Lansing Shoals Light Station

Lansing Shoals Light

Location	NE Lake Michigan, 6.3 miles (10.1 km) SE of Point Patterson
Coordinates	45°54′12″N 85°33′42″W / 45.90333°N 85.56167°W / 45.90333; -85.56167Coordinates: 45°54′12″N 85°33′42″W / 45.90333°N 85.56167°W / 45.90333; -85.56167
Year first lit	1928
Automated	1976
Deactivated	N/A
Foundation	concrete and steel crib[1]
Construction	reinforced concrete and steel[1]
Tower shape	square[1]
Markings / pattern	natural[1]
Height	59 feet (18 m)[2]
Focal height	69 feet (21 m)[3]
Original lens	third order Fresnel lens[1]
Current lens	7.5-inch (190 mm) acrylic optic[1]
Range	14 nautical miles; 26 kilometres (16 mi)[3]
Characteristic	FI W 10s[4]
ARLHS number	USA-428[5]
USCG number	7-21535[4]
Lansing Shoals Light Station
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Nearest city	Newton Township, Mackinac County, Michigan
Area	less than one acre
MPS	Light Stations of the United States MPS
NRHP Reference #	05000979[6]
Added to NRHP	September 6, 2005

The Lansing Shoals Light Station is a lighthouse located in northeastern Lake Michigan, 6.3 miles (10.1 km) southeast of Point Patterson, in Newton Township, Mackinac County, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.^[6]

History: Lightships

The Lansing Shoals are located at the northern end of a narrow shipping passage that ships are forced to navigate on the Lake Michigan side of the Straits of Mackinac.^[3] In the 1890s, iron ore shipments from Escanaba, Michigan increased significantly, putting pressure on the Lighthouse Board to improve the lighting in the area. They responded by moving the lightship LV55 from Simons Reef to Lansing Shoals in mid-1900.^[3] LV55 was one of three identical lightvessels authorized by Congress in 1889. These vessels were originally to be moored at Simmons Reef, White Shoals, and Grays Reef.^[7] The three vessels, designated LV55, LV56, and LV57, were constructed by Blythe Craig Shipbuilding Company of Toledo, Ohio, and were put in service in late 1891.^[7]

The removal of LV55 to Lansing Shoals was regarded as only a temporary solution, however.^[3] In 1908, the Lighthouse Board requested an appropriation for a permanent structure to be built at the location. The request was not approved, and LV55 stayed on station until 1920, when her hull was found to be unrepairable and she was removed from service.^[3] At that time, LV98, a lightvessel built by the Racine-Truscott-Shell Lake Boat Company of Muskegon, Michigan in 1914, was tasked to serve in its place. However, the Great Lakes fleet was operating further and further into the winter season, leaving a substantial shipping time in early spring and late fall where the lightvessel could not be on station due to ice buildup.^[3] Thus, replacing the ship with a permanent light station again became a priority.

History: Light station

In 1926, congress approved expenditure for a permanent station.^[3] A site was located, and in 1927 work began on constructing a foundation. On October 6, 1928, the station was lit for the first time and LV98 was removed from duty.^[3]

The station was manned until the summer of 1976, at which time the original third order Fresnel lens was replaced with an acrylic optic, the station was secured, and an automated system was put in place.^[3] The original Fresnel lens is now on display at the Michigan State Historical Museum in Lansing, Michigan.^[8] The light is still in use as a navigational aid.

Description

The Lansing Shoals Light Station sits on a bed of stone, with concrete caissons forming the foundation.^[3] Reinforced concrete forms the crib, within which is a basement 69 feet (21 m) on a side. The basement is divided into two sections: one for machinery and one for the crew's sleeping quarters. The basement originally had 27 porthole-style windows 24 inches (610 mm) in diameter, but all windows in the structure were sealed after the light was automated.^[3]

The ceiling of the basement, 20 feet (6.1 m) above the level of the lake, forms the main deck of the light. A house 37 feet (11 m) square and 12 feet 8 inches (3.86 m) high sits in the center of the deck.^[3] This house originally held the kitchen, dining room, and other crew living quarters. In the center of the house sits a three-story square tower, tapering from 13 feet (4.0 m) at the base to 11 feet (3.4 m) at the top. Both house and tower are constructed from sheathed concrete. A circular cast iron lantern sits on top of the tower; it originally held a third order Fresnel lens with a 500 Watt lamp.^[3]

References

Lighthouses in Michigan
Northern Upper Peninsula	Au Sable Big Bay Point Copper Harbor Copper Harbor Front Range Crisp Point Eagle Harbor Eagle Harbor Range Lights Eagle River Fourteen Mile Point Grand Island East Channel Grand Island Harbor Rear Range Grand Island North Grand Marais Range Lights Granite Island Gull Rock Huron Island Isle Royale Manitou Island Marquette Breakwater Outer Marquette Harbor Mendota (Bete Grise) Munising Front Range Munising Rear Range Ontonagon Ontonagon Harbor West Breakwater Portage River (Jacobsville) Passage Island Rock Harbor Rock of Ages Sand Hills Sand Point Light (Baraga) St. Martin Island Stannard Rock Thunder Bay Island Whitefish Point
Southern Upper Peninsula	DeTour Reef Lansing Shoals Manistique East Breakwater Martin Reef Menominee Pier Minneapolis Shoal Naubinway Island Peninsula Point Poverty Island Sand Point Seul Choix Squaw Island St. Martin Island
St. Mary's River	Frying Pan Island Pipe Island Point Iroquois Round Island Light (St. Mary's River) Six Mile Point Range Rear Winter Point Range Front
Portage River/Ship Canal	Keweenaw Waterway Lower Entrance Keweenaw Waterway Upper Entrance Portage Lake Rouleau Point Range Front and Rear Lights
Straits of Mackinac	Bois Blanc McGulpin Point Old Mackinac Point Round Island Round Island Passage St. Helena Island
Western Lower Peninsula	Beaver Island Harbor Beaver Island Head Big Sable Point Cedar River Charlevoix Charlevoix South Pier Frankfort Frankfort South Range Grand Haven North Pierhead Grand Haven South Pierhead Entrance Grand Haven South Pierhead Inner Grand Traverse Grays Reef Holland Harbor Ile Aux Galets Little Sable Point Little Traverse Ludington Manistee Pierhead Manning Memorial Mission Point Mission Point (1933) Muskegon Breakwater Muskegon Pier North Manitou Shoal Pentwater North Pierhead Pentwater South Pierhead Point Betsie Portage Lake South Fox Island South Haven South Manitou Island St. Joseph North Pier Inner St. Joseph North Pier Outer South Manitou Island Waugoshance White River White Shoal
Eastern Lower Peninsula	Alpena Caseville Harbor Charity Island Cheboygan Crib Cheboygan River Front Range DeTour Reef Detroit River Fort Gratiot Forty Mile Point Fourteen Foot Shoal Gibraltar Gravelly Shoal Harbor Beach Lake St. Clair Mariners Memorial Middle Island Miller Memorial New Presque Isle Old Presque Isle Peche Island Rear Range Poe Reef Pointe aux Barques Port Austin Port Sanilac Saginaw Bay Saginaw River Rear Range Spectacle Reef St. Clair Flats Front and Rear Range Light Sturgeon Point Tawas Point Thunder Bay Island Tri-Centennial Light of Detroit William Livingstone Memorial Windmill Point
Historical (lost) lights	Au Sable North Pierhead Belle Isle Clinton River Ecorse Ecorse Range Rear Gibraltar Grassy Island Grassy Island North Channel Range Lights Grassy Island South Channel Range Lights Grosse Ile North Channel Range Lights Grosse Ile South Channel Range Lights Harwood Point East Range Front Kalamazoo River Mama Juda Mama Juda Range Front Manistee Main Middle Lake George Monroe Pier New Buffalo North Manitou Island Saginaw Bay Sand Beach North Entrance East Squaw Point St. Mary's River Lower Range Front Vidal Shoals Channel Range Front and Rear Lights Windmill Point Range Front and Rear Lights
Related	Lightship Huron List of lifesaving stations in Michigan