Name and Location

Sand Point Lighthouse, also known as Escanaba Point Light, is located at 16 Water Plant Road (formerly "Sand Point"), Escanaba, MI 49829, USA. The coordinates are 45°44′41″ N, 87°02′40″ W (45.74468, −87.04432).

Construction and History

The Sand Point Lighthouse was authorized by Congress in 1866 and completed in 1867. It was first lit on April 5, 1868. The lighthouse was deactivated in 1939 after the construction of a new steel skeleton tower at the end of the adjacent west pier.

Architecture and Materials

The lighthouse is a mid-19th-century vernacular-style building with a heavy timber framing, clapboard siding, stone foundation, and cast-iron lantern room. The single-story dwelling is roughly 30 ft × 24 ft, with a 1½-story tower rising from the roof's center to an approximate height of 34 ft above the base of the dwelling.

Light and Navigation

The original optic was a fourth-order Fresnel lens, which produced a fixed white light (FL W) with a nominal range of 10 nautical miles. The lighthouse played a crucial role in guiding vessels into the burgeoning iron-ore port of Escanaba for seven decades.

Accessibility and Visiting

Visitors can access the site by car via Water Plant Road off US-2; limited parking is available on-site. Walk-in visitors are welcome during museum hours (Memorial Day to Labor Day). The site is also reachable by private boat, with a small dock available.

Notable Views and Landscape

The lighthouse offers panoramic views of Little Bay de Noc and the city of Escanaba to the southwest. On clear days, freighters entering and exiting the bay are readily visible. The immediate shoreline features mixed hardwoods and restored native grasses; a short walking trail leads to interpretive overlooks.

Anecdotes and Folklore

Some local lore tells of a phantom foghorn heard on still nights; no official record confirms its origin.

Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse was originally supplied with coal-fired lamp heat and kerosene fuel. Keepers were responsible for daily servicing of the lens and wick, as well as ice and storm protection in winter months. A succession of civilian lighthouse keepers appointed by the U.S. Lighthouse Board maintained the light from 1868 to 1939.

Further Information

For more information, visit www.sandpointlight.org or consult the National Register Nomination Form for Sand Point Light Station (National Park Service, 1971).