Tawas Point Light
Encyclopedia
Tawas Point Light is located in the Tawas Point State Park
off Tawas Bay in Lake Huron
in Baldwin Township
in Northern
Michigan
.
. In 1852, construction started, and the lighthouse was commissioned in 1853. After the lighthouse was built, many problems were encountered. Shifting sands caused the point to be extended by nearly a mile. The original light was a 5th Order Fresnel lens
, later upgraded when the building was replaced. Moreover, the structure was failing, and a ship disaster in the 1870s led to the decision to construct a new lighthouse in 1875. In 1876, construction was completed, with a final cost of $30,000.
It was originally known as Ottawa
Point. The name was officially changed to Tawas Point in 1902. The point is a substantial hazard to navigation. Additionally, because it is tucked behind the point, Tawas Bay
is an ideal shelter from storms, wind and waves out of the north and northest. The point juts out into Lake Huron
, and has been getting much larger over time. A map is available, which shows the accretion
. The original light was begun in 1852, and completed in 1853. The light was fueled at various times by lard
oil, then kerosene
, and the current light is of course now electric. This is the second lighthouse on the point.
The tower
is 70 feet (21.3 m) tall including the base, with a diameter
at base of 16 feet (4.9 m) and a diameter at parapet
of 9 in 6 in (2.9 m) It is constructed of a brick outer wall, and an inner wall: 24 inches/8 inches thick, respectively. There is an air space between walls of 24 inches (609.6 mm). The tower has in place a Fourth Order Fresnel lens
. The light can be seen for 16 miles (25.7 km), and has a lens focal plane 70 feet (21.3 m) above Lake Huron’s average water level. The Keeper
’s House is 43 feet (13.1 m) long and 26 feet (7.9 m) wide.
It is currently being remodeled by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources
, with the assistance and contributions of the Friends of Tawas Point State Park. The downstairs eventually will become a museum for the lighthouse and the upstairs becoming a mini-cabin available for rent by the public. The house is itself available for one and two week stays (for a fee, and with an agreement to act as a trained volunteer). Volunteer keepers will stay for up to two weeks.
Because of its popularity, picturesque form and location, it is often the subject of photographs, and even of needlepoint
illustrations.
The Tawas lifesaving station has recently been saved and renovation continues.
The Fresnel lens is still operative, being one of Only 70 such lenses that remain operational in the United States, sixteen of which are use on the Great Lakes
of which eight are in Michigan.
entrance. "The new safety light tower is believed to be the first conical brick structure of this type built in Michigan since 1892 and serves as a tribute to Michigan's Great Lakes maritime history."
Tawas Point State Park
Tawas Point State Park is a Michigan state park located in Northern Michigan near the city of East Tawas. It is just over an hour drive from the Saginaw and Bay City area and a little over three hours from the Detroit area. The park contains situated on the end of a sand spit that forms Tawas Bay...
off Tawas Bay in Lake Huron
Lake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...
in Baldwin Township
Baldwin Township, Iosco County, Michigan
Baldwin Township is a civil township of Iosco County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 1,726.-Geography:...
in Northern
Northern Michigan
Northern Michigan, also known as Northern Lower Michigan , is a region of the U.S. state of Michigan...
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"....
.
History
In 1850, Congress appropriated $5,000 for the construction of a lighthouseLighthouse
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 1852, construction started, and the lighthouse was commissioned in 1853. After the lighthouse was built, many problems were encountered. Shifting sands caused the point to be extended by nearly a mile. The original light was a 5th 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...
, later upgraded when the building was replaced. Moreover, the structure was failing, and a ship disaster in the 1870s led to the decision to construct a new lighthouse in 1875. In 1876, construction was completed, with a final cost of $30,000.
It was originally known as Ottawa
Ottawa (tribe)
The Odawa or Ottawa, said to mean "traders," are a Native American and First Nations people. They are one of the Anishinaabeg, related to but distinct from the Ojibwe nation. Their original homelands are located on Manitoulin Island, near the northern shores of Lake Huron, on the Bruce Peninsula in...
Point. The name was officially changed to Tawas Point in 1902. The point is a substantial hazard to navigation. Additionally, because it is tucked behind the point, Tawas Bay
Bay
A bay is an area of water mostly surrounded by land. Bays generally have calmer waters than the surrounding sea, due to the surrounding land blocking some waves and often reducing winds. Bays also exist as an inlet in a lake or pond. A large bay may be called a gulf, a sea, a sound, or a bight...
is an ideal shelter from storms, wind and waves out of the north and northest. The point juts out into Lake Huron
Lake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...
, and has been getting much larger over time. A map is available, which shows the accretion
Accretion (coastal management)
Accretion is the process of coastal sediment returning to the visible portion of a beach or foreshore following a submersion event. A sustainable beach or foreshore often goes through a cycle of submersion during rough weather then accretion during calmer periods...
. The original light was begun in 1852, and completed in 1853. The light was fueled at various times by lard
Lard
Lard is pig fat in both its rendered and unrendered forms. Lard was commonly used in many cuisines as a cooking fat or shortening, or as a spread similar to butter. Its use in contemporary cuisine has diminished because of health concerns posed by its saturated-fat content and its often negative...
oil, then kerosene
Kerosene
Kerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage, also known as paraffin or paraffin oil in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Ireland and South Africa, is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek keros...
, and the current light is of course now electric. This is the second lighthouse on the point.
The tower
Tower
A tower is a tall structure, usually taller than it is wide, often by a significant margin. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires....
is 70 feet (21.3 m) tall including the base, with a diameter
Diameter
In geometry, a diameter of a circle is any straight line segment that passes through the center of the circle and whose endpoints are on the circle. The diameters are the longest chords of the circle...
at base of 16 feet (4.9 m) and a diameter at parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
of 9 in 6 in (2.9 m) It is constructed of a brick outer wall, and an inner wall: 24 inches/8 inches thick, respectively. There is an air space between walls of 24 inches (609.6 mm). The tower has in place a Fourth 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...
. The light can be seen for 16 miles (25.7 km), and has a lens focal plane 70 feet (21.3 m) above Lake Huron’s average water level. The 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 House is 43 feet (13.1 m) long and 26 feet (7.9 m) wide.
It is currently being remodeled by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is the agency of the state of Michigan charged with maintaining natural resources such as state parks, state forests, and recreation areas. It is governed by a director appointed by the Governor and accepted by the Natural Resources Commission...
, with the assistance and contributions of the Friends of Tawas Point State Park. The downstairs eventually will become a museum for the lighthouse and the upstairs becoming a mini-cabin available for rent by the public. The house is itself available for one and two week stays (for a fee, and with an agreement to act as a trained volunteer). Volunteer keepers will stay for up to two weeks.
Because of its popularity, picturesque form and location, it is often the subject of photographs, and even of needlepoint
Needlepoint
Needlepoint is a form of counted thread embroidery in which yarn is stitched through a stiff open weave canvas. Most needlepoint designs completely cover the canvas...
illustrations.
The Tawas lifesaving station has recently been saved and renovation continues.
The Fresnel lens is still operative, being one of Only 70 such lenses that remain 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.
Current events
An enlarged replica called the "Tri-Centennial Light of Detroit" is modeled after the Tawas Point Light, was built at Tri-Centennial State Park. The lighthouse is 63 feet tall, and marks the harborHarbor
A harbor or harbour , or haven, is a place where ships, boats, and barges can seek shelter from stormy weather, or else are stored for future use. Harbors can be natural or artificial...
entrance. "The new safety light tower is believed to be the first conical brick structure of this type built in Michigan since 1892 and serves as a tribute to Michigan's Great Lakes maritime history."
External links
- A Child's View of the Tawas Point Light, Michigan Time Traveler: Lansing State Journal and Michigan Historical Center.
- Aerial photos, Tawas Point Light, marinas.com.
- Bibliography on Michigan lighthouses.
- Crompton, Samuel Willard & Michael J. Rhein, The Ultimate Book of Lighthouses (2002) ISBN 1592231020; ISBN 978-1592231027.
- Detroit News, Interactive map on Michigan lighthouses.
- 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.
- Interactive map, list, information for lighthouses in North and West Lake Huron.
- 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.
- Lighthouse Central, Tawas Point Light Photographs, History and Directions, The Ultimate Guide to East Michigan Lighthouses by Jerry Roach (Publisher: Bugs Publishing LLC - July 2006). ISBN 0974797715; ISBN 9780974797717.
- 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 Program, Inventory of Historic Lights, Tawas Point Light. - 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.
- Penrose, Laurie and Bill, A Traveler’s Guide to 116 Michigan Lighthouses (Petoskey, Michigan: Friede Publications, 1999). ISBN 0923756035 ISBN 9780923756031.
- Putnam, George R., Lighthouses and Lightships of the United States, (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1933).
- Satelite view, Google.
- Tawas Point light house geography and history.
- Tawas Point State Park detail.
- Terry Pepper, "Seeing the Light," History of Tawas Point Light.
- U.S. Lighthouses on Tawas Point light,
- United States Coast Guard, Aids to Navigation, (Washington, DC: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1945).
- U.S. Coast Guard Search & Rescue Index
- Wagner, John L., Michigan Lighthouses: An Aerial Photographic Perspective, (East Lansing, Michigan: John L. Wagner, 1998) ISBN 1880311011 ISBN 9781880311011.
- Wobser, David, Towas Point Light, boatnerd.com,
- Wright, Larry and Wright, Patricia, Great Lakes Lighthouses Encyclopedia Hardback (Erin: Boston Mills Press, 2006) ISBN 1550463993.