Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore has acquired the front and rear range
lights of the Munising U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Station (also referred to
as the Munising Range Lights) through the National Historic Lighthouse
Preservation Act. The primary purpose for acquisition is to continue
maintenance and upkeep of the building and for office space.
The Station building is being used as office space for park staff, housing
the Science and Natural Resources. The building will be open to visiting
scientists, researchers and any others doing business with the National
Park Service. The front range light is situated on a .32-acre parcel on
the shore of Lake Superior in Munising, Michigan. It consists of the 1)
the front range light, a 58-foot white cylindrical brick and cast iron
tower, constructed in 1908; 2) a 360-square-foot metal-sided garage; 3) a
2,175-square-foot station building constructed out of brick and wood; 4) a
99-square-foot fuel storage building constructed out of brick, and 5) a
70-foot steel VHF tower. The front range light shines 79 feet above the
water level of Lake Superior. It was built to aid vessels navigating
through the narrow passage east and south of Grand Island into the main
harbor, often referred to as Munising Bay. It is an active aid to
navigation, denoted as LLNR 14575. The rear range light is located on
Hemlock Street, approximately one-third of a mile southwest of the front
range light on less than .02 acres and consists of a 33-foot white
cylindrical brick and cast iron tower. It is an active aid to navigation,
denoted as LLNR 14580. Three interpretive wayside exhibits are planned for
the station grounds to convey the rich history of shipping and aids to
navigation in the area.
The station ties in with the park mission to “preserve for the benefit,
inspiration, education, recreational use, and enjoyment of the public, a
significant portion of the diminishing shoreline of the United States and
its related geographic and scientific features.” Pictured Rocks National
Lakeshore interprets the history and stories associated with the U.S.
Lighthouse Service, U.S. Life Saving Service, and the U.S. Coast
Guard. Current facilities within the park dedicated to this history are
the former U.S. Coast Guard lifeboat station at Sand Point in Munising
(1933), the former U.S. Coast Guard lifeboat station and Harbor of Refuge
keepers quarters at Grand Marais, Michigan (1938 and 1908), and the
lighthouse at Au Sable Point (1874) west of Grand Marais. The Munising
Range Light and Grand Marais Harbor of Refuge Keepers Quarters are of
identical design, both constructed in 1908. The National Park Service at
Pictured Rocks is a logical caretaker for the Munising Range Lights given
the mission of the park and current park operations.
For additional information, contact Gregg Bruff, Chief of Heritage
Education, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore at <gregg_bruff@nps.gov>.