The Grosse Ile lighthouse the township bought for $350

The white wooden tower near the north end of Grosse Ile began as half of a matched pair. Range lights sit at different distances from the water. When a captain sees one light directly above the other, the ship is lined up with the channel. Grosse Ile’s first North Channel range lights went into service on July 16, 1894. The original front light stood on wooden pilings; crews replaced it in 1906 with the octagonal tower on a concrete pier that survives today.

The opening of the Livingstone Channel in 1912 changed shipping routes, and the rear light was decommissioned afterward. The front tower remained in service longer, but its light was permanently extinguished in 1963. The Coast Guard now lists it as not operational.

That could have been the end of it. Instead, Grosse Ile Township bought the tower from the federal government for $350 in 1965, using money provided by the Grosse Ile Historical Society. The society still maintains it. This is not a regular walk-up attraction: Michigan Water Trails says entry is by appointment only, though the lighthouse is easy to see from the water. Contact the historical society first and respect the shoreline around it.