w w w.G r e a t L a ke s B o a t i n g .c o m
D e p a r t m e n t s | GREAT LAKES BOATING 55
By Brittnie Gavin
ROCK OF AGES LIGHTHOUSE ON LAKE SUPERIOR
N
oble light casts itself over the Isle Royale Na-
tional Park in Isle Royale, Mich. Standing at
137 feet tall, the Rock of Ages Lighthouse can
lead people through the shadows of Lake Superior from
as far as 20 miles away.
This lighthouse was built after the ships Cumberland
and Henry Chisholm struck the Rock of Ages Reef in 1877
and 1898 respectively, sinking them both. The develop-
ment of this lighthouse effectively saved the 127 passen-
gers and crew members aboard the George M. Cox from
the very same fate after they found themselves stuck in
the reef due to some heavy fog in 1933. They only made
it out thanks to the Rock of Ages Lighthouse's illumina-
tion.
If one wanted to see the Rock of Ages today, they
would have to wait a little bit. While the lighthouse is
owned by the Isle Royale National Park, it is under con-
struction to be presentable to the public.
The Rock of Ages Lighthouse Preservation Society,
a restoration crew made of volunteers and a nonprofit
organization, is working their hardest to make the light-
house as glorious as it once was by focusing on its rich
history. Thanks to the hard work of those volunteers, it
will soon be possible to see the beacon that is the light-
house standing tall in the waters of Lake Superior.
Photo by Sally Sperry www.artbynaturephotography.com
Painting by Lisa Pope www.pixels.com/profiles/lisa-pope
