Michigan City East Light

The Michigan City Breakwater lighthouse is located in the harbor of Michigan City, Indiana.

Michigan City East Light
Michigan City Lighthouse
LocationWashington Park, Michigan City, Indiana
Coordinates41°43′44.5″N 86°54′42″W
Year first constructed1904
Automated1960[1]
Foundationconcrete pier
Constructionsteel brick
Tower shapeoctagonal on fog signal building[1]
Markings / patternwhite, lantern black; fog signal building roof red
Tower height49 feet (15 m)[2]
Focal height50 feet (15 m)[3]
Original lensFifth Order Fresnel lens[1][4]
Current lensrotating 2130C
Range12 nautical mile 
CharacteristicFog horn (2 blasts every 30 s).
ARLHS numberUSA-493[5][6]
USCG number7-19545
Heritageplace listed on the National Register of Historic Places 
Michigan City East Pierhead Light Tower and Elevated Walk
Area1 acre (0.40 ha)
NRHP reference No.88000069[7]
Added to NRHPFebruary 17, 1988

This is the successor to the Old Michigan City Light, when the lantern, lens and light was moved to the new light at the end of the newly extended pier.[8]

Walkway to lighthouse
Undated US Coast Guard archive photo

This is one of very few lights on the Great Lakes which still has the iron walkway atop the pier (see Manistee Pierhead lights and Grand Haven South Pierhead Inner Light).[9]

There has been a lighthouse in Michigan City for 170 years. However, "most people in Indiana don’t realize there is a lighthouse in the state." Mayor Oberlie passes out lapel pins to illustrate its importance and scope. He calls Lake Michigan "the city’s crown jewel," which became prominent when he was city planner in the 1970s.[10]

In May 2007, this aid to navigation was deemed excess by the Coast Guard. It was offered at no cost to eligible entities, including federal, state and local agencies, non-profit corporations, educational agencies, or community development organizations under the terms of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act. "According to Mayor Chuck Oberlie, Michigan City filed a letter of interest for the lighthouse and will seek ownership."[11]

It is one of a dozen past or present lighthouses in Indiana.[12]

The old 1858 lighthouse, near the entrance to the park, is open as a museum every day except Mondays from 1 to 4 p.m.[11]

See also

References
  1. National Park Service, Maritime History Project, Inventory of Historic Lights, Michigan City Lights.
  2. Pepper, Terry. "Database of Tower Heights". Seeing the Light. terrypepper.com. Archived from the original on 2000-09-18. Retrieved 2009-10-03.
  3. Pepper, Terry. "Database of Focal Heights". Seeing the Light. terrypepper.com. Archived from the original on 2008-08-30. Retrieved 2009-10-03.
  4. But see,"Historic Light Station Information and Photography: Indiana". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. Archived from the original on 2017-05-01. which indicates a Fourth Order Fresnel lens was original.
  5. "Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society, Michigan City East Pierhead (Lake Michigan) Light ARLHS USA-493".
  6. "Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society, World List of Lights". Archived from the original on 2009-04-21.
  7. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  8. Wobser, Old Michigan City Lighthouse, at boatnerd.com.
  9. Pepper, Terry. "Michigan City Pierhead Light", Seeing the Light, 2005-01-08. Retrieved on 2009-05-24.
  10. Richards, Rick A. Michigan City's Love Affair With It's (sic) Lighthouse July, 2009, Lighthouse Digest.
  11. "Anderson, Kraig, Lighthouse friends, Michigan City Lighthouse".
  12. Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of the United States: Indiana". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Further reading
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