Ludington Lighthouse
Encyclopedia
The Ludington Light is a 57 feet (17.4 m) tall steel-plated lighthouse
in Ludington, Michigan
, which lies along the eastern shores of Lake Michigan
, at the end of the breakwater
on the Pere Marquette Harbor. Given its location on the northern breakwater where the Pere Marquette River
meets Lake Michigan
, it is sometimes known as the Ludington North Breakwater Light. Underlying the building itself is a prow-like structure, which is designed to break waves.
. On October 17, 1995 the Fresnel lens
was removed from the lantern. It was replaced by a Tideland Signal 300 mm acrylic optic. The original lens was loaned to Historic White Pine Village
where it is displayed as part of their maritime history exhibit.
A fog signal building is integrated into the tower. It originally had a Type F Diaphone signal, and a FA-232 is now in operation. A radiobeacon is also in place and operational.
In 2006, the Ludington Breakwater Lighthouse was opened to the public for the first time in its history. The Coast Guard transferred ownership to the City of Ludington
under the terms of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act
. The lighthouse is being operated and maintained in partnership with the Sable Points Lighthouse Keepers Association, which is a volunteer group that maintains, restores and operates this light, the Big Sable Point Lighthouse
and the Little Sable Point Lighthouse
.
The lighthouse is open to the public during the summer season for climbing tours.
US 31
head west on
US 10
approximately 3.75 miles (6 km) to Stearns Park. The North Breakwater can be accessed from the park.
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....
in Ludington, Michigan
Ludington, Michigan
Ludington is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 8,357. It is the county seat of Mason County.Ludington is a harbor town located on Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Pere Marquette River...
, which lies along the eastern shores of Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
, at the end of the breakwater
Breakwater (structure)
Breakwaters are structures constructed on coasts as part of coastal defence or to protect an anchorage from the effects of weather and longshore drift.-Purposes of breakwaters:...
on the Pere Marquette Harbor. Given its location on the northern breakwater where the Pere Marquette River
Pere Marquette River
The Pere Marquette River is a river in the State of Michigan. The main stream of this river is about long, running from Lake County, Michigan just west of Reed City into the Pere Marquette Lake, and from there into Lake Michigan....
meets Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
, it is sometimes known as the Ludington North Breakwater Light. Underlying the building itself is a prow-like structure, which is designed to break waves.
History
The station was established in 1871. This light was first lit in 1924, and it is presently operational. It was automated in 1972. The light is structurally integrated into the steel and reinforced concrete pier upon which it is built. It has a square pyramidal form, and is white with a black lantern. The original lens was a Fourth Order Fresnel lensFresnel 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...
. On October 17, 1995 the 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...
was removed from the lantern. It was replaced by a Tideland Signal 300 mm acrylic optic. The original lens was loaned to Historic White Pine Village
White Pine Village
White Pine Village opened in 1976. It is an outdoor museum containing nineteenth century buildings and related artifacts. The centerpiece is Burr Caswell's 1849 farmhouse...
where it is displayed as part of their maritime history exhibit.
A fog signal building is integrated into the tower. It originally had a Type F Diaphone signal, and a FA-232 is now in operation. A radiobeacon is also in place and operational.
In 2006, the Ludington Breakwater Lighthouse was opened to the public for the first time in its history. The Coast Guard transferred ownership to the City of Ludington
Ludington, Michigan
Ludington is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 8,357. It is the county seat of Mason County.Ludington is a harbor town located on Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Pere Marquette River...
under the terms of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act
National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act
The National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000 is American legislation creating a process for the transfer of federally-owned lighthouses into private hands...
. The lighthouse is being operated and maintained in partnership with the Sable Points Lighthouse Keepers Association, which is a volunteer group that maintains, restores and operates this light, the Big Sable Point Lighthouse
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:...
and the Little Sable Point Lighthouse
Little Sable Point Light
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...
.
The lighthouse is open to the public during the summer season for climbing tours.
Directions
From US 31U.S. Route 31
U.S. Route 31 is a long north–south highway connecting northern Michigan to southern Alabama, with its northern terminus at Interstate 75 near Mackinaw City, Michigan, and southern terminus at the combined U.S. Route 90 & U.S. Route 98 at Spanish Fort, Alabama...
head west on
US 10U.S. Route 10
U.S. Route 10 is an east–west United States highway formed in 1926. Though it never became the cross-country highway suggested by the "0" as the last digit of its route number, U.S...
approximately 3.75 miles (6 km) to Stearns Park. The North Breakwater can be accessed from the park.
Further reading
- Bibliography on Michigan lighthouses.
- Crompton, Samuel Willard & Michael J. Rhein, The Ultimate Book of Lighthouses (2002) ISBN 1592231020; ISBN 978-1592231027.
- Hyde, Charles K., and Ann and John Mahan. The Northern Lights: Lighthouses of the Upper Great Lakes. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1995. ISBN 0814325548 ISBN 9780814325544.
- Jones, Ray & Bruce Roberts, American Lighthouses (Globe Pequot, September 1, 1998, 1st Ed.) ISBN 0762703245; ISBN 978-0762703241.
- Jones, Ray,The Lighthouse Encyclopedia, The Definitive Reference (Globe Pequot, January 1, 2004, 1st ed.) ISBN 0762727357; ISBN 978-0762727353.
- Noble, Dennis, Lighthouses & Keepers: U. S. Lighthouse Service and Its Legacy (Annapolis: U. S. Naval Institute Press, 1997). ISBN 1557506388; ISBN 9781557506382.
- Oleszewski, Wes, Great Lakes Lighthouses, American and Canadian: A Comprehensive Directory/Guide to Great Lakes Lighthouses, (Gwinn, Michigan: Avery Color Studios, Inc., 1998) ISBN 0-932212-98-0.
- Penrod, John, Lighthouses of Michigan, (Berrien Center, Michigan: Penrod/Hiawatha, 1998) ISBN 9780942618785 ISBN 9781893624238.
- 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) ISBN 1880311011 ISBN 9781880311011.
- Wargin, Ed, Legends of Light: A Michigan Lighthouse Portfolio (Ann Arbor Media Group, 2006). ISBN 9781587262517.
- Wright, Larry and Wright, Patricia, Great Lakes Lighthouses Encyclopedia Hardback (Erin: Boston Mills Press, 2006) ISBN 1550463993
External links
- Sable Points Lighthouse Keepers Association - official site
- Aerial photos, Ludington Pier Light, marinas.com.
- Detroit News, Interactive map on Michigan lighthouses.
- Lighthouse Central, Photographs, History, Directions and Way points for Ludington North Breakwater Light, The Ultimate Guide to West Michigan Lighthouses by Jerry Roach (Publisher: Bugs Publishing LLC - 2005). ISBN 0-9747977-0-7.
- Lighthousefriends.com, Ludington North Breakwater Light.
- Videos of Ludington Lighthouse.
- Ludington Lighthouse Page from Michigan Lighthouse Conservancy.
- National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act FACT SHEET (March 7, 2005).
- National Park ServiceNational Park ServiceThe National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
Maritime Heritage Project, Inventory of Historic Lighthouses, Ludington North Breakwater Light. - Terry Pepper, Seeing the Light, Ludington North Breakwater Light.
- Interactive map of Lights in Northern Lake Michigan, mapped by Google.
- Map of Michigan Lighthouse in PDF Format.
- Wobser, David, Ludington North Breakwater Light, boatnerd.com.