Big Sable Point Lighthouse Keepers Site
Location: Eastern shore of Lake Michigan; nearest Town or City is Ludington, Michigan
Date Built: 1867
Type of Structure: This lighthouse was originally a brick conical cast iron tower white with middle third black; it was encased in steel plates in 1900.
Height: Tower height was 112 feet with a height of focal plan of 106 feet
Characteristics: Fixed White
Lens: Original third order Fresnel lens (now at Rose Hawley Museum at White Pine Village) and was automated in 1968.
Status: Light is operational with current use active aid to navigation
Historical Information:
- The lighthouse station was leased to the Foundation for Behavioral Research in 1986. The foundation has worked with the Big Sable Lighthouse Association to preserve the buildings.
- Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
Keepers:
- Alonzo Hyde, Sr. (1867-1871)
- Newton Bird (1871-1873)
- Burr Caswell (1874-1882)
- Hans Hansen (1882-1887)
- James Rich (1887-1888)
- Tomas Bailey (1889-1893)
- George Blake (1899—1903)
- Samuel Gagnon (1905-1923)
- Joseph Kimmers (1922-1923)
- Leweilyn Vanatter (1923-1936)
- George Rogan (1936-1949)
- David Sauers (1949-1954)
- Henry Vavrina (1955-1965)
- Homer Meverden (1965-1968)
Researched and written by Catherine (Kitty) Price, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Light House Society.
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