Tawas Point Light

Tawas Point Light
Tawas Point Light in 2011
Location Baldwin Township, Iosco County Michigan
Coordinates
Year first constructed 1876
Year first lit 1877
Construction Brick and masonry
Tower shape Conical
Markings / pattern white w/black lantern attached brick cottage w/red roof
Height Tower - 67 feet (20 m)[1]
Focal height Focal plane -70 feet (21 m)[2]
Original lens Fifth order Fresnel lens
Current lens Fourth order Fresnel lens[3]
Range white 16 miles (26 km)

red 12 miles (19 km)
Characteristic Oc W 4s (R sector)

Red from 045° to 135°
Fog signal 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.[4]
ARLHS number USA-837
USCG number 7-11240
Tawas Point Light
Location within the state of Michigan
Location: Baldwin Township, Michigan
NRHP Reference#: 84001453[5]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP: July 19, 1984
Designated MSHS: April 23, 1971[6]

Tawas Point Light is located in the Tawas Point State Park off Tawas Bay in Lake Huron in Baldwin Township in Northern Michigan.

Contents

History

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, later 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, construction was completed, with a final 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.[7]

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 (2.90 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 ( /freɪˈnɛl/).[8][9] 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.[10]

It is currently being remodeled by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, with the assistance and contributions 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. The house is itself available for one and two week stays (for a fee, and with an agreement to act as a trained volunteer).[11] Volunteer keepers will stay for up to two weeks.[12]

Because of its popularity, picturesque form and location, it is often the subject of photographs, and even of needlepoint illustrations.[13]

The Tawas lifesaving station has recently been saved and renovation continues.[14]

The Fresnel lens is still operative, being one of Only 70 such lenses that remain operational in the United States, sixteen of which are use on the Great Lakes of which eight are in Michigan.[15]

Current events

An enlarged replica called the "Tri-Centennial Light of Detroit" is modeled after the Tawas Point Light, was built at Tri-Centennial State Park. The lighthouse is 63 feet tall, and marks the harbor entrance. "The new safety light tower is believed to be the first conical brick structure of this type built in Michigan since 1892 and serves as a tribute to Michigan's Great Lakes maritime history."[16]

See also

References

  1. ^ Terry Pepper, database on tower heights
  2. ^ Terry Pepper, Seeing the Light, database of Focal Plane Heights.
  3. ^ National Park Service, Maritime Heritage Program, Inventory of Historic Lights, Tawas Point Light.
  4. ^ (PDF) Light List, Volume VII, Great Lakes. Light List. United States Coast Guard. http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pdf/lightLists/LightList%20V7.pdf. 
  5. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2009-03-13. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/. 
  6. ^ State of Michigan (2009). "Tawas Point Light Station Light". http://www.mcgi.state.mi.us/hso/sites/6951.htm. Retrieved June 26, 2010. 
  7. ^ Tawas Point light house geography and history
  8. ^ Terry Pepper, "Seeing the Light," History of Tawas Point Light.
  9. ^ Buoy 2- Tawas Bay, Michigan
  10. ^ A Child's View of the Tawas Point Light, Michigan Time Traveler: Lansing State Journal.
  11. ^ Kart, Jess, Tawas Point Lighthouse looks for boarders willing to pay for privilege of living in working structure, June 4, 2008. The Bay City Times.
  12. ^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of the United States: Michigan's Eastern Lower Peninsula". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/lighthouse/miel.htm. 
  13. ^ Needlepoint of Tawas Point Light.
  14. ^ Michigan Lighthouse Conservancy, Tawas Lifesaving Station.
  15. ^ United States Coast Guard, Fresnel Lenses Still in Operation.
  16. ^ Welcome to Tri-Centennial State Park and Harbor, Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

External links

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  • Category:National Register of Historic Places
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