Lighthouses of Michigan - Marquette Harbor Lighthouse

Standing guard over Lake Superior since 1853, Marquette Harbor Lighthouse has guided iron ore ships and weathered the wildest storms of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Prints & Downloads

Map to the Lighthouse in Marquette Mi

Keepers
​1853–1857 Amos JohnsonFirst official keeper at the original 1853 light
1857–1861 Philo F. KnappOversaw heavy shipping growth
1861–1866 John W. WeatherbyKeeper during Civil War years
1866–1872 Samuel A. RogersFirst keeper of the rebuilt brick tower (1866)
1872–1876 James F. Dunn
1876–1882 Joseph Stannard
1882–1891 Henry HatchKnown for keeping logs of Superior storms
1891–1901 William H. Kittredge
1901–1910 John H. ShankIn charge during tower heightening (1909)
1910–1926 Charles W. LedbetterLong service, through WWI
1926–1939 George L. HuntLast keeper under the Lighthouse Service
1939–1979 U.S. Coast GuardStationed keepers after the Lighthouse Service merged into the Coast Guard
1979–present AutomatedCoast Guard maintains beacon; tours managed by Marquette Maritime Museum

Location

Marquette Harbor Lighthouse
300 N. Lakeshore Blvd.
Marquette, MI 49855

​​Google Maps HERE

History

  • The first lighthouse at Marquette was established on the point just north of the harbor in 1853 and consisted of a stone tower that stood twenty-six feet, eight inches tall and tapered from a diameter of ten feet, six inches at its base to six feet, five inches at its octagonal lantern room.
  • At the time, Marquette was rapidly becoming a major shipping point for iron ore from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, making safe navigation crucial.
  • By the 1860s, the original structure was deteriorating and too small for growing traffic.
  • In 1866, a new brick lighthouse was constructed. This is the structure that largely still stands today.
  • The design included a rectangular dwelling attached to a square light tower, painted white with a red roof.
  • Lake Superior Shipwrecks: The lighthouse stands near Marquette’s ore docks, where many vessels loaded iron ore. Despite the light, storms still claimed ships. One of the most notorious was the wreck of the schooner Queen City in 1873, which broke apart near the harbor. The keepers assisted in rescue efforts.
  • The keepers often recorded giant Lake Superior waves pounding so hard that spray reached the lantern room, even though it’s high above the waterline.

Photography

  • Today, the U.S. Coast Guard still maintains the beacon, but the Marquette Maritime Museum manages the site.
  • The lighthouse itself, painted red with a white tower, is one of Marquette’s best-known landmarks and is open for tours seasonally.
    Its an easy walk to get on the grounds of the lighthouse.

  • It remains an active aid to navigation, marking the approach to Marquette’s harbor and ore docks.