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Pointe Aux Barques Lighthouse & Keepers Museum
Address
7320 Lighthouse Road
Port Hope,
MI
48467
Regions: Port Austin
Phone
(989) 428-3035
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Description
Get a great view of the tower, walk the grounds and engage in the vivid history at the Keepers Museum.
The Tower is generally not open for climbing as this is an operating light and the top of the Tower is controlled by the Coast Guard. Special occasions and some tour groups permitted, call for details.
The Keeper’s Museum is open from mid-May until the end of September. The gift shop features tee shirts, hats and other wearing apparel, books and DVDs. It houses exhibits covering many phases of the Lighthouses and Life saving stations history including a preserve room providing information on the 105 wrecks surrounding the Point.
History: The original Lighthouse was completed and occupied in 1848, about 150 feet south of the existing structure.
The house is about 1,000 square feet, with separate tower, somewhere between 40 and 65 ft. There was serious problems plus a fire in 1849 that destroyed most of the interior so the new structure was completed in 1857 and is in continuous operation today.
The two story Keeper’s house and the 89 ft. attached tower are constructed of brick. The walls of the house are 18 inches thick while the Tower is 5 feet thick at the base and three feet at the tower. There is a 105 step winding up the tower to the light chamber which houses two DCB-224 aero beacons which can be seen eighteen miles out into the Lake.
These structures have survived the fires of 1871 & 81, Lake Huron’s full fury including the storm of 1913, considered the worst ever on the Lakes, and still provide an active beacon of safety for ships traversing the Lake.
The Lighthouses are located in the wrong place; that is a story we save for visitors.
Fresnel Lens: In 1873 the Henri LaPaute Company completed work on a beautiful sixteen panel Fresnel Lens. The Lens was delivered to the Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse in September, installed at the top of the 89 foot tower and began many years of service to mariners on Lake Huron. In 1969 the lens was removed by the US Coast Guard. The Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse Society retrieved this one of a kind artifact in June of 1913, restoration was completed and the lens is now on display at the Pointe aux Barques Keeper’s museum.
The Tower is generally not open for climbing as this is an operating light and the top of the Tower is controlled by the Coast Guard. Special occasions and some tour groups permitted, call for details.
The Keeper’s Museum is open from mid-May until the end of September. The gift shop features tee shirts, hats and other wearing apparel, books and DVDs. It houses exhibits covering many phases of the Lighthouses and Life saving stations history including a preserve room providing information on the 105 wrecks surrounding the Point.
History: The original Lighthouse was completed and occupied in 1848, about 150 feet south of the existing structure.
The house is about 1,000 square feet, with separate tower, somewhere between 40 and 65 ft. There was serious problems plus a fire in 1849 that destroyed most of the interior so the new structure was completed in 1857 and is in continuous operation today.
The two story Keeper’s house and the 89 ft. attached tower are constructed of brick. The walls of the house are 18 inches thick while the Tower is 5 feet thick at the base and three feet at the tower. There is a 105 step winding up the tower to the light chamber which houses two DCB-224 aero beacons which can be seen eighteen miles out into the Lake.
These structures have survived the fires of 1871 & 81, Lake Huron’s full fury including the storm of 1913, considered the worst ever on the Lakes, and still provide an active beacon of safety for ships traversing the Lake.
The Lighthouses are located in the wrong place; that is a story we save for visitors.
Fresnel Lens: In 1873 the Henri LaPaute Company completed work on a beautiful sixteen panel Fresnel Lens. The Lens was delivered to the Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse in September, installed at the top of the 89 foot tower and began many years of service to mariners on Lake Huron. In 1969 the lens was removed by the US Coast Guard. The Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse Society retrieved this one of a kind artifact in June of 1913, restoration was completed and the lens is now on display at the Pointe aux Barques Keeper’s museum.
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