Little Sable Point Light
Encyclopedia
The Little Sable Point Light is a lighthouse
located south of Pentwater
in the lower peninsula of the U.S. state
of Michigan
. It is in the southwest corner of Golden Township
, just south of Silver Lake State Park
.
The lighthouse was designed by Col. Orlando M. Poe and has been described as "A classic Poe tower." The design used 109 1-foot-diameter wood pilings to be driven into the sand, capped by 12 feet of stone as a stout base for the brick tower. The walls of the tower are 5 feet thick at the base and 2 feet at its zenith.
Pride in 1866, public outcries for a light at this locale were finally heard and heeded. Congress approved funding in 1871, but construction was delayed until 1874 due to lack of roads to the site.
The station was originally named "Petite Pointe Au Sable Lighthouse", which is the name used on most official records; officially, however, the name was changed in 1910. Although commonly called "Little Sable Point Light", it is listed by the National Park Service as "Little Point Sable Light".
The lantern room has eight fixed panels in its lower section, and the upper has ten rotating panels.
In 1954, the Lighthouse keeper
's dwelling was destroyed by the Coast Guard when electricity reached the site and the light was automated. "Evidence of the connection between the dwelling and tower are obvious to the visitor."
Prior to 1900, the brick was left in its natural color and state, as it was unusually hard and held up well to the elements. (Unlike its sister, Big Sable Point Light
, which was made from Cream City Brick
, and had to be encased in steel
boilerplate to retard the deterioration.) Having it in natural tones, however, was a boon to the Lighthouse keeper
, who did not have to apply a yearly coat of whitewash
. In 1900 the light was painted white for the first time, to assuage the complaints of mariners who said the brick was difficult to see. It remained that color until 1975, when it was sand blasted, and returned to its natural color. The lantern is capped by a copper roof.
Big Sable Point Lighthouse (erected in 1867) is the same height, and is several miles to the north. It is distinguishable at night from Little Sable by having a fixed white light, and by day by the Daymark
of the tower, being banded in black and white.
For the first time in over 50 years (last open in 1949), in June, 2006, the lighthouse opened to the public, so they can now climb its 139 steps and view the Third Order Fresnel lens
(manufactured by Sautter & Co. of Paris) and the panoramic landscape. It is open everyday, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from the first weekend in June through the end of September.
The presence and continuous use of the original Third Order Fresnel lens makes this a relatively rare light. This is one of only seventy such lenses that are still operational in the United States, sixteen of which are use on the Great Lakes
of which eight are in Michigan.
It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is not listed on the State Register, but is in a protected area, i.e., a state park.
, close to Mears, Michigan. The lighthouse parking lot is off of N. Lighthouse Dr. Take Silver Lake Road to its south end where you will find N. Lighthouse Dr. Follow it a little over a mile. "It has an excellent swimming beach and Lake Michigan produces some great sunsets." Thera are about 200 parking spaces, but these are shared with beach users. As it is part of a Michigan State Park, an entrance fee is charged for automobiles. "A two dollar tower climbing fee helps preserve the lighthouse."
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
located south of Pentwater
Pentwater, Michigan
Pentwater is a village in Oceana County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 958 at the 2000 census. The village is located within Pentwater Township. Pentwater is home to Mears State Park. The name Pentwater comes from Pent or Penned up waters...
in the lower peninsula of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. It is in the southwest corner of Golden Township
Golden Township, Michigan
Golden Township is a civil township of Oceana County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,810 at the 2000 census.-Communities:...
, just south of Silver Lake State Park
Silver Lake State Park (Michigan)
Silver Lake State Park is a state park in Michigan, located on Lake Michigan near Mears.It is composed of mature forest land and over of sand dunes. The park is wide and long and is divided into three segments: The northern area is an all-terrain vehicle park, and is the only dunes area east of...
.
The lighthouse was designed by Col. Orlando M. Poe and has been described as "A classic Poe tower." The design used 109 1-foot-diameter wood pilings to be driven into the sand, capped by 12 feet of stone as a stout base for the brick tower. The walls of the tower are 5 feet thick at the base and 2 feet at its zenith.
History
Following the loss of the SchoonerSchooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
Pride in 1866, public outcries for a light at this locale were finally heard and heeded. Congress approved funding in 1871, but construction was delayed until 1874 due to lack of roads to the site.
The station was originally named "Petite Pointe Au Sable Lighthouse", which is the name used on most official records; officially, however, the name was changed in 1910. Although commonly called "Little Sable Point Light", it is listed by the National Park Service as "Little Point Sable Light".
The lantern room has eight fixed panels in its lower section, and the upper has ten rotating panels.
In 1954, the Lighthouse keeper
Lighthouse keeper
A lighthouse keeper is the person responsible for tending and caring for a lighthouse, particularly the light and lens in the days when oil lamps and clockwork mechanisms were used. Keepers were needed to trim the wicks, replenish fuel, wind clockworks and perform maintenance tasks such as cleaning...
's dwelling was destroyed by the Coast Guard when electricity reached the site and the light was automated. "Evidence of the connection between the dwelling and tower are obvious to the visitor."
Prior to 1900, the brick was left in its natural color and state, as it was unusually hard and held up well to the elements. (Unlike its sister, Big Sable Point Light
Big Sable Point Light
The Big Sable Point Light is a lighthouse on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan near Ludington in Mason County, Michigan, at the Ludington State Park. It is an active aid to navigation.-History:...
, which was made from Cream City Brick
Cream City brick
Cream City brick is a cream or light yellow-colored brick made from a clay found around Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the Menomonee River Valley and on the western banks of Lake Michigan...
, and had to be encased in steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
boilerplate to retard the deterioration.) Having it in natural tones, however, was a boon to the Lighthouse keeper
Lighthouse keeper
A lighthouse keeper is the person responsible for tending and caring for a lighthouse, particularly the light and lens in the days when oil lamps and clockwork mechanisms were used. Keepers were needed to trim the wicks, replenish fuel, wind clockworks and perform maintenance tasks such as cleaning...
, who did not have to apply a yearly coat of whitewash
Whitewash
Whitewash, or calcimine, kalsomine, calsomine, or lime paint is a very low-cost type of paint made from slaked lime and chalk . Various other additives are also used...
. In 1900 the light was painted white for the first time, to assuage the complaints of mariners who said the brick was difficult to see. It remained that color until 1975, when it was sand blasted, and returned to its natural color. The lantern is capped by a copper roof.
Big Sable Point Lighthouse (erected in 1867) is the same height, and is several miles to the north. It is distinguishable at night from Little Sable by having a fixed white light, and by day by the Daymark
Daymark
A daymark or a day marker is a structure such as a tower constructed on land as an aid to navigation by sailors. While similar in concept to a lighthouse, a daymark does not have a light and so is usually only visible during daylight hours...
of the tower, being banded in black and white.
For the first time in over 50 years (last open in 1949), in June, 2006, the lighthouse opened to the public, so they can now climb its 139 steps and view the Third Order Fresnel lens
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design...
(manufactured by Sautter & Co. of Paris) and the panoramic landscape. It is open everyday, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from the first weekend in June through the end of September.
The presence and continuous use of the original Third Order Fresnel lens makes this a relatively rare light. This is one of only seventy such lenses that are still operational in the United States, sixteen of which are use on the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
of which eight are in Michigan.
It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is not listed on the State Register, but is in a protected area, i.e., a state park.
Getting there
Little Sable Point (Lake Michigan) is in Silver Lake State ParkSilver Lake State Park (Michigan)
Silver Lake State Park is a state park in Michigan, located on Lake Michigan near Mears.It is composed of mature forest land and over of sand dunes. The park is wide and long and is divided into three segments: The northern area is an all-terrain vehicle park, and is the only dunes area east of...
, close to Mears, Michigan. The lighthouse parking lot is off of N. Lighthouse Dr. Take Silver Lake Road to its south end where you will find N. Lighthouse Dr. Follow it a little over a mile. "It has an excellent swimming beach and Lake Michigan produces some great sunsets." Thera are about 200 parking spaces, but these are shared with beach users. As it is part of a Michigan State Park, an entrance fee is charged for automobiles. "A two dollar tower climbing fee helps preserve the lighthouse."
Specialized Further reading
- Merkel, Jan, Family Memories of Little Sable Point Light Station, January, 2001, Lighthouse DigestLighthouse DigestLighthouse Digest is a specialty magazine for lighthouse and maritime history enthusiasts published in East Machias, Maine. Launched in May, 1992, by FogHorn Publishing, it is dedicated to preserving lighthouse history, current and yesteryear, for future generations.-Scope:Coverage includes...
. - Taylor, Paul (October 2009) Orlando M. Poe: Civil War General and Great Lakes Engineer (Kent State University Press) ISBN 1606350404; ISBN 978-1606350409.
- Tag, Thomas A., Little Sable Point Light Station, Softcover (Dayton, OH: Data Image, 1996) p. 35. ISBN 0-9649980-1-7.
External links