Presque Isle Lighthouse

Presque Isle Lighthouse occupies a low, wooded rise on the Lake Huron shore at Presque Isle, Michigan, east of Grand Lake and north of Alpena. The light station, centered on a tall brick tower connected to a keeper’s dwelling, served successive phases of 19th-century navigation: first as a modest harbor light, then as a larger coastal beacon responding to shifting shoreline and increasing vessel traffic. Its seasonal presence, quiet in winter, open for climbing and interpretation in the warmer months, frames both the locality and the lake’s broader maritime corridors. The Presque Isle Lighthouse complex also includes an earlier, smaller tower from 1840 and an associated keeper’s house, reflecting layered patterns of adaptation over time. Together, the buildings articulate the relationship between community, commerce, and coast that shaped this point on Lake Huron’s edge.

History

The statue honors Anna Garraty, one of the few women lightkeepers in the U.S. Lighthouse Service. She maintained the Presque Isle Front Range Light from 1903 to 1926. The work was created by artist Dawn Barr.

The initial lighthouse at Presque Isle was constructed in 1840 under congressional appropriation to guide vessels into Presque Isle Harbor and along the Lake Huron coast. Built of stone and brick on the northeast side of the harbor entrance, this structure stood roughly 30 feet tall with walls that tapered toward the lantern room above. It served as both a harbor light and a coastal aid, though its modest height limited visibility seaward as maritime traffic grew. By the late 1860s, the original tower and dwelling had deteriorated and proved insufficient to accommodate the distance required by expanding commerce.

In March 1869, Congress appropriated funds for range lights to mark the channel, followed by a larger appropriation in July 1870 for a new coastal lighthouse. Materials and a work crew were delivered in the summer of 1870, and construction proceeded rapidly. A double-walled brick tower rising 113 feet was erected atop a limestone foundation, linked by a covered passageway to a two-story keeper’s dwelling. The new lighthouse was placed into operation for the 1871 navigation season. The Garrity family, long associated with the station, oversaw the light’s daily functions: Patrick Garrity served as first keeper with assistance from sons and later daughter in various capacities. The powerful third-order Fresnel lens installed in the lantern could be seen many miles across open water, providing an essential cue for mariners rounding Presque Isle Point and entering safe water. Over the ensuing decades, the light continued its role as an aid to navigation. Like many Great Lakes stations, it underwent technological updates as oil lamps gave way to electrification and automated beacons.

By 1970, traditional manned lighthouse operations had ceased, and modern lighting systems assumed the guiding function. The original Fresnel lens was replaced with an aircraft beacon, though interpretive stewardship preserved key historic elements. Stewardship of the Presque Isle Lighthouse complex shifted to local authorities and historical organizations in the late 20th century, with both the older 1840 tower and the 1870 structure maintained as museum sites. The 1905 keeper’s house adjacent to the newer tower also serves as a repository of regional maritime history, and seasonal access allows visitors to climb the tall tower and view the lake from its gallery.

Sources

1. “Presque Isle (New), MI.” Lighthouse Friends.

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