Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse
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| Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse | |
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| Location: | Huron Township, Michigan |
| Coordinates WGS-84 (GPS) |
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| Year first constructed: | 1857 |
| Height: | 89 feet |
Pointe Aux Barques Lighthouse is a lighthouse located in Huron Township, Michigan.
[edit] History
The lighthouse was supposed to be constructed near the Thumb's most northwestern point at Pointe Aux Barques however it was ultimately constructed approximately 4.5 miles east / southeast in what is now Huron Township.
President James K. Polk appropriated $5,000 to build the first lighthouse structure on July 3, 1847. The first keeper, Peter Shook and his family, moved in in 1848. In 1849 the keeper's dwelling burned to the ground. The lighthouse tower and dwelling were rebuilt in 1857. The lighthouse tower rebuilt in 1857 is still in existence today.
[edit] Today
In 2003, Huron County gained ownership of the lighthouse tower via the National Lighthouse Preservation Act. The United States Coast Guard still controls and maintains the aid to navigation equipment housed there.
A group of students from Western Michigan University performed an archeological dig at the site in 2003. They unearthed evidence of a 1840s lighthouse structure that preceded the 1857 building.
The Pointe Aux Barques Lighthouse Society operates two museums in the lighthouse. The Thumb Underwater Preserve Museum focuses on the history and shipwrecks of Lake Huron, and the Lighthouse Museum, located in the former keeper's dwelling at the base of the light tower, features lighthouse equipment, artifacts and historic documents.
