Presque Isle Township in Presque Isle County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
1905 Keeper’s House
Presque Isle Township Museum Society
— Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Trail —
Photographed By J. J. Prats, September 23, 2023
1. 1905 Keeper’s House Marker
1905 Keeper’s House. This 1,800-square-foot residence provided housing for additional keepers needed to run the lighthouse fog signal. In 1905, a crew from Alpena, Michigan, constructed the house using cement block from a specialized machine designed by the Besser Manufacturing Company in Alpena. The cost of construction was $5,000.
The first residents of the home were head lightkeeper Thomas Garrity and his sister Kathryn. The house served as the head keeper’s residence and later as the home of U.S. Coast Guard personnel until 1970, when the Presque Isle Light was automated and an on-site keeper was no longer needed. For the next 25 years, the house was occupied by several families who served as caretakers.
Museum Society. The Presque Isle Township Museum Society collects, preserves, and interprets artifacts that tell the story of the Presque Isle Lighthouses and the lightkeepers who watched over them. The Museum Society was founded in 1998 by a group of citizens who embarked upon a six-year restoration of the 1905 Keeper’s House, which now serves as a local history museum and the Museum Society’s headquarters.
The Museum Society is a non-profit, volunteer-based organization that works in concert with Presque Isle Township to interpret the lighthouses history through educational
this page online
Erected by Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Trail.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1905.
Location. 45° 21.379′ N, 83° 29.51′ W. Marker is near Presque Isle, Michigan, in Presque Isle County. It is in Presque Isle Township. Marker is on the northernmost end of East Grand Lake Road, on the left. It is in front of the house. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4500 E Grand Lake Rd, Presque Isle MI 49777, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Tramway & Tramway Cart (within shouting distance of this marker); Sanctuary Sentinels (within shouting distance of this marker); Presque Isle Light Station (within shouting distance of this marker); Lester R. Nichols II (within shouting distance of this marker); Old Presque Isle Lighthouse (approx. 0.9 miles away); Presque Isle Lighthouses (approx. one mile away); Presque Isle History (approx. one mile away); Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary (approx. one mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Presque Isle.
Also see . . . 1905 Keeper’s House. This page is illustrated with photographs of some of the artifacts in the
Photographed By J. J. Prats, September 23, 2023
2. 1905 Keeper’s House and Marker
On April 28, 1904, Congress allocated $5,000 for construction of an additional residence at Presque Isle Light Station. A year later, on April 27, 1905, the Detroit-based USLHT Amaranth, a wooden-hulled, steam-powered, double-screw lighthouse tender operated by the U.S. Lighthouse Service, put into North Bay to off-load construction materials. A contractor named Jerome Louzon was in charge of the project, and used a crew from Alpena. Construction began at mid-summer and was completed in the early fall.(Submitted on November 26, 2023, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.)
By 1905 Alpena had become a major producer of cement, and the 1905 House is built of cement block from a hand-tamped machine designed by the Besser Manufacturing Company in Alpena. Interior finish is wet plaster on lath. Floors are birdseye maple, and trim appears to be Douglas fir or a similar wood. By analyzing paint samples, restoration workers were able to match wall colors used in 1905. The original roof was replaced with a metal roof about 1995. In all major respects, including furnishings and decoration, the house looks as it did about 1915.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 27, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 26, 2023, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 44 times since then and 7 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 26, 2023, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.
