St. Helena Island Light
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Source: U.S. Coast Guard Archives
The buildings of the St. Helena Island Light complex are the sole surviving structures on St. Helena Island, in Mackinac County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The lighthouse on the island's southeastern point was built in 1872-73 and went into operation in September 1873. It was one of a series of lighthouses that guided vessels through the Straits of Mackinac.
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[edit] History
The St. Helena Island lighthouse was staffed by a lighthouse keeper in 1873-1922 and was automated in 1922. Like many other lighthouses, the tower was fitted with a tank of acetylene gas, a pilot light, and a "sun valve." Whenever the sun set, the temperature would drop slightly, causing the valve to open and acetylene to be released against the pilot flame. The light would then relight itself and shine throughout the night. With the sun's rise the next morning, the valve would close.
[edit] Current status
After the St. Helena lighthouse complex was de-staffed, it began to structurally deteriorate. Restoration efforts, led by the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association (GLLKA), and volunteer troops of the Boy Scouts of America, began in 1986. As of 2007, the GLLKA planned to continue restoring the lighthouse complex to its appearance in 1900.
The U.S. Coast Guard sold the lighthouse complex and reservation to the GLLKA in 1997, on condition that the GLLKA continue to allow the Coast Guard to operate the light. The remainder of St. Helena Island, outside the lighthouse reservation, was purchased by the Little Traverse Conservancy in September 2001.
[edit] Viewing the lighthouse
The St. Helena Lighthouse can be seen from numerous points on the Michigan mainland, including a lakeshore highway rest area on U.S. Highway 2 at Gros Cap, Michigan six miles west of St. Ignace, Michigan.
