Harrison
February 5th, 2008, 5:45 pm
Fort Gratiot, named after General Charles Gratiot, the engineer in charge of its construction, was established in 1814 to guard the juncture of Lake Huron and the St. Clair River. Its lighthouse, the oldest in Michigan, was constructed north of the fort in 1829 by Lucius Lyon who later became one of Michigan's first U.S. Senators.
Originally sixty-five feet high, the white painted brick tower was extended to its present height of eighty-six feet in the early 1860s.
The first official lighthouse keeper, Colonel George McDougall, Jr., served from 1825 until his death in 1842. The green flashing light that was automated in 1933 may be seen for seventeen miles. The two-story brick light keeper's house, with its hipped gable roof and pointed gothic porch, was built in 1874-75.
Today, Coast Guardsmen are stationed at this point and occupy the keeper's house. The lighthouse watches over one of the busiest waterways in the world.
PHOTO GALLERY The photo on the left is believed to be the oldest known photo of the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse, taken circa 1870. Its shows the original Lighthouse Keeper's quarters, which burned down in December of 1873 due to candles catching a Christmas tree on fire.
The photo on the right was taken by photographer Louis Pesha circa 1910, and shows the 1900 - built foghorn building with original chimney height, and the Duplex, as well as what is believed to be one of the first foghorn buildings in the left hand corner.
http://www.phmuseum.org/lighthouse/Fort_Gratiot_Lighthouse_1870.GIF http://www.phmuseum.org/lighthouse/Fort_Gratiot_Lighthouse_Pesha_Tom_Gaffney_Collection.jpg
Originally sixty-five feet high, the white painted brick tower was extended to its present height of eighty-six feet in the early 1860s.
The first official lighthouse keeper, Colonel George McDougall, Jr., served from 1825 until his death in 1842. The green flashing light that was automated in 1933 may be seen for seventeen miles. The two-story brick light keeper's house, with its hipped gable roof and pointed gothic porch, was built in 1874-75.
Today, Coast Guardsmen are stationed at this point and occupy the keeper's house. The lighthouse watches over one of the busiest waterways in the world.
PHOTO GALLERY The photo on the left is believed to be the oldest known photo of the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse, taken circa 1870. Its shows the original Lighthouse Keeper's quarters, which burned down in December of 1873 due to candles catching a Christmas tree on fire.
The photo on the right was taken by photographer Louis Pesha circa 1910, and shows the 1900 - built foghorn building with original chimney height, and the Duplex, as well as what is believed to be one of the first foghorn buildings in the left hand corner.
http://www.phmuseum.org/lighthouse/Fort_Gratiot_Lighthouse_1870.GIF http://www.phmuseum.org/lighthouse/Fort_Gratiot_Lighthouse_Pesha_Tom_Gaffney_Collection.jpg