Poverty Island

Type:
Year Established:
1874
Existing:
Yes
Poverty Island
Download:
File Type:
jpeg (image/jpeg)
Photo Date:
2003
Photo Credit:
Mike and Carol McKinney
Photo Courtesy of:
US Lighthouse Society Archives
Collection / Donor:

LOCATION

Location:
POVERTY ISLAND/LAKE MICHIGAN
Latitude:
45° 31.3'
Longitude:
86° 40'
City / Town:
FAIRPORT
U.S. State:
Michigan
Location County:
DELTA
Country:
United States

OWNER & ACCESS

Open to Public:
No
Light List Data:
  1. Poverty Island
Light list data courtesy Gary Riemenschneider

STRUCTURE

Year Discontinued:
C.1990
Year Tower Established:
1874
Tower Construction Material:
BRICK
Tower Foundation:
DRESSED STONE/TIMBER
Height of light above mean high water, in feet:
80
Height, in feet, from base of structure to center of lantern:
70
Tower Shape:
CONICAL W/OUT LANTERN
Fog Signal Building?:
No
Year Fog Signal Building Constructed:
1885
Fog Signal Bldg Construction Materials:
WOOD & SHEET IRON
Keeper's Quarters?:
Yes
Year Keeper's Quarters:
1875
Keeper's Quarters Style:
NONE
Keeper's Quarters Construction:
WOOD FRAME/BRICK
Other Structures:
ASSISTANT KEEPERS QUARTERS (1921); OIL HOUSE (1894); FOG SIGNAL BUILDING & BOATHOUSE FOUNDATION (1885); SHED ADDITION ON MAIN HOUSE (1921)

OPTICS

Active Aid to Navigation?:
No
Current Optic:
NONE
Original Optic Type:
FOURTH ORDER
Year Original Lens Installed:
1874
Private Aid:
No
Year Automated:
1957
USCG Access to Optics:
No
Comments:

Historical Information:

  • Lighthouse is a duplicate of Wisconsin’s Sturgeon Point.
  • 1867: Lighthouse Board first requested $18,000 for a Light Station to be built on Poverty Island.
  • 1873: Congress approved this appropriation.
  • 1875: An additional $3,000 was asked for and approved.
  • 1885: Fog signal building built.
  • 1894: Oil house built.
  • 1957: Lighthouse automated.
  • 1976: 300mm lens installed on a pole to replace the light. The Fresnel lens and the lantern were removed from the tower and the tower was then sealed. The lantern remained on the property.
  • 1980s: The lantern was removed from the premises and is now on the Sand Island Lighthouse in Escanaba, Michigan.
Entered by:
t.wheeler
Entered Date:
Jul 20, 2017