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Haunted Lighthouses - Presque Isle Lighthouse, Michigan |
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Author: Denise Villani  Located on the land protruding from the eastern shore of Lake
Huron in Michigan, you'll find the Presque Isle Lighthouse. The name Presque
Isle comes from the French term that means "almost an island." Congress
appropriated $7,000 to fund the construction of the lighthouse in 1838 and
construction started shortly thereafter. The lighthouse was completed in 1840.
The original Presque Isle Lighthouse tower stood 30 feet high with four
foot thick walls at the base. Inside was a hand-cut stone stairway that spiraled
around the interior wall of the tower up to the lantern. About 30 feet from the
lighthouse a small detached single story lightkeeper's residence was built. The
light was lit for the first time in September of 1840 when the first keeper
moved in.
By 1866, the keeper's dwelling was in such poor condition that
nothing short of a complete rebuild would make the structure liveable again. The
owner requested that money be made available for the rennovation of the building
and Congress approved the requested appropriation on March 2, 1867.
As
the construction was about to begin, the Lighthouse Board changed its direction.
Due to the height of the standing lighthouse tower, it was only functional to
light the harbor. It was decided that instead of refurbishing the standing
buildings they would construct a larger light at the tip of the peninsula about
a mile north of the original, along with two range lights to help light the
harbor. These new lights would render the current light virtually obsolete and
the planned rennovation was cancelled.
 The new lighthouse was completed in 1871 and the lightkeeper
moved with his family to the new location. The new light was lit on June 1, 1871
and the lens and lantern from the original light were removed and shipped off to
be used elsewhere. After the lantern was removed, the old tower was left
uncapped and the windows and doors were boarded-up. The buildings stood empty
and in disrepair for 26 years.
Finally, in 1897 the lighthouse and
surrounding property were sold at public auction. Once again, the buildings sat
in disrepair for years, being used mainly as a picnic area for guests of a
nearby hotel.
When the property was purchased again in the 1930's, the
new owners rebuilt the light keeper's dwelling in the style of an old English
cottage and used it for a summer home. In the 1940's, vacationers started asking
for tours of the old light station and the owner realized that converting the
property into a museum might make him some money. The old tower was refurbished,
washed-out cement was replaced between the stones, and a fresh coat of white
paint was applied.
The old cottage was furnished with mid-nineteenth
century period items and maritime artifacts were displayed in the cottage as
well as on the grounds. The station finally got electricity in 1965, and the
light was reactivated in the tower. The Coast Guard wouldn't allow it to be used
as an official lighthouse, however, so the old light was again deactivated.
In 1977, a retired couple, George and Lorraine Parris took over the
property as live-in tour guides and custodians. George was a personable man who
enjoyed his job at the lighthouse and loved greeting the visitors to the
lighthouse, especially the children. He enjoyed taking the visitors to the
lighthouse on a tour of the buildings and grounds and shared stories of the
lives of the lightkeepers and their families. He also liked to play harmless
pranks on visitors by blowing the foghorn just to make sure everyone was paying
attention. The loud, unexpected sound gave everyone a start. Sadly, George died
of a massive heart attack on January 2, 1992.
Lorraine stayed on and
continued their work at the tower. One night on her way back to the light
station, she saw a light shining in the old lighthouse. Knowing full well that
this was impossible since George had disconnected the electricity to the tower
years before, she was a bit frazzled.
The Coast Guard had said it was
illegal to display a light in the old tower because mariners might confuse it
with the New Presque Lighthouse. To ensure that no accidental lighting would
occur, the Coast Guard had actually removed the gears so the lens could no
longer rotate. It was impossible to come up with a reasonable explanation for
why the light was there.
Soon other people began reporting the light in
the old tower. National Guard pilots have reported seeing it when they flew
night missions over the peninsula. There have also been reports that George's
light guiding people to safety on dark, stormy, foggy nights. To this day, the
light still comes on at dusk and goes off at daylight. The U.S. Coast Guard has
classified it as n "unidentified" light.
In July 1992, a little girl
reported seeing a man at the top of the stairs leading to the lantern room. The
little girl said he was a tall man with white hair, a beard, and was wearing
glasses. When she was shown a picture of George, she said that was the man she
saw in the tower but he was "brighter white" when she saw him. Another story,
possibly a different version of the same story, reports that a little girl
touring the lighthouse with her family climbed to the top of the tower and came
back down giggling. She said she had been talking to the man in the tower.
The lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Sites in
1973. The area was incorporated into the State Park by the State of Michigan and
donated to the Township in 1995. The Township Historical Society continues to
operate the lighthouse as a museum open seven days a week from May through
October.
For more info please visit the lighthouse site: Old Presque Isle Lighthouse
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