St. Helena Island Light
Undated USCG photo
|
|
 |
|
| Location | St. Helena Island, Moran Township, Mackinac County, Michigan |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 45°51′18″N 84°51′48″W / 45.85500°N 84.86333°WCoordinates: 45°51′18″N 84°51′48″W / 45.85500°N 84.86333°W |
| Year first constructed | 1873 |
| Year first lit | 1873 |
| Automated | 1922 |
| Foundation | limestone |
| Construction | brick |
| Tower shape | frustum of a cone with attached cottage |
| Markings / pattern | white w/red lantern |
| Height | Tower - 63 feet (19 m) |
| Focal height | Focal plane - 71 feet (22 m) |
| Original lens | 3 1⁄2-order Fresnel lens |
| Current lens | 12-inch (300 mm) ML-300 Tideland Signal acrylic |
| Range | 6 nautical miles (11 km; 6.9 mi) |
| Characteristic | Fl W 6s |
| ARLHS number | USA-794 |
| USCG number |
7-17720 |
|
St. Helena Island Light Station
|
|
St. Helena Island stands out from an icy background in the northwest quadrant of this wintertime aerial photograph.
|
|
| Nearest city | St. Ignace, Michigan |
| Area | 0.9 acres (0.36 ha) |
| NRHP Reference # | 88000442 |
| Added to NRHP | April 27, 1988 |
7-17720
The buildings of the St. Helena Island Light complex are the sole surviving structures on St. Helena Island, in Mackinac County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The lighthouse on the St. Helena Island's southeastern point was built in 1872-1873 and went into operation in September 1873. It became one of a series of lighthouses that guided vessels through the Straits of Mackinac, past a dangerous shoal that extends from the island.
St. Helena Island, which is 240 acres (97 ha) in size, is located offshore from Gros Cap, Michigan, 10 miles (16 km) west of Mackinac Island in the Lake Michigan approach to the Straits of Mackinac. The island has a natural harbor on its north shore, which provided shelter for both Native Americans and voyageurs, who sought shelter from fierce, foreseeable and notorious southwesterly storms, which would drive waves that gained strength running with the lake's length.
During the Civil War years, it became increasingly apparent that a shoal near St. Helena Island menaced maritime traffic through the Straits of Mackinac. At the urging of the United States Lighthouse Board, Congress appropriated $14,000 in 1872 for a lighthouse to be built of limestone and brick on this location and fitted with a 3.5-order Fresnel lens. This work created the St. Helena Island Light. This Light became part of what would be complex of 14 reef lights distributed throughout the shoals and hazardous points of the Straits of Mackinac. This essential Light was staffed by either one or two lighthouse keepers from its initial operation in 1873 until 1922. A complex of buildings was constructed around the lighthouse to support its operation, including keepers' dwellings, a boat dock, and a boathouse.
...
Wikipedia