55 GLB | A p r i l 2 0 17 greatlakesboating.com
Nearly two centuries old, the
historic St. Joe Lighthouse is not
only a symbol of the town of Saint
Joseph, Mich., but also an icon of
the Great Lakes. The original St.
Joseph lighthouse was constructed
in 1832, making it the second light-
house on Lake Michigan. The fi rst
St. Joe lighthouse was a single-sto-
ry dwelling made of stone.
In 1859, a new, two-story light-
house was built on the bluff of the
city of St. Joseph and is considered
St. Joe's fi rst Federal lighthouse.
The Red Cross took over the orig-
inal St. Joe lighthouse in 1924, and
from that point until 1955, the struc-
ture served as the headquarters for
the Red Cross.
The St. Joe lighthouse that tour-
ists and locals alike enjoy today was
constructed at the end of a wooden
pier extending out into Lake Michi-
gan in 1846. In 1907 and 1919 the
city built the north and south piers
that enabled boats easier access
into the mouth of the St. Joe River.
The lights on these piers are still
operating today as one of the Great
Lake's last remaining pier range
light systems. The catwalk, which
was originally built for access to the
lighthouse by the keepers during
rough seas, is still accessed by
walkers, runners and bikers today.
www.stjoelighthouse.com
n
L i g h t h o u s e s o f t h e G r e a t L a k e s
St. Joseph,
Michigan
