All rights reserved Photo Courtesy of Brandon Schroeder, Michigan Sea Grant
Charity Island Lighthouse official Site
Charity Island Dinner Cruise
Location: Big Charity Island, Saginaw Bay entrance on Lake Huron, Michigan Station Established: 1857 Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1857 Operational: NO Automated: N/A Deactivated: 1939 Foundation Materials: Construction Materials: BRICK Tower Shape: CONICAL Height: 45’5” above mean high water Markings/Pattern: WHITE WITH BLACK LANTERN Relationship to Other Structure: ATTACHED Characteristic: Fixed White Original Lens: KEROSENE
Historical Information:
- The original keeper’s quarters was a duplex built of wood. The tower was attached by a walkway.
- The light was discontinued in 1939 and replaced with a light at Gravelly Shoal.
- The lighthouse is now privately owned. After being abandoned, the dwelling fell into severe decay and was razed in the spring 2003, leaving only the cellar remaining. A replica of the house was built on the old foundation.
Researched and written by Melissa Buckler, a Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Light House Society volunteer.
Content Courtesy of the US Coast Guard Historian's Office And Wikipedia