Beaver Island Harbor Light

Lighthouse in Michigan, United States
Lighthouse
45°44′34″N 85°30′31″W / 45.74278°N 85.50861°W / 45.74278; -85.50861TowerConstructed1856 (original tower)
1870 (current tower)Automated1927Height41 feet (12 m)ShapeCylindricalMarkingsWhite (Originally yellow) w/ black lanternLightFirst lit1870Focal height38 feet (12 m)[1]LensFourth Order FresnelRange10 nautical miles (19 km; 12 mi)CharacteristicISO Red 6 seconds Light obscured from 127°30′ to 199°30[2]
Beaver Island Light Station
Nearest citySt. James, MichiganArea64.2 acres (26.0 ha)NRHP reference No.78001495[3]Added to NRHPDecember 29, 1978

Beaver Island Harbor Light (or St. James Light) is a lighthouse located in St. James, Michigan, on the northern end of Beaver Island on Lake Michigan.[4] It has also been called "St. James Harbor Light" and "Whiskey Point Light". It is associated with a U.S. Coast Guard station, which was formerly a lifesaving station.[5] The tower is constructed of Cream City Brick.

Whiskey Point was originally named for the 1838 fur trading post that operated on the point, and for the commodity that was the post's chief item of sale. Soon afterward in the 1850s, St. James's Harbor on Beaver Island became established as a safe haven in a storm (an event quite common on Lake Michigan). The light was thus a natural extension of the emergency usage. The original light was constructed in 1856, and the light currently in use was constructed in 1870.[6]

At this time, the harbor is used by the Beaver Island ferry, so the light is still an active aid to navigation.

  • U.S. Coast Guard Archive Photo
    U.S. Coast Guard Archive Photo
  • Station without Keeper's Quarters, U.S. Coast Guard Archive Photo
    Station without Keeper's Quarters, U.S. Coast Guard Archive Photo

See also

References

  1. ^ Michigan Lighthouse Conservancy, St. James Harbor Light (Beaver Island)
  2. ^ Light List, Volume VII, Great Lakes (PDF). Light List. United States Coast Guard.
  3. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  4. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Beaver Island Harbor Lighthouse. Retrieved on 2008-04-13.
  5. ^ History of the Beaver Island (Whiskey Point) Lights Archived 2008-10-10 at the Wayback Machine by the Beaver Beacon.
  6. ^ Terry Pepper. "Seeing the Light - Beaver Island Harbor Lighthouse". Archived from the original on 2 April 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-13.

External links

  • Aerial photos, Beaver Harbor Lighthouse, marinas.com.
  • Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University, Bibliography for Charlevoix County.
  • History of the Beaver Island (Whiskey Point) Lights by the Beaver Beacon.



  • v
  • t
  • e
Northern Upper Peninsula
Southern Upper PeninsulaSt. Mary's River
  • Frying Pan Island
  • Pipe Island
  • Point Iroquois
  • Round Island Light (St. Mary's River)
  • Six Mile Point Range Rear
  • Winter Point Range Front
Portage River/Ship CanalStraits of MackinacWestern Lower PeninsulaEastern Lower PeninsulaHistorical (lost) lights
  • Au Sable North Pierhead
  • Belle Isle
  • Clinton River
  • Ecorse
  • Ecorse Range Rear
  • Gibraltar
  • Grassy Island
  • Grassy Island North Channel Range Lights
  • Grassy Island South Channel Range Lights
  • Grosse Ile North Channel Range Lights
  • Grosse Ile South Channel Range Lights
  • Harwood Point East Range Front
  • Kalamazoo River
  • Mama Juda
  • Mama Juda Range Front
  • Manistee Main
  • Middle Lake George
  • Monroe Pier
  • New Buffalo
  • North Manitou Island
  • Saginaw Bay
  • Sand Beach North Entrance East
  • Squaw Point
  • St. Mary's River Lower Range Front
  • Vidal Shoals Channel Range Front and Rear Lights
  • Windmill Point Range Front and Rear Lights
Related
  • v
  • t
  • e
Topics
Lists by state
Lists by insular areas
Lists by associated state
Other areas
Related
  • National Register of Historic Places portal
  • Category
Authority control databases: Geographic Edit this at Wikidata
  • ARLHS
  • MarineTraffic
  • USCG
    • 7-17845