Ludington Light

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Ludington Light
Ludington Light
Location:	Ludington, Michigan
Coordinates WGS-84 (GPS)	43°57′13.1″N, 86°28′9.7″W
Year first lit:	1924
Automated:	1972
Deactivated:	N/A
Foundation:	Pier
Construction:	Steel / Reinforced concrete
Tower shape:	Square Pyramidal
Markings/Pattern:	white with black lantern
Height:	57 ft
Elevation:	55 feet focal plane
Original lens:	fifth order Fresnel Lens
Current lens:	300 m.m. Tidelands Signal acrylic
Intensity:	5000 candles
Range:	15 miles

The Ludington Light is a 57-foot-tall steel-plated lighthouse in Ludington, Michigan, which lies along the eastern shores of Lake Michigan, at the end of the breakwater on the Pere Marquette Harbor. Given its location on the northern breakwater where the Pere Marquette River meets Lake Michigan, it is sometimes known as the Ludington North Breakwater Light.

The station was established in 1871. This light was first lit in 1924, and it is presently operational. It was automated in 1972. The light is structurally integrated into the steel and reinforced concrete pier upon which it built. It has a square pyramidal form, and is white with a black lantern. The original lens was a Fourth Order Fresnel lens.^[1] On October 17, 1995 the Fresnel lens was removed from the lantern. It was replaced by a Tidelands Signal 300 mm acrylic optic.^[2] The original lens was loaned to Historic White Pine Village where it is displayed as part of their maritime history exhibit.^[3]

in 2006, the Ludington Breakwater Lighthouse was opened to the public for the first time in its history. The Coast Guard transferred ownership to the City of Ludington under the terms of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act. and it is being operated and maintained in partnership with the Big Sable Lighthouse Keepers Association^[4] which is a volunteer group that maintains, restores and operates this light and the Big Sable Point Light.^[5]

The lighthouse is open to the public a few days each summer for climbing tours. Schedules of days open can be obtained at the Vistor's Center downtown. It is currently operational.

1 Directions
2 Additional reading
3 Notes
4 External links
5 See also

[edit] Directions

From US 31 head west on US 10 approximately 3.75 miles to Stearns Park. The North Breakwater can be accessed from the park.

[edit] Additional reading

Bibliography on Michigan and other lighthouses.
Crompton, Samuel Willard & Michael J. Rhein, The Ultimate Book of Lighthouses (2002) ISBN 1592231020; ISBN 978-1592231027.
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.
Pepper, Terry. Seeing the Light: Lighthouses on the western Great Lakes.
Putnam, George R., Lighthouses and Lightships of the United States, (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1933).
Rice, Mary J., Chicago: Port to the World (Follet Publishers, 1969).
United States Coast Guard, Aids to Navigation, (Washington, DC: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1945).
United States Coast Guard, Aids to Navigation Historical Bibliography.
Wagner, John L.. Beacons Shining in the Night: The Lighthouses of Michigan. Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University.
Wright, Larry and Wright, Patricia, Great Lakes Lighthouses Encyclopedia Hardback (Erin: Boston Mills Press, 2006) ISBN 1550463993.