Grand Traverse Light is a

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Ligh ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

, located at the tip of the

Leelanau Peninsula The Leelanau Peninsula ( ) is a peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan that extends about from the western side of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan into Lake Michigan, forming Grand Traverse Bay. It is often referred to as the "little finger" of ...

, which separates

Lake Michigan Lake Michigan ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and depth () after Lake Superior and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the ...

and

Grand Traverse Bay Grand Traverse Bay ( ) is an arm of Lake Michigan, located along the west coast of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. The bay is separated from the rest of Lake Michigan by the Leelanau Peninsula. The bay is some long, ranges from wide, and up ...

. It marks the Manitou passage, where

elides into

. In 1858, the present light was built, replacing a separate round tower built in 1852. The lighthouse is located inside

Leelanau State Park Leelanau State Park is a public recreation area covering on the Leelanau Peninsula in Leelanau County, Michigan. The state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use ...

, north of Northport, a town of about 650 people. This area, in the

Michigan wine Michigan wine refers to any wine that is made in the state of Michigan in the United States. As of 2020, there were under wine-grape cultivation and over 200 commercial wineries in Michigan, producing of wine. According to another count there ...

country, is commonly visited by tourists during the summer months.

History

Some call this "Cat's Head Point Light." It is also locally called Northport Light, in honor of the nearby town of Northport. The first version of this light, which no longer exists, was ordered built by President

Millard Fillmore Millard Fillmore (January 7, 1800 – March 8, 1874) was the 13th president of the United States, serving from 1850 to 1853. He was the last president to be a member of the Whig Party while in the White House, and the last to be neither a De ...

in July 1850. A brick tower with separate keeper's quarters was constructed at a site east of the present Lighthouse in the state park campground. This first house and tower were deemed inadequate and razed in 1858 when the present structure was built. Still visible is a portion of the lighthouse foundation and the original tower site was located in 1999.Grand Traverse Lighthouse
/ref> The 1858 light is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, Reference #84001799, Name of Listing: GRAND TRAVERSE LIGHT (U.S. COAST GUARD/GREAT LAKES TR). It is also on the State List/Inventory having been listed in 1991. Alpena, Michigan's Fourth Order

Fresnel Lens A Fresnel lens ( ; ; or ) is a type of composite compact lens (optics), lens which reduces the amount of material required compared to a conventional lens by dividing the lens into a set of concentric annular sections. The simpler Dioptrics, d ...

is on display in the lighthouse keeper's house. The complex is listed as Michigan Registered Site S0615, and a state historical marker was erected in 1993. Today, one can tour the restored lighthouse resembling a keeper's home of the 1920s and 1930s. Exhibits on area lighthouses, foghorns, shipwrecks and local history are located in the Lighthouse and Fog Signal Building. The restored air diaphone

foghorn A foghorn or fog signal is a device that uses sound to warn vehicles of navigational hazards such as rocky coastlines, or boats of the presence of other vessels, in foggy conditions. The term is most often used in relation to marine transport. ...

is demonstrated throughout the year, and visitors can climb the tower for views of Lake Michigan. The surrounding shoreline has accessible albeit rocky beaches one can visit. The lighthouse is inside of Leelanau State Park which contains campsites and other amenities, and requires either payment or a Michigan Recreation Passport to enter. A separate admission fee is charged to enter the lighthouse itself.

References

* Crompton, Samuel Willard & Michael J. Rhein, ''The Ultimate Book of Lighthouses'' (2002) ; . * Hyde, Charles K., and Ann and John Mahan. ''The Northern Lights: Lighthouses of the Upper Great Lakes.'' Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1995. . * Jones, Ray & Bruce Roberts, ''American Lighthouses'' (Globe Pequot, September 1, 1998, 1st Ed.) ; . * Jones, Ray,''The Lighthouse Encyclopedia, The Definitive Reference'' (Globe Pequot, January 1, 2004, 1st ed.) ; . * Noble, Dennis, ''Lighthouses & Keepers: U. S. Lighthouse Service and Its Legacy'' (Annapolis: U. S. Naval Institute Press, 1997). ; . * Oleszewski, Wes, ''Great Lakes Lighthouses, American and Canadian: A Comprehensive Directory/Guide to Great Lakes Lighthouses'', (Gwinn, Michigan: Avery Color Studios, Inc., 1998) . * Penrod, John, ''Lighthouses of Michigan'', (Berrien Center, Michigan: Penrod/Hiawatha, 1998) . * Penrose, Laurie and Bill, A'' Traveler’s Guide to 116 Michigan Lighthouses'' (Petoskey, Michigan: Friede Publications, 1999). * * Putnam, George R., ''Lighthouses and Lightships of the United States'', (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1933). * United States Coast Guard, ''Aids to Navigation'', (Washington, DC: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1945). * * * Wagner, John L., ''Michigan Lighthouses: An Aerial Photographic Perspective'', (East Lansing, Michigan: John L. Wagner, 1998) . * Wargin, Ed, ''Legends of Light: A Michigan Lighthouse Portfolio'' (Ann Arbor Media Group, 2006). . * Wright, Larry and Wright, Patricia, ''Great Lakes Lighthouses Encyclopedia'' Hardback (Erin: Boston Mills Press, 2006) .

External links

Detroit News, Interactive map on Michigan lighthouses.

Grand Traverse Lighthouse official site
*

*

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...

br>Maritime Heritage, Inventory of Historic Light Stations Grand Traverse Light.

* {{Authority control Lighthouses completed in 1852 Houses completed in 1852 Lighthouses completed in 1858 Houses completed in 1858 Lighthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan 1852 establishments in Michigan National Register of Historic Places in Leelanau County, Michigan Lighthouse museums in Michigan

History

References

Further reading

External links