Celebrate the Grand Re-Opening of the Tawas Point Lighthouse This May
The Tawas Point Lighthouse was closed last year as much-need repairs were completed thanks to American Rescue Plan funds. Repairs were made to handrails, moisture-damage brickwork, windows, and the tower received a fresh coat of paint. The project cost was around $455,000 and was the first major work done at the station in almost two decades. Now that the repairs are made and this iconic Lake Huron lighthouse is ready to once again be open for tours and volunteer keeper stays, a special event is in the works to welcome everyone back.
The Friends of Tawas Point Lighthouse and the Michigan DNR will welcome visitors to celebrate the Grand Re-Opening of the lighthouse on May 2nd, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The party features free lighthouse tours, live music, food trucks, local artwork from Tawas Bay Art Gallery, and a gift shop. Events take place on the lighthouse lawn and it’s sure to be a busy day at this popular state park.
The Tawas Point Lighthouse is the second lighthouse at Tawas Point, as it replaced an 1850 lighthouse that had a short life before shifting sands made it ineffective. You can learn more about the current structure from the Michigan historical marker that was recently added to the site: “It was replaced in 1876 with this sixty-seven foot tower, built on a shoal at the point’s end and protected by rock-filled timber cribs. A life-saving station was built nearby. The lens was replaced in 1892 with a larger fourth-order Fresnel lens, which increased the light’s range to sixteen miles. By 1885 kerosene had become the main fuel source for U.S. lighthouses. The Tawas Point Light Station added its small brick storage building in 1898 and a steam-powered fog signal at the end of the point in 1899. In 1921 a two-story “double dwelling” was moved here from the Ecorse Light Station to provide more staff housing. It t was demolished in 2002. The light station was electrified in 1935 and turned over to the U.S. Coast Guard four years later. The Coast Guard, which automated the light in 1953, remained on-site until 1993. The light station was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. The state acquired the buildings in 2001. The Coast Guard decommissioned the light in 2016 and replaced it with a modern optic further out on the point.”
While we may not make it over to Tawas Point State Park for this party we definitely plan on making it there in 2024 to see one of our favorite beacons restored to its full glory!
