Port Austin Lighthouse (or Port Austin Reef Light) is a lighthouse off the shore of Lake Huron, about north of Port Austin, Huron County Michigan sitting on a rocky reef (shoal), which is just north of the tip of the Thumb and a real hazard to navigation.
History
The original plans were for this lighthouse to be built on shore. The crib was built in Tawas.Lighthouse Central, Port Austin Lighthouse Photographs, History and Directions, The Ultimate Guide to East Michigan Lighthouses by Jerry Roach (Publisher: Bugs Publishing LLC - July 2006). ; .
The light was first lit in 1878, and its pier was modified in 1899. It is still operational and is automated. The foundation materials are a pier, and the tower is constructed of yellow brick, with buff markings. It is an octagonal, tall tower, with an attached keeper house. However, the focal plain is . It originally had a fourth-order Fresnel lens by Henry Lepaute of Paris and installed in 1899. The optic was glass. In 1985 the lens was replaced by a 12-volt solar-powered Tideland Signal 300 mm acrylic optic,Tideland 300 mm optic, Terry Pepper, Seeing the Light. which eliminated the need to maintain the submarine cable.
Current status and activities In 1990, volunteers from the Port Austin Reef Light Association engaged in an "heroic effort" to oust a colony of seagulls that had taken over the building, and then screened and reroofed it. Restoration efforts continue.Detroit News, Interactive map on Michigan lighthouses. Decking has been covered with galvanized metal shingles, and painted in the bright red that is historically accurate. Railings were affixed to the access ladder, and safety chains edging the deck were replaced. Installed also were a new brick chimney and 18 new windows. In 1990, PARLA's license to renovate the structure was extended through 2020.
Current restoration continues by the Port Austin Reef Light Association.
As of July 2026, the light is open for tours. It is a long and difficult trip to the light, which is always hindered by the reef, and often by the fog.Description Port Austin Light at lighthousefriends.com In addition, it is possible to photograph the lighthouse from shore, although it takes a long lens or digital zoom.Interactive map, list, information for lighthouses in North and West Lake Huron.
The light was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in September 2011. The site includes adjacent bottom lands.Michigan Lighthouse project, Port Austin Reef Light. A two-story on shore lighthouse keeper's house still exists.Terry Pepper, Seeing the Light, Photography of Port Austin Lightkeeper's house.
In June 2011, the General Services Administration made the Port Austin Light (along with 11 others) available at no cost to public organizations willing to preserve them.
On July 19, 2012 it was announced that the Port Austin Reef Lighthouse Association, a Michigan non-profit organization, will take ownership of the Port Austin Light Station on Lake Huron.
See also Lighthouses in the United States
References
Further reading Baranski, Connie. "The Port Austin Reef Lighthouse." Central Michigan University Term Paper, 1970. Port Austin Reef Lighthouse journal, 1909-1917.
External links
Extensive history of the Port Austin Lighthouse at Seeing the Light by Terry Pepper. Interactive map of lighthouses in the Thumb/Lake Huron area. Interactive map, list, information for lighthouses in North and West Lake Huron. Michigan.gov website has a Map of Michigan Lighthouses.
U.S. Coast Guard Search & Rescue Index Wobser, David, Port Austin Reef Light at Boatnerd.com.