North Manitou Shoal Light Station

Lighthouse in Michigan, United States

Lighthouse

Fl R 15s

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Nearest cityLeland Township, MichiganArealess than one acreBuilt byU.S. Lighthouse ServiceMPSLight Stations of the United States MPSNRHP reference No.05000981^[2]Added to NRHPSeptember 6, 2005

The North Manitou Shoal Light, also known as the North Manitou Light or, locally, The Crib, is a lighthouse located in Lake Michigan, southeast of North Manitou Island in Leland Township, Michigan. When it was automated in 1980, it was the last manned offshore light in the Great Lakes.^[3] It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.^[2]

History

In 1907, the Lighthouse Board recommended that the shoal north of North Manitou Island be marked with a lightship.^[4] In 1910, Lightship No. 56 was stationed at the site, and continued there until 1927, when it was replaced by Lightship No. 89. In 1934, Lightship No. 103 was transferred to the location, and stayed until the permanent structure was built the next year.^[5]

In 1923, the Lighthouse Board first proposed replacing the lightships with a permanent station.^[5] However, funds were not allocated for the purpose until 1933, when they were made available through the Public Works Administration. In 1935, the permanent steel light station was constructed on the shoal in 26 feet (7.9 m) of water. The station was originally manned by a three-man crew, but in 1980 the light was automated and the station abandoned. The original Westinghouse Airway Beacon light was changed and replaced several times over the years, and is currently a solar and battery powered LED beacon.

in late 2016, the lighthouse was put up for public auction by the General Services Administration. The non-profit North Manitou Light Keepers, Inc. purchased the lighthouse at auction and have undertaken a total restoration of the lighthouse.^[6]

Description

The North Manitou Shoal Light Station is a white square steel structure atop a concrete crib.^[1] The crib measures 65 feet (20 m) on a side, and supports a 62 feet (19 m) square superstructure rising 20 feet (6.1 m) above the water.^[5] A two-story steel building 37 feet (11 m) square, containing diesel generators and living quarters,^[3] sits atop the superstructure, and a three-story steel tower containing the light caps the whole. The steel portion is 63 feet (19 m) tall and the light is positioned 79 feet (24 m) above the water.

References

^ ^a ^b "Inventory of Historic Light Stations - Michigan Lighthouses - North Manitou Shoals Light". National Park Service. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
^ ^a ^b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
^ ^a ^b "Shoal light built in 1935 to warn ships around North Manitou". Leelanau Enterprise.
^ "Lighthouses: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park". National Park Service. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
^ ^a ^b ^c "North Manitou Shoal, MI". Lighthouse Friends.com. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
^ "Home Page". North Manitou Light Keepers, Inc.

External links

North Manitou Light Keepers, Inc.
North Manitou Shoal Light Station on the World List of Lights

National Register of Historic Places in Leelanau County, Michigan

Historic districts

Fountain Point Resort
George Conrad Hutzler Farm
Glen Haven
Leland Historic District
Omena Historic District
Port Oneida Rural Historic District
South Manitou Island Lighthouse
William and Margaret McFarland Core Farm

Historic properties

Bingham District No. 5 Schoolhouse
Campbell–DeYoung Farm
Empire School
Grand Traverse Light
Grove Hill New Mission Church
Hutzler's Barn
Lake Leelanau Narrows Bridge
Leelanau Transit Company Suttons Bay Depot
Morgan–Copp–Mervau Building
North Manitou Shoal Light Station
Riverside Inn
Saint Joseph's Catholic Church
Sleeping Bear Inn
Sleeping Bear Point Life Saving Station
South Fox Island Light

National Historic Landmarks

North Manitou Island Lifesaving Station

v t e Lighthouses in Michigan
Main: List of lighthouses in the United States
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 Presque Isle Harbor Breakwater Light 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 Wawatam
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 Waugoshance White River White Shoal
Eastern Lower Peninsula	Alpena Caseville Harbor Charity Island Cheboygan Crib Cheboygan River Front Range 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 Wixom Lake, Musselman Island lighthouse