Little Traverse Lighthouse
Encyclopedia
The Little Traverse Light is located in Emmet County
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
on the north side of the Little Traverse Bay
of Lake Michigan
on Harbor Point in West Traverse Township
near Harbor Springs, Michigan
. It marks the entrance to Little Traverse Bay
.
in acting on the request.
The site was purchased in 1883, and the United States Lighthouse Service
built the light in 1884.
The decagonal lantern room is painted white and has a red roof. The fourth order Fresnel lens was manufactured in Paris by L. Sautter, Lemonnie & Co. in 1881.
A "very rare" fog bell square pyramidal tower was built in 1896 in front of the tower. The structure and the striking mechanism are still in place. Other structures included a brick paint locker, summer kitchen, wooden boat storage shed, and auto garage
The lighthouse was manned by personnel until 1963 when a modern replacement light and tower was constructed, consisting of a white steel skeleton on a foundation of concrete. It is 62 feet (18.9 m) tall, with a focal plane of 72 ft (22 m), It emits a green flash every six seconds. It is located on the point east of the lighthouse.
It is very difficult to visit the lighthouse as it is located on private property and unless you own a house in the gated community or are a guest you are not allowed inside. There is checkpoint that is manned 24 hours a day at the entrance.
This unique lighthouse has been the subject of paintings.
Elizabeth Whitley VanRiper Williams was one of the first female Lighthouse keeper
s to serve on the Great Lakes
, and wrote a memoir that included her experiences at this light.
Emmet County, Michigan
Emmet County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the population was 31,437. The county seat is Petoskey.The county was formed April 1, 1840, from Mackinac County. It was first named Tonedagana County and renamed Emmet County on March 8, 1843...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
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"....
on the north side of the Little Traverse Bay
Little Traverse Bay
Little Traverse Bay is a small bay, 170 feet deep, off Lake Michigan in the northern area of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. Harbor Springs and Petoskey are on this bay.The Little Traverse Light marks its entrance....
of Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
on Harbor Point in West Traverse Township
West Traverse Township, Michigan
West Traverse Township is a civil township of Emmet County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,448 at the 2000 census.-Communities:...
near Harbor Springs, Michigan
Harbor Springs, Michigan
Harbor Springs is a city and resort community in Emmet County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,567 at the 2000 census.Harbor Springs is in a sheltered bay on the north shore of the Little Traverse Bay on Lake Michigan. The Little Traverse Lighthouse is a historic lighthouse on...
. It marks the entrance to Little Traverse Bay
Little Traverse Bay
Little Traverse Bay is a small bay, 170 feet deep, off Lake Michigan in the northern area of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. Harbor Springs and Petoskey are on this bay.The Little Traverse Light marks its entrance....
.
History
In 1871, Orlando M. Poe recommended the construction of this light. However, a paucity of funds delayed the United States CongressUnited States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
in acting on the request.
The site was purchased in 1883, and the United States Lighthouse Service
United States Lighthouse Service
The United States Lighthouse Service, also known as the Bureau of Lighthouses, was the agency of the US Federal Government that was responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of all lighthouses in the United States from the time of its creation in 1910 until 1939...
built the light in 1884.
The decagonal lantern room is painted white and has a red roof. The fourth order Fresnel lens was manufactured in Paris by L. Sautter, Lemonnie & Co. in 1881.
A "very rare" fog bell square pyramidal tower was built in 1896 in front of the tower. The structure and the striking mechanism are still in place. Other structures included a brick paint locker, summer kitchen, wooden boat storage shed, and auto garage
The lighthouse was manned by personnel until 1963 when a modern replacement light and tower was constructed, consisting of a white steel skeleton on a foundation of concrete. It is 62 feet (18.9 m) tall, with a focal plane of 72 ft (22 m), It emits a green flash every six seconds. It is located on the point east of the lighthouse.
It is very difficult to visit the lighthouse as it is located on private property and unless you own a house in the gated community or are a guest you are not allowed inside. There is checkpoint that is manned 24 hours a day at the entrance.
This unique lighthouse has been the subject of paintings.
Elizabeth Whitley VanRiper Williams was one of the first female Lighthouse keeper
Lighthouse keeper
A lighthouse keeper is the person responsible for tending and caring for a lighthouse, particularly the light and lens in the days when oil lamps and clockwork mechanisms were used. Keepers were needed to trim the wicks, replenish fuel, wind clockworks and perform maintenance tasks such as cleaning...
s to serve on the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
, and wrote a memoir that included her experiences at this light.
Further reading
- Bibliography on Michigan lighthouses.
- Clifford, Mary Louise & Clifford, J. Candace, Women Who Kept the Lights: An Illustrated History of Female Lighthouse Keepers, Michigan History Magazine (November/December 1981).
- Crompton, Samuel Willard & Michael J. Rhein, The Ultimate Book of Lighthouses (2002) ISBN 1592231020; ISBN 978-1592231027.
- Hyde, Charles K., and Ann and John Mahan. The Northern Lights: Lighthouses of the Upper Great Lakes. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1995. ISBN 0814325548 ISBN 9780814325544.
- Jones, Ray & Bruce Roberts, American Lighthouses (Globe Pequot, September 1, 1998, 1st Ed.) ISBN 0762703245; ISBN 978-0762703241.
- Jones, Ray,The Lighthouse Encyclopedia, The Definitive Reference (Globe Pequot, January 1, 2004, 1st ed.) ISBN 0762727357; ISBN 978-0762727353.
- Noble, Dennis, Lighthouses & Keepers: U. S. Lighthouse Service and Its Legacy (Annapolis: U. S. Naval Institute Press, 1997). ISBN 1557506388; ISBN 9781557506382.
- Oleszewski, Wes, Great Lakes Lighthouses, American and Canadian: A Comprehensive Directory/Guide to Great Lakes Lighthouses, (Gwinn, Michigan: Avery Color Studios, Inc., 1998) ISBN 0-932212-98-0.
- Penrod, John, Lighthouses of Michigan, (Berrien Center, Michigan: Penrod/Hiawatha, 1998) ISBN 9780942618785 ISBN 9781893624238.
- Penrose, Laurie and Bill, A Traveler’s Guide to 116 Michigan Lighthouses (Petoskey, Michigan: Friede Publications, 1999). ISBN 0923756035 ISBN 9780923756031
- Putnam, George R., Lighthouses and Lightships of the United States, (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1933).
- United States Coast Guard, Aids to Navigation, (Washington, DC: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1945).
- Wagner, John L., Michigan Lighthouses: An Aerial Photographic Perspective, (East Lansing, Michigan: John L. Wagner, 1998) ISBN 1880311011 ISBN 9781880311011.
- Wargin, Ed, Legends of Light: A Michigan Lighthouse Portfolio (Ann Arbor Media Group, 2006). ISBN 9781587262517.
- Williams, Elizabeth Whitney Van Riper, A Child of the Sea; and Life Among the Mormons.
- Wright, Larry and Wright, Patricia, Great Lakes Lighthouses Encyclopedia Hardback (Erin: Boston Mills Press, 2006) ISBN 1550463993.
External links
- Aerial photos, Little Traverse Light, marinas.com.
- Detroit News, Interactive map on Michigan lighthouses.
- Interactive map of Lights in Northern Lake Michigan, mapped by Google.
- Interactive map/list/information of lighthouses in northeastern Lake Michigan by LighthousesRus.
- Lighthouse Central, Photographs, History, Directions and Way points for Little Traverse Bay Light, The Ultimate Guide to West Michigan Lighthouses by Jerry Roach (Publisher: Bugs Publishing LLC - 2005). ISBN 0-9747977-0-7.
- Lighthouse friends, Little Traverse Lighthouse.
- Map of Michigan Lighthouse in PDF Format.
- National Park ServiceNational Park ServiceThe National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
Maritime Heritage, Inventory of Historic Light Stations, Little Traverse Light. - Terry Pepper, Seeing the Light, Little Traverse Light.
- West Michigan Tourist Association, Little Traverse (Harbor Point) Light.
- Wobser, David, Little Traverse Light at boatnerd.com.