Tawas Point Light

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Tawas Point Light

Tawas Point Lighthouse
Location: Tawas, Michigan
Coordinates
WGS-84 (GPS)		 44°15′14″N 83°26′56″W / 44.254, -83.449
Year first constructed: 1875
Year first lit: 1877
Construction: Brick and masonry
Tower shape: Conical
Markings/Pattern: white w/black lantern attached brick cottage w/red roof
Height: 70 feet (21 m)
Original lens: Fifth order Fresnel lens
Current lens: Fourth order Fresnel lens[1]
Range: white 16 miles (26 km)

red 12 miles (19 km)
Characteristic: Red from 045° to 135°. HORN: 2 blasts ev 60s (3s bl- 3s si-3s bl-51s si). 3,150 feet, 232° from light. Operates May 1 to Oct. 20.[2]

Tawas Point Light is located in the Tawas Point State Park in Tawas in Northern Michigan. In 1850, Congress appropriated $5,000 for the construction of a lighthouse. In 1852, construction started, and the lighthouse was commissioned in 1853.

After the lighthouse was built, many problems were encountered. Shifting sands caused the point to be extended by nearly a mile. The original light was a 5th Order Fresnel lens, which was upgraded when the building was replaced. Moreover, the structure was failing, and a ship disaster in the 1870s led to the decision to construct a new lighthouse in 1875. In 1876, the construction was complete, with a cost of $30,000.

It was originally known as Ottawa Point. The name was officially changed to Tawas Point in 1902. The point is a substantial hazard to navigation. Additionally, because it is tucked behind the point, Tawas Bay is an ideal shelter from storms, wind and waves out of the north and northest. The point juts out into Lake Huron, and has been getting much larger over time. A map is available, which shows the accretion. The original light was begun in 1852, and completed in 1853. The light was fueled at various times by lard oil, then kerosene, and the current light is of course now electric. This is the second lighthouse on the point.[3]

The tower is 70 feet (21 m) tall including the base, with a diameter at base of 16 feet (4.9 m) and a diameter at parapet of 9 feet 6 inches (2.9 m) It is constructed of a brick outer wall, and an inner wall: 24 inches/8 inches thick, respectively. There is an air space between walls of 24 inches (610 mm). The tower has in place a Fourth Order Fresnel lens (pronounced [freɪ'nel]).[4][5] The light can be seen for 16 miles (26 km), and has a lens focal plane 70 feet (21 m) above Lake Huron’s average water level. The Keeper’s House is 43 feet (13 m) long and 26 feet (7.9 m) wide. [6]

It is currently being remodeled by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, with the assistance and conributions of the Friends of Tawas Point State Park. The downstairs eventually will become a museum for the lighthouse and the upstairs becoming a mini-cabin available for rent by the public.

Because of its popularity, picturesque form and location, it is often the subject of photographs, and even of needlepoint illustrations.[7]

The Tawas Lifesaving station has recently been saved and renovation continues.[8]

[edit] Bibliography, External links and further reading

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ National Park Service, Maritime Heritage Program, Inventory of Historic Lights, Tawas Point Light.
  2. ^ Volume 7, U.S. Coast Guard Lightlist (PDF).
  3. ^ Tawas Point light house geography and history
  4. ^ Terry Pepper, "Seeing the Light," History of Tawas Point Light.
  5. ^ Buoy 2- Tawas Bay, Michigan
  6. ^ A Child's View of the Tawas Point Light, Michigan Time Traveler: Lansing State Journal.
  7. ^ Needlepoint of Tawas Point Light.
  8. ^ Michigan Lighthouse Conservancy, Tawas Lifesaving Station.
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