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The Old Presque Isle
Lighthouse
Copyrighted photos &
editing by William Lewis
Early 19th century Presque Isle
Harbor was described as "the first fishing station on
the Lake Huron shore north of Saginaw Bay." The
spring of 1840 would have found a wharf, store and frame
dwelling, a log barn, several shanties and this
lighthouse under construction.
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The federal government
recognized the need for a lighthouse to guide
vessels safely into this harbor of refuge.
In July, 1838, $5,000 was appropriated for the
project. Materials were brought in by boat
and the construction was done by Jeremiah Moors
of Detroit. The tower wall was built 4
feet thick at the base and great blocks of stone
were carved to form the circular stairway to the
top. Impressive engineering, even by
modern standards, went into the design of the
tower. A revolving 4th-order Fresnel lens
was installed and officially lit in September of
1840.
The Old Lighthouse earned a
reputation of reliability and served for 30
years. In 1870, a taller lighthouse was
built a mile to the north replacing the Old
which was left abandoned and neglected, its
light removed and perhaps used at Point Iroquois
Light on Lake Superior.
The 1840 buildings were
purchased privately from the United States in
1897 and sold several years later to Bliss Stebbins. From the 1930s thru the 60s,
Francis B. Stebbins and his family made it a
project to restore the old cottage and tower.
Many antiques, also collected by the family, now
provide authentic glimpses of daily life during
the early years of lighthouse service. |
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On April 11, 1973, the 1840
Lighthouse was listed in the National Register of
Historic Places. In 1995, the property went from
private ownership to Presque Isle Township.
The Hands-on Museum is unique and just
the right size to offer something of interest to each
visitor. Here you can learn to "shoot the sun"
with an old brass sextant or blow our foghorns and ring
our bells! If you like shipwrecks, we can tell you
some of the local stories and show you many interesting
artifacts. And, of course, you must climb the
tower itself...That's the "high-light" of the tour!
Click on the pictures for a larger
image!
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Tower overlooking Lake Huron and Presque Isle
Harbor beside bell from old Lansing City Hall. |
Photos courtesy of
William Lewis |
Comet Hale-Bopp shines and is
watched by the Ghost of the Old. |
To learn more about the New
Presque Isle Lighthouse, click
here. Visit the 1905 House Museum website.
Click here.
Back to Home Page! |
