Bois Blanc Light

Bois Blanc Light can refer to one of five lighthouses erected on Bois Blanc Island, Michigan, in Lake Huron. Two of the lighthouses are currently standing. The lighthouse and surrounding property are privately owned and closed to the public.

This article is about the lighthouse in Michigan. For the lighthouse in Ontario, see Bois Blanc Island Lighthouse and Blockhouse.
Bois Blanc Light
1867 Bois Blanc Lighthouse (showing 1924 steel tower)
LocationBois Blanc Island, Michigan
Coordinates45.811°N 84.422°W / 45.811; -84.422
Year first lit1867
Deactivated1924
Constructionyellow brick
Tower shapesquare
Markings / patternNatural w/white lantern
Tower height38 feet (12 m)
Focal height53 feet (16 m)[1]
Original lensFourth order Fresnel Lens
Current lensremoved
Range11.7 nautical miles; 21.7 kilometres (13.5 mi)
Characteristic[2]
ARLHS numberUSA-068
USCG number7-12535[3]

History

The original structure, built in 1829, was the second lighthouse constructed on Lake Huron.[4] Due to rising water levels, the lighthouse became unstable, and eventually collapsed on December 9, 1837.[5] The lighthouse was rebuilt in the summer of 1839, further inland from the original structure. Eventually this structure also became dilapidated, and a new lighthouse was constructed in 1867.

This light was decommissioned in 1924 and boarded up, being replaced by an automated acetylene light atop a 35-foot (11 m) tall black steel skeleton tower to the east of the old light. The old station property and buildings were sold to Earl J. Coffey on August 24, 1925, and some time thereafter the steel skeletal tower was replaced by the currently operational cylindrical D9 tower with solar-powered 7.9-inch (200 mm) acrylic optic, which is basically a tube with a light on the top. It is functional, but spartan.

Legacy

The 1867 lighthouse is now owned by the Martin and Reinhart Jahn families, who have gone to great lengths in restoring the historic structure, which was in severely deteriorated condition when they took ownership.[6] The structures on the site are a remarkably complete set, and also include the old life saving station, a brick outhouse, a brick oil shed, and a cement boathouse on the South side of the island.[7]

The light is listed on the state inventory of historic structures.[8]

A private boat is, of course, the best way to see this light close up. Short of that, Shepler's Ferry Service out of Mackinaw City offers periodic lighthouse cruises in the summer season. Its "Eastbound Tour" includes passes by Round Island Light, Bois Blanc Island and Lighthouse, Poe Reef Light and Fourteen Foot Shoal Light. Schedules and rates are available from Shepler's.[9][10]

It is also possible to do a seaplane tour of the Mackinac Straits to see the lights in the area.[11]

Specialized Further reading
  • Brisson, Steven C. (Mackinac State Historic Parks chief curator). Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse: A History & Pictorial Souvenir (1/29/2008).[12]
  • "A Tour of the Lights of the Straits." Michigan History 70 (Sep/Oct 1986), pp. 17–29.

Notes
  1. Database on Focal Plane, Terry Pepper, Seeing the Light.
  2. "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: Michigan". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. Archived from the original on 2017-05-01.
  3. Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of the United States: Michigan's Eastern Lower Peninsula". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
  4. Wagner, John L. "Beacons Shining in the Night: The Lighthouses of Michigan -- Chronology". Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University.
  5. Terry Pepper, Seeing the Light, Bois Blanc Island lights. Archived May 17, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  6. Terry Pepper Seeing the Light Bois Blanc Island lights. Archived May 17, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  7. National Park Service, Maritime Heritage Program, Inventory of Historic Lights, Old Bois Blanc Island light.
  8. Michigan Lighthouse Conservancy, Bois Blanc Light.
  9. "Shepler's Ferry Service". Archived from the original on 2008-05-17. Retrieved 2018-11-09.
  10. Terry Pepper, Seeing the Light, Fourteen Foot Shoal Light.
  11. Stoke, Keith, A seaplane tour of the Straits.
  12. Old Mackinac Point Light Press Release.
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