Little Sable Point Lighthouse

Like  I said in the last post, I was heading to the western end of Michigan to visit the two lighthouses on the west coast of MIchigan that I haven't seen yet (I'm working the shoal lights at some point).  The first of those two lights was the Little Sable Point Lighthouse.

 The lighthouse is located in the Silver Lake State Park which is located just south of Pentwater, Michigan.

 The lighthouse itself was designed by Orlando Poe (whom I've talked about in the past on this blog) and is very similar to the Big Sable Lighthouse (which is near Ludington, MI).  The lighthouse has held up pretty well and has been left in its natural color.

 The tower is 107 feet tall and can be seen 17 miles out.  After the loss of the Schooner Pride in 1866, there was an outcry for a lighthouse in this location.  Funding was approved in 1871 but  construction didn't begin until 1874 because of the lack of roads.

 Since I had a little time, I decided to climb up to the top.  I really like the spiral of the staircase.

 Some of the tools of the trade of lighthouse keeper.  I'd imagine it would be important to keep the light polished.

 The view from the top is pretty spectacular.

 The lens is a third order fresnel lens.  It is one of 70 that is still operational in the United States and 8 that are currently in Michigan.  It was manufactured by Sautter and Company of Paris.

 I had a nice enough angle to get the shadow of the lighthouse in my picture as I was looking down.  The lighthouse was originally named Petite Pointe Au Sable Lighthouse but that name was changed in 1910 to its current name of Little Point Sable Light but the name listed in the title is commonly used.

 The had the distances to various points around the railing.  It was 210 miles to Detroit.

 The mechanism to spin the lighthouse.

 Looking out at Lake Michigan.

 And the view to the north from the Lighthouse.

 Looking down at the stairs.

 And it is 139 steps to the bottom.

 In 1954, the light was automated so the Coast Guard decided to dismantle the keeper's quarters leaving only the light.

 In 2006, the lighthouse was opened to the public.

 The light is very picturesque.

 From a different vantage point.

 Looking up at the tower.

 And the view from the parking lot.

One more shot of the tower.  The light is currently on the National Register of Historic Places (but not the state list as its in a State Park).