Grays Reef Light

In the 1880s, as shipments of iron ore increased through the Straits of Mackinac, shippers began advocating for better lighting of the shoals in the area. In 1889, Congress appropriated $60,000 to construct three lightvessels to be moored at Simmons Reef, White Shoals, and here at Grays Reef. In 1939, the United States Coast Guard took over operational control. The lighthouse was staffed until 1976, when a solar-powered system was installed. The lighthouse now has a 12-volt DC acrylic Tideland Signal optic. ==Description==

The Grays Reef Light is built to exactly the same plan as the Minneapolis Shoal Light, built at approximately the same time. Atop the pier is a two-story base, high and on a side. The cellar and first floor in the base were built to house diesel generators, boilers, and compressors to provide power and heat to the light, fog signal, and keeper's quarters. The second floor of the base housed the keeper's quarters. The lighthouse tower is placed in the center of the building roof. The tower is tall, and tapers from at the base to beneath the gallery. The entire light is covered on the exterior with steel plates. The lantern atop the tower has helical astragals, and housed a red 3-1/2 order Fresnel lens. ==References==