Presque Isle Lighthouse

Located on the land protruding from the eastern shore of Lake Huron in Michigan, you'll find the Presque Isle Lighthouse. The name Presque Isle comes from the French term that means "almost an island." Congress appropriated $7,000 to fund the construction of the lighthouse in 1838 and construction started shortly thereafter. The lighthouse was completed in 1840.

The original Presque Isle Lighthouse tower stood 30 feet high with four foot thick walls at the base. Inside was a hand-cut stone stairway that spiraled around the interior wall of the tower up to the lantern. About 30 feet from the lighthouse a small detached single story lightkeeper's residence was built. The light was lit for the first time in September of 1840 when the first keeper moved in.

By 1866, the keeper's dwelling was in such poor condition that nothing short of a complete rebuild would make the structure liveable again. The owner requested that money be made available for the rennovation of the building and Congress approved the requested appropriation on March 2, 1867.

As the construction was about to begin, the Lighthouse Board changed its direction. Due to the height of the standing lighthouse tower, it was only functional to light the harbor. It was decided that instead of refurbishing the standing buildings they would construct a larger light at the tip of the peninsula about a mile north of the original, along with two range lights to help light the harbor. These new lights would render the current light virtually obsolete and the planned rennovation was cancelled.

The new lighthouse was completed in 1871 and the lightkeeper moved with his family to the new location. The new light was lit on June 1, 1871 and the lens and lantern from the original light were removed and shipped off to be used elsewhere. After the lantern was removed, the old tower was left uncapped and the windows and doors were boarded-up. The buildings stood empty and in disrepair for 26 years.

Finally, in 1897 the lighthouse and surrounding property were sold at public auction. Once again, the buildings sat in disrepair for years, being used mainly as a picnic area for guests of a nearby hotel.

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