First lit on August 20,1885, this “spark plug” design Lighthouse, located on Lake Erie, South of the Detroit River Entrance, is only 28 miles from downtown Detroit. Yet despite its close proximity to an industrial metropolitan city, the Detroit River Light gained a reputation among Lighthouse Keepers as one of the loneliest stations in the United States.

The Detroit River Light was guardian to one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. Detroit, center of the United States auto industry, needed raw materials constantly. Ore carriers and hundreds of freighters passed by the Light but its Keepers were forgotten.

In January 1920, life did change for the Keeper and the two Assistants. Prohibition started and the Detroit River Light was a rendezvous point for the Canadian rum runners, who were trafficking to Toledo, Monroe or Sandusky.

Building the Detroit River Light was no easy task. In 1882, the United States Congress appropriated $60,000 with an additional $18,000 needed to complete the project in 1885.

The Army Corps of Engineers began construction in 1884 sinking a timber crib in 22’ of water. A granite pier was then built, completed on November 21,1884. When the crib and pier settled, it was uneven, approximately 16” out of level. With winter coming and work about to stop, it was decided to load 550 tons of stone on to the pier, mostly on the high side. When the crew returned in the spring, gravity with the help of Mother Nature leveled the granite pier.

The conical tower is a cast iron plate with a 12” thick brick lining and stands 49’ in height 22’ in diameter at its base and 18’ in diameter at its parapet. The tower is capped with a 10-sided lantern room; completed with a Fourth Order Fresnel Lens.

A wood framed Fog Signal house was also built and when operating sounded two long blasts every three minutes.

Rebuilt 1n 1951, the signal was automated in 1979 and is still operating in one of the busiest shipping lanes in the United States.