper Country on the Keweenaw Peninsula. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,708. It is the county seat of Houghton County...
, or by the Isle Royale Queen IV
Isle Royale Queen IV
The Isle Royale Queen IV is a passenger ferry operating on Lake Superior between Copper Harbor, Michigan, and Isle Royale National Park, the largest island on Lake Superior and the State of Michigan's only national park. The ferry operates from mid-May to the end of September each year. In the...
out of Copper Harbor, Michigan
Copper Harbor, Michigan
Copper Harbor is a small unincorporated community in northeastern Keweenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is within Grant Township on the Keweenaw Peninsula that juts from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan into Lake Superior.-History:...
.
External links
- Gull Rock Lightkeepers organization
- Gull Rock Lighthouse from the Michigan Lighthouse Conservancy