MCGULPIN'S POINT LIGHTHOUSE-MICHIGAN

As McGulpin Point Lighthouse stands over 700 feet from the shore and is surrounded by a dense forest, it can be hard to imagine how this structure served mariners passing between Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. A climb up into the lantern room, however, reveals an expansive view of the straits, and a quick look at a map of the northern end of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula reveals that it has two tips, McGulpin Point and Old Mackinac Point, separated by just two miles. Waugoshance Lighthouse was completed in 1851 to mark the western entrance to the Straits of Mackinac, and Cheboygan Lighthouse went into service that same year to mark the eastern approach. Still, a light was needed to mark the narrowest part of the strait, and in 1865, the Lighthouse Board wrote, “A light-house at or near old Fort Mackinac is much needed to enable vessels to pass through the straits at night, and McGulpin's Point, about two miles distant, is designated by the engineer of the district as the most suitable location.” On July 28, 1866, Congress appropriated $20,000 for a lighthouse at McGulpin Point. A ten-acre site was selected for the lighthouse, but condemnation proceedings under the laws of the State of Michigan had to be instituted in 1867 to obtain title to the land. Work on the lighthouse began in 1868, and the light was first exhibited on June 18, 1869, after an early close of navigation shortened the previous working season and prevented the light from being finished in 1868. McGulpin Point Lighthouse was built with plans that were also used at Chambers Island in 1868, Eagle Harbor in 1871, White River in 1875, and Passage Island and Sand Island in 1882. Constructed in what has been called a “Norman Gothic” style, these lighthouses consist of a tower set diagonally into one corner of a one-and-a-half-story dwelling. Just above the dwelling’s roof line, the corners of the square tower are beveled off to create an octagonal tower. A third-and-a-half-order Fresnel lens was used at McGulpin Point to create a fixed white light at a focal plane of 102 feet above the lake – most of this height was due to the hill on which the lighthouse stands, as the tower itself is just forty feet tall. In 1875 and 1879, the Lighthouse Board requested $5,000 for a steam whistle at McGulpin Point, but in 1873, it had asked for $15,000 for a lighthouse and fog signal at “Mackinac or vicinity,” signaling some confusion as to where navigation aids near Mackinaw were needed. In 1888, the Lighthouse Board had apparently made up its mind, as it requested $25,000 for the removal of the lighthouse from McGulpin Point to Old Mackinac Point, noting that “it would have been better if McGulpin’s Point light had been located on the point 2 miles to the eastward, at Old Fort Mackinac, as it would then have been visible to vessels approaching from either direction.” On March 2, 1889 Congress authorized the construction of a lighthouse at Old Mackinac Point provided that McGulpin Point Lighthouse was discontinued. No funds for constructing the lighthouse were provided at this time, but $5,500 was given for a fog signal at Old Mackinac Point, and this went into operation on November 5, 1890. The Lighthouse Board objected to the discontinuance of McGulpin Point Lighthouse and recommended that having both lights would “best serve the interests of navigation.” When $20,000 was provided for Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse in 1891 no need to discontinue McGulpin Point Lighthouse was stipulated. After thirty-eight seasons of operation, McGulpin Point Lighthouse was discontinued on December 15, 1906, and Keeper Davenport was transferred to Mission Point Lighthouse. McGulpin Point’s lens was removed and stored temporarily at Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse, and the property was sold to Sam J. Smith in July 1913 at auction for $1,425.  A replica lantern room, fabricated by Moran Iron Works in Onaway, was placed atop the lighthouse on April 23, 2009.