For the first time in more than 100 years, the McGulpin Point Light, overlooking the Straits of Mackinac, is back at work guiding mariners.

The lighthouse, built in 1869 and decommissioned in 1906, had been in private hands since 1913. It was bought by Emmet County in 2008 for $710,000. Rededicated May 30, it is now open to the public at Mackinaw City, Michigan.

The Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association (GLLKA) was key to the restoration efforts, as was Richard Moehl, the group’s President.

“It’s fun to have a county that has the vision, the savvy and the resources,” he said. “This was done on a good old American handshake. What more honor could you want?”

GLLKA’s charge from the county was to make sure the structure was protected from the elements and to turn the light into a private aid to navigation (PATON). The original, 10-sided metal lantern was gone, the railing was missing and the optic—a three-and-a-half order Fresnel lens—had vanished.

Moran IronWorks in Onaway, Michigan built a new lantern room and railing. Replacing the optics was another matter. The group was able to purchase a 300mm, LED modern optic from Tideland Signal Corporation in Houston, Texas.

The light, which can be seen for 13 miles, has been approved by the U.S. Coast Guard and will eventually appear in the official U.S. light list.

Besides GLKKA members and Emmet County officials, others who were instrumental in the restoration include the U.S. Coast Guard, Boy Scout Troop 4 of Pellston, Michigan and members of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians.

The station, located on 10.5 acres, was built as a mirror image of the design used at Chambers Island and Eagle Bluff lights under construction at the same time. Sometimes referred to as the “Norman Gothic” style, the same plan was also used at Eagle Harbor in 1871, White River in 1875 and at Passage and Sand Islands in 1882.

The keeper’s dwelling and tower were constructed of Cream City brick, with the tower integrated into the northwest corner of the building. The original brick remains in near-perfect condition today.

The dwelling sat on a full cellar, which contained two individual compartments, one for fuel and lighthouse support and the other for food storage. A cast-iron spiral stairs connected the oil room to the tower.

Among the station’s most memorable keepers was James Davenport, who held the job for 27 years, until the station was discontinued. In December 1893, the wooden steamer Waldo A. Avery caught fire while passing through the Straits. Her captain headed directly for the lighthouse, and Davenport and a number of Mackinaw City residents (not to mention Davenport’s nine children) were able to save all 17 crewmembers.

With the construction of the Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse and fog signal station in 1892, the U.S. Lighthouse Board decided that McGulpin Point station no longer served its purpose. The lighthouse passed into private ownership in 1913. It has three bedrooms, one-and-a-half baths, a two-stall detached garage and a private guesthouse.

Over the years, said Moehl, the occupants took good care of the structure and respected its history.

“I was really touched by the interior. The wainscoting is still there, the trim on the windows is the same and the window sills are original, 140 years old. Somehow the people respected the historicity of the site—they could have made major changes,” Moehl said.

The search for the original optics goes on, he added, noting that GLKKA hired researchers in Washington, D.C. to go into archives and different places where this information could be hidden.

Even before a lighthouse was built on the property, the land was historically significant, not only to the French and British, but also to the Native Americans who also laid claim to the area. An archaeological dig recently located where the lighthouse’s old privy stood and found a brass bell, shoes and toys.

After a judicious trimming of the surrounding trees, there are now expansive views from the tower of the Mackinac Bridge, the Straits, the Upper Peninsula and Mackinac Island.

James Tamlyn, Chair of the Emmet County Board of Commissioners, said the value of the purchase to the public is inestimable.

“The lighthouse sits on the oldest piece of deeded property in Emmet County,” he said. “Aaron Greeley surveyed the 640-acre parcel in 1808 and deeded it to Patrick McGulpin on June 1, 1811 by President James Madison.

“The first child of a McGulpin was born on the site in 1762. The large boulder that currently sits in the water at the base of the property was described in a letter sent back to France in 1749 as at times high and dry, at other times totally covered by water. That led the letter writer to conclude that the Straits went up and down by eight feet over periods of time,” Tamlyn said.

Moehl said community support for the project has been outstanding: “It’s really amazing—it’s providential. People want a part of this thing.”

The grounds are open to the public and the lighthouse is generally open on weekends and by appointment. Admission is free. Find out more at www.gllka.com or call (231) 436-5580.

—Roger LeLievre