Passage Island Light

Passage Island Light Station

Undated USCG photo of the station
Location	SW end of Passage Is., 3.25 mi NE of Isle Royale, in NW Lake Superior, Houghton Township, Michigan
Coordinates	48°13′27″N 88°21′57″W / 48.22417°N 88.36583°W / 48.22417; -88.36583Coordinates: 48°13′27″N 88°21′57″W / 48.22417°N 88.36583°W / 48.22417; -88.36583
Year first constructed	1882
Year first lit	1882[1]
Automated	1978[2]
Construction	fieldstone[2]
Markings / pattern	natural with white & red lantern[2]
Height	44 feet (13 m)[2]
Original lens	Fourth order Fresnel lens[1]
Current lens	7.5-inch (190 mm)
USCG number
Passage Island Light Station
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Architect	U.S. Lighthouse Board
Architectural style	Gothic
MPS	Light Stations of the United States MPS
NRHP Reference #	06000632[3]
Added to NRHP	July 19, 2006

The Passage Island Light Station is a lighthouse located 3.25 mi (5.23 km) NE of Isle Royale, in NW Lake Superior, Michigan on Passage Island. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.^[3]

Description

Passage Island Lighthouse (far right) is located on a small island, off the east coast of Isle Royale (right-click image to enlarge).

The light tower is 44 feet (13 m) high, constructed of field stone, and is square on the first level, transitioning to octagonal above.^[4] It is topped with a ten-sided cast iron lantern, accessible via a spiral staircase within the tower.^[4] The tower is integral with the keeper's house, which is a two-story field stone house measuring 26 by 30 feet (7.9 by 9.1 m).^[4]

History

The need for a lighthouse between Passage Island and Isle Royale was recognized as early as the 1860s, as lake traffic increased dramatically due to the upsurge in mining in the Upper Peninsula.^[4] However, it took until 1875 before Congress authorized funds for the construction of a lighthouse.^[4] However, because of Congress's desire to bring political pressure to bear on the Canadian government to force them to build a lighthouse in Lake Erie, the appropriated $18,000 for Pasage Light was not released until 1880.^[4] Construction began in 1881, and the light was completed the following year.^[4] A fog signal was added in 1884, and in 1894 a new flashing white lens manufactured by Barbier, Benard & Turenne of Paris was installed.^[4]

In 1978, the station was automated, and in 1989 a 7.5-inch (190 mm) acrylic lens was installed, replacing the Fresnel.^[4]

Further reading

• Passage Island Light Station, Survey number HABS MI-385, Historic American Buildings Survey
• Passage Island Light Station, Lighthouse, Survey number HABS MI-385-A, Historic American Buildings Survey
• Passage Island Light Station, Fog Signal Building, Survey number HABS MI-385-B, Historic American Buildings Survey
• Passage Island Light Station, Oil Storage Building, Survey number HABS MI-385-C, Historic American Buildings Survey
• Passage Island Light Station, Privy Building, Survey number HABS MI-385-D, Historic American Buildings Survey
• Passage Island Light Station, Tramway Equipment Building, Survey number HABS MI-385-E, Historic American Buildings Survey
• Passage Island Light Station, Pump House, Survey number HABS MI-385-F, Historic American Buildings Survey

References

Lighthouses in Michigan Northern Upper Peninsula Au Sable Big Bay Point Copper Harbor Copper Harbor Front Range Crisp Point Eagle Harbor Eagle Harbor Range Lights Eagle River Fourteen Mile Point Grand Island East Channel Grand Island Harbor Rear Range Grand Island North Grand Marais Range Lights Granite Island Gull Rock Huron Island Isle Royale Manitou Island Marquette Breakwater Outer Marquette Harbor Mendota (Bete Grise) Munising Front Range Munising Rear Range Ontonagon Ontonagon Harbor West Breakwater Portage River (Jacobsville) Passage Island Rock Harbor Rock of Ages Sand Hills Sand Point Light (Baraga) St. Martin Island Stannard Rock Thunder Bay Island Whitefish Point Southern Upper Peninsula DeTour Reef Lansing Shoals Manistique East Breakwater Martin Reef Menominee Pier Minneapolis Shoal Naubinway Island Peninsula Point Poverty Island Sand Point Seul Choix Squaw Island St. Martin Island St. Mary's River Frying Pan Island Pipe Island Point Iroquois Round Island Light (St. Mary's River) Six Mile Point Range Rear Winter Point Range Front Portage River/Ship Canal Keweenaw Waterway Lower Entrance Keweenaw Waterway Upper Entrance Portage Lake Rouleau Point Range Front and Rear Lights Straits of Mackinac Bois Blanc McGulpin Point Old Mackinac Point Round Island Round Island Passage St. Helena Island Western Lower Peninsula Beaver Island Harbor Beaver Island Head Big Sable Point Cedar River Charlevoix Charlevoix South Pier Frankfort Frankfort South Range Grand Haven North Pierhead Grand Haven South Pierhead Entrance Grand Haven South Pierhead Inner Grand Traverse Grays Reef Holland Harbor Ile Aux Galets Little Sable Point Little Traverse Ludington Manistee Pierhead Manning Memorial Mission Point Mission Point (1933) Muskegon Breakwater Muskegon Pier North Manitou Shoal Pentwater North Pierhead Pentwater South Pierhead Point Betsie Portage Lake South Fox Island South Haven South Manitou Island St. Joseph North Pier Inner St. Joseph North Pier Outer South Manitou Island Waugoshance White River White Shoal Eastern Lower Peninsula Alpena Caseville Harbor Charity Island Cheboygan Crib Cheboygan River Front Range DeTour Reef Detroit River Fort Gratiot Forty Mile Point Fourteen Foot Shoal Gibraltar Gravelly Shoal Harbor Beach Lake St. Clair Mariners Memorial Middle Island Miller Memorial New Presque Isle Old Presque Isle Peche Island Rear Range Poe Reef Pointe aux Barques Port Austin Port Sanilac Saginaw Bay Saginaw River Rear Range Spectacle Reef St. Clair Flats Front and Rear Range Light Sturgeon Point Tawas Point Thunder Bay Island Tri-Centennial Light of Detroit William Livingstone Memorial Windmill Point Historical (lost) lights Au Sable North Pierhead Belle Isle Clinton River Ecorse Ecorse Range Rear Gibraltar Grassy Island Grassy Island North Channel Range Lights Grassy Island South Channel Range Lights Grosse Ile North Channel Range Lights Grosse Ile South Channel Range Lights Harwood Point East Range Front Kalamazoo River Mama Juda Mama Juda Range Front Manistee Main Middle Lake George Monroe Pier New Buffalo North Manitou Island Saginaw Bay Sand Beach North Entrance East Squaw Point St. Mary's River Lower Range Front Vidal Shoals Channel Range Front and Rear Lights Windmill Point Range Front and Rear Lights Related Lightship Huron List of lifesaving stations in Michigan