HARBOR BEACH LIGHTHOUSE

N. SIDE BREAKWATER ENTRANCE/LAKE HURON
Station Established: 1858
Year Current Tower(s) First Lit: 1885
Operational? YES
Automated? YES 1968
Deactivated: n/a
Foundation Materials: TIMBER CRIB
Construction Materials: CAST IRON W/BRICK LINING
Tower Shape: CONICAL
Markings/Pattern: WHITE
Relationship to Other Structure: INTEGRAL
Original Lens: FOURTH ORDER, FRESNEL
Characteristic: WHITE FLASH 1 SECOND, ECLIPSE 4 SECONDS, RED FLAS 1 SECOND, ECLIPSE 4 SECONDS
Fog Signal: DIAPHONE, AIR; BLAST 5 SECONDS, SILENT 25 SECONDS
Radio Signal: RADIOBEACON (TRANSMITTED ON 304 KC; GROUPS OF 2 DOTS, 1 DASH

Historical Information:

• Originally called Sand Beach.
• 1858 – First lighthouse built on this site.
• 1885 – Current lighthouse built.
• 1913 – The so-called “Big Storm” that hit the Great Lakes undermined the breakwater.
• 1983 – Lighthouse placed on National Register of Historic Places.
• 1986 – The original 4th order Fresnel lens was removed from the lantern and given to the local Harbor Beach Historical Society.
• 1987 – Another storm caused several million dollars in damages to both the lighthouse and the breakwater.
• 1988 – Storm related repairs were completed. Canadian Vicki Keith, who swam across Lake Huron, started her historic swim from Harbor Beach.

Keepers:

• Loren J. Trescott (1880 – 1912)
• Archebald Davidson (1920 – 1928)
• Otto Both (1935 – 1940)
• Thomas Radcliff (1940)

Researched and written by Marie Vincent, a volunteer through the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.