Help Preserve Spectacle Reef Light Station as a Living Museum and Learning Center

The Past

Spectacle Reef Light stands vigil in northern Lake Huron about 18 miles east of Cheboygan, Michigan marking one of the most treacherous stretches of the Straits of Mackinac.  An engineering feat, construction started on the spectacle shaped reef (hence the name) in 1870 and was completed four years later with the Light entering service in June of 1874. It is the most expensive lighthouse on the Great lakes and is made of interlocking, hand cut limestone blocks with a height of 86 feet above the water and was equipped with a second order Fresnel lens with a range of up to 28 miles.   

The Light also includes an attached fog building that was built in 1906 to house the two steam whistles (later upgraded to diaphone foghorns) and the machinery for the operation of the station with additional storage below. The entire structure rests on a massive 89’ by 89’ steel encased concrete deck.  The tower contains seven floors including the pedestal room and the lantern room.   There are also three below ground storage rooms outside the main structure accessible through hatches in the deck, as well as two in the basement of the fog building.

The lighthouse was automated in 1972 after almost 100 years of being a manned station, and the lens was removed in 1982 and is now on display at the National Museum of the Great Lakes in Toledo, Ohio.  The current light is a modern LED that flashes red every five seconds.

The Future

Spectacle Reef Preservation Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit formed in 2020 with the purpose to preserve, interpret, and operate the light station as an education center for the public. The Society plans to host residential keeper programs, tours, weekend and day events, as well as many educational events at the light and the surrounding areas on shore. Restoration is ongoing, and the Society is always looking for new volunteers who wish to save, teach and learn about the history of the light and other lights, the Straits of Mackinac and greater Great Lakes region.

The goal of the Society is to restore Spectacle Reef and open it to the public as a “Learning Light” and museum where people can discover not only the history of this unique structure but also the service and sacrifice of those who manned it to keep others safe.   The restoration is a multi-year project with the plan of being operational to host the public in 2026. Spectacle Reef will celebrate her 150th Anniversary on June 1, 2024.  

If you are interested in volunteering at the Light you can click here to find out more.

Phase 1 - Stabilize the Structure

• Complete: Perform cleanup work and establish facilities to allow overnight stays for volunteers

• Ongoing: Scrape and prep interior walls for paint and properly dispose of removed material

• Complete: Repair current crane to lift heavy items onto the deck

• Ongoing Maintenance: Ensure buildings are water tight to prevent further deterioration

Phase 2 - Restore the Tower

• Repair walls, floors, ceilings, stairwells on each level of the tower

  • Deck One: Former radio room, repurpose as a bedroom

  • Deck Two: Kitchen to be restored and useable again

  • Deck Three: Former Head Keeper and First Assistant Bedroom; repurpose as a bedroom

  • Deck Four: Former 2nd and 3rd Assistant bedroom; repurpose as a bedroom

  • Deck Five: Former watch room and office; repurpose as living space

• Refurbish the interior of the tower into livable space, so volunteers can live as Keeper’s did for nearly 100 years.

• Restore the gallery and lantern room: paint the exterior, new glass where needed, paint interior

 Phase 3 - Restore the Fog Signal Building

• Restore the fog signal building to be useable work and museum space

  • Repair the roof to ensure it is watertight

  • Paint the roof of the building

  • Paint the exterior walls

  • Restore the doors (east and west side)

  • Restore the windows and associated shutters to operation

  • Create storage and workshop space in the basement

  • Restore interior spaces, stairwells, attic, chimney, etc.

Phase 4 - Crib Deck Restoration

• Reconstruct the boathouse, oil house, and replicate the second crane in order to fully restore the station to it’s late 1930’s appearance.

• Pour new concrete deck

• Install replica handrails

Phase 5 - Long Term Objectives

• Establish full time keeper programs on site during the operating season to educate visitors and continue restoration and maintenance projects.

• Network within communities across the region to educate the public, school groups, and youth organizations about the importance of this Light and lighthouses in general and their contributions to the economic and social development of the Great Lakes region.

• Network with other lighthouse organizations, government entities, and additional partners to ensure the lighthouse and Society are preserved and self sustaining for future generations.