About the Lighthouse
Overview
The Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse ranks among the ten oldest lighthouses in Michigan. It is an active lighthouse maintained by the US Coast Guard remotely.
The museum is open to the public as well as the gift shop. The tower is open to climb on various dates. Please see the Events Calendar for those dates. We recently had the original Lifesaving Station moved back to the grounds. There is much work to be done on it and we hope to have it open to view in the next couple of years.
History
The original Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse was constructed of stone taken from the shore of Lake Huron in 1848. The keeper's house and separate tower were located on a three acre clearing hacked out of the dense wilderness.
By 1857, the ravages of shoreline weather and a fire in the interior of the house created the need for a new structure. The new keeper's house and attached 89-foot tower were built of the finest brick available. The light is still an active aid to navigation, making Pointe aux Barques one of the oldest continuously operating Lights on the Great Lakes.
In 1875, a Class A lifesaving station was constructed 300 yards south of the lighthouse. It was the first lifesaving station opened on the Great Lakes. The 62 year history of the station credits over 200 rescues to this station and its brave crews. The Thumb Bottomland Preserve surrounding Pointe aux Barques contains 105 known wrecks, reflecting the danger posed by shoals surrounding Pointe aux Barques.
The Pointe aux Barques keeper's house and tower have been completely restored and contain historical artifacts from a bygone era. The Museum is open to the public free of charge and donations are kindly appreciated to help fund the Society's projects.
The Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse Society
In the Spring of 2002 a small group of people gathered at the Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse. Their only desire was to clean the Keeper’s house to make it more presentable for visitors.
After this initial effort it was decided that more work needed to be done. A group was formed, a name was chosen, officers were appointed, by-laws were written and a 501c3 non-profit corporation was formed. The Huron County Road Commission, through a grant provided by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), developed a Historic Structures Report (HSR). The HSR became a guideline for the fledgling Society and the Road Commission to follow in their vision of creating one of the finest Lighthouse Museums on the Great Lakes.
The PABLS maintains the lighthouse through donations. Please click the Learn More button to learn more about the society and how you can help!