Located about 14 miles (23km) west of Whitefish Point, in 1876 it became Life Saving Station Number Ten, of the U.S. Life-Saving Service District 10 (later part of District 11). Crisp Point is named from one of the Life Saving Station keepers, Christopher Crisp, who is said to have been "an iron-willed boatman." Surfmen were stationed there to aid mariners and ships in distress. The station, along with the rest of the United States Life-Saving Service, was integrated into the United States Coast Guard in 1915. (In 1939 the U.S. Lighthouse Service also merged under the control of the Coast Guard). Due to the fact that the US Life-Saving Service and the US Lighthouse Service were originally two distinct entities, the Crisp Point Life Saving Station and the Crisp Point Lighthouse were also originally two separate entities.
The other four Life-Saving Stations were Vermilion Point (now Vermilion, Michigan), about five miles (8km) east of Crisp Point, Two Hearted River, 5 or 6 miles (8.0 or 9.7km) west of Crisp Point, Deer Park, Michigan (formerly known as the Sucker River Station and Muskallonge Lake Station), about 10 or 11 miles (16 or 18km) west of Two Hearted River, and Grand Marais about 15 or 16 miles (24 or 26km) west of Deer Park.[1]
History
Undated historic photo of the lighthouse with the former keepers dwelling
Crisp Point Lighthouse was first proposed in 1896 and every year thereafter until finally approved in June, 1902. Construction began one year later. The 15 acres (6.1ha) of land was purchased at a price of $30.00. The deed was dated May 21, 1903. In the 58-foot (18m) high tower a fourth order red Fresnel lens[2] by Sautter and Lemonnier of Paris, France was installed.[3] The light was displayed for the first time in May 1904.
The lighthouse tower is 58 feet from base to the lantern's ventilator ball top.
This lighthouse and life saving station have undergone massive damage. All were destroyed by erosion, except for the tower and one wall of the entrance room. In the winter of 1997/98, the loss was stayed by the installation of one thousand cubic yards of stone in front of the tower. The stone came from a quarry in Newberry and the cost was approximately $42,000.[4] More stone was installed along the shore in 2003, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2016 (about 141 tons), and 2017 (about 295 tons).[5] There are further plans for protection and stabilization as funds become available.[6]
The stretch of coast between Whitefish Point and Grand Island became known as "The Shipwreck Coast." On November 10, 1975, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank during a violent storm. It sank in Lake Superior about 17 miles (27km) northeast of Crisp Point. The Fitzgerald's last radio communication was with the Coast Guard station at Grand Marais. In fact, some tourists go to the five life saving stations in an organized manner for a day trip.[7]
On December 1, 1908 the 468-foot steel freighter SSD.M. Clemson (built in 1903) disappeared without a trace somewhere between Crisp Point and Grand Marais.[8]
This light was almost completely lost due to the elements and neglect.[3] Also demolished were the original white frame boathouse, barn, brick oil house and two outbuildings. In 1993 the lighthouse was decommissioned by the US Coast Guard.[4] In 1997-98, one thousand cubic yards of stone were placed in front of the tower to stabilize and protect it.[9]
Ownership of Crisp Point Light was transferred from the Coast Guard to Luce County in February, 1997 under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966,[10] which is the predecessor to the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000. The Crisp Point Lighthouse was then leased to the Crisp Point Light Historical Society. In 2012, the CPLHS applied for a Private Aids to Navigation (PATON) permit to operate a Class II light from May 1 to November 1 each year, which was approved by the USCG on July 25, 2012. A 300mm LED marine light was installed in the tower on November 23, 2012. On May 4, 2013, the light was reactivated and has been operated seasonally ever since.[4]
Present
View from the lighthouse tower deck looking west (top) and east (bottom)
The Crisp Point Light is now a center for renovation and renewal. Under the direction of the Crisp Point Light Historical Society, and other cooperating organizations, there are recurring events at the site.[11] Once on the "Doomsday List", the lighthouse has been returned to pristine condition.[12] The service building that was destroyed in 1996 has been rebuilt. A visitor center has been built next to the parking lot. The visitor center contains bathrooms, a very small shop, and a little museum. A fourth order Fresnel lens has been loaned to the society for display.[13] In the summer of 2016, a major brick restoration on the exterior of the tower was completed. All of the paint was stripped from the tower and after the brick work was completed it was repainted white. This work was completed through funds raised by the CPLHS and with a grant of $25,000 from the Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program, which is administered by Michigan's State Historic Preservation Office. In addition, more stone was placed in front of the boardwalk on the east side of the lighthouse at a cost of approximately $25,000 to help protect the shoreline and boardwalk from further erosion. The CPLHS completed some interior renovations of the tower in 2017[5] and plans to install more erosion control stone in July 2020.
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum is located at the Whitefish Point Light Station 11 miles (18 km) north of Paradise in Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The light station property was transferred to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS), the Michigan Audubon Society (MAS), and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in 1996. The three entities share governance of the site. The museum is operated by the GLSHS. The museum exhibits artifacts from shipwrecks from the Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve and the bell from the wreck of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. Admission to the museum includes a tour of historic buildings with displays that interpret the Great Lakes maritime, United States Coast Guard, and US Life-Saving Service history.
Point Iroquois Light is a lighthouse on a Chippewa County bluff in the U.S. state of Michigan. Point Iroquois and its light mark the division line between Whitefish Bay and the western end of the St. Marys River, the connection between Lake Superior and other Great Lakes.
Marblehead Lighthouse in Marblehead, Ohio, United States, is the oldest lighthouse in continuous operation on the American side of the Great Lakes. It has guided sailors safely along the rocky shores of Marblehead Peninsula since 1822, and is an active aid to navigation.
Grand Marais is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Alger County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located within Burt Township on the shores of Lake Superior, and the community is the eastern gateway to the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore via H-58.
The Michigan Island Lighthouse is a lighthouse operated by the National Park Service and located on Michigan Island on western Lake Superior in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.
The Outer Island lighthouse is a lighthouse located on the northern tip of Outer Island, one of the Apostle Islands, in Lake Superior in Ashland County, Wisconsin, near the city of Bayfield.
Muskallonge Lake State Park is a state park located in Luce County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in Deer Park about 16 miles (25.7 km) west of Grand Marais along H-58.
The Whitefish Point Light is a lighthouse located in Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located on the southeastern shores of Lake Superior, it sits at the edge of Whitefish Point leading to Whitefish Bay. Constructed in 1849, it is the oldest operating lighthouse in the Upper Peninsula. All vessels entering or exiting Lake Superior pass near Whitefish Point. The area is infamously known as the "Graveyard of the Great Lakes" due to the high number of shipwrecks in the area, most famously the SS Edmund Fitzgerald.
The DeTour Reef Light is a non-profit-operated lighthouse marking the southern entrance of the DeTour Passage between the eastern end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula and Drummond Island. The light is an automated active aid to navigation. It marks the northern end of Lake Huron. The passage is used by almost all of the Great Lakes commercial freighter traffic moving to and from Lake Superior, with approximately 5,000 vessel movements annually. It is said to be "the gateway to Lake Superior." In addition, many recreational boaters use the passage. The Light is located in Lake Huron, three miles (5 km) south of the nearest town, DeTour Village, Michigan.
The Sturgeon Point Light Station is a lighthouse on Lake Huron in Haynes Township, Alcona County, northeastern lower Michigan. Established to ward mariners off a reef that extends 1.5 miles (2.4 km) lakeward from Sturgeon Point, it is today regarded as a historic example of a Cape Cod style Great Lakes lighthouse.
Au Sable Light is an active lighthouse in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore west of Grand Marais, Michigan off H-58. Until 1910, this aid to navigation was called "Big Sable Light".
The Harbor Beach Lighthouse is a "sparkplug lighthouse" located at the end of the north breakwall entrance to the harbor of refuge on Lake Huron. The breakwall and light were created by the United States Army Corps of Engineers to protect the harbor of Harbor Beach, Michigan, which is the largest man-made freshwater harbor in the world. Harbor Beach is located on the eastern edge of the Thumb of Huron County, in the state of Michigan.
South Manitou Island Lighthouse is located on South Manitou Island in Lake Michigan, 16 miles (26 km) west of Leland, Michigan. It is in Leelanau County in western Northern Michigan.
Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse is an active lighthouse located in Huron County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located along the shores of Lake Huron on the northeastern tip of the Thumb. Originally constructed in 1848, it is one of the oldest active lighthouses in the state. The name is translated as "point of little boats" from the French language, which refers to the shallow coastline that poses a threat to larger boats.
The Marquette Harbor Light is located on Lake Superior in Marquette, Michigan, a part of the Upper Peninsula. It is an active aid to navigation.
The Seul Choix Light is a lighthouse located in the northwest corner of Lake Michigan in Schoolcraft County, Michigan. The station was established in 1892 with a temporary light, and this light started service in 1895, and was fully automated in 1972. It is an active aid to navigation. There is now a museum at the light and both the building and the grounds are open for visitors from Memorial Day until the middle of October.
The Rock of Ages Light is a U.S. Coast Guard lighthouse on a small rock outcropping approximately 2.25 miles (3.62 km) west of Washington Island and 3.5 miles (5.6 km) west of Isle Royale, in Eagle Harbor Township, Keweenaw County, Michigan. It is an active aid to navigation.
Vermilion Point is a remote, undeveloped shore in Chippewa County, Michigan, United States. Located 9.75 miles (15.69 km) west of Whitefish Point, Michigan, this historic spot lies on a stretch of Lake Superior’s southeast coast known as the "Graveyard of the Great Lakes" or the "Shipwreck Coast". The servicemen of Vermilion Lifesaving Station performed daring rescues of shipwrecks from 1877 until 1944 when it was closed after modern navigational technology made this service obsolete.
The Gull Rock Light Station is an active lighthouse located on Gull Rock, just west of Manitou Island, off the tip of Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula in Lake Superior. The light was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, even as its condition deteriorated, resulting in its placement on the Lighthouse Digest Doomsday List.
The Ile Parisienne Light was built in 1911 on the southern tip of remote Ile Parisienne in the middle of Whitefish Bay on Lake Superior on a major shipping lane for ingress/egress to the Soo Locks. It is now a well-known landmark to shipping traffic and pleasure craft. The light is automated and remains seasonally active.
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