Lighthouses and forts are often neighbors, as important waterways needed to be clearly marked and well as defended. Fort Gratiot, a stockade fort, was built in 1814 to guard the juncture of Lake Huron and St. Clair River and is named after Charles Gratiot, the engineer who supervised its construction.
A conical, 32-foot tower, outfitted with an array of lamps and reflectors, was completed in August 1825. In 1828, a great storm blew with tremendous fury for three days and nights and eroded vast amounts of the shore. The lighthouse was undermined, and before repairs could be made, it toppled over in November.
Located north of the original tower, the second Fort Gratiot Lighthouse was built of brick and stood 69 feet tall.
A powerful storm struck Lake Huron on November 9–11, 1913, tearing away the timber cribwork, meant to protect the shoreline, and nearly undermining the lighthouse. The lakeside boundary of the station was lined with new timber and cement cribs of sufficient strength to defy future onslaughts.
In 2004, Fort Gratiot Lighthouse, deemed excess by the Coast Guard, was offered at no cost to eligible entities. The City of Port Huron submitted an application for the lighthouse and was recommended as the new owner. After learning that roughly $4 million was needed to restore the light station, the city council rejected the deed offered by the federal government. However, in April 2010 the commissioners of St. Clair County agreed to accept ownership.
A grand re-opening of Fort Gratiot Light Station, which had been closed to the public since 2008, was held on May 19, 2012.
From 1875 to 1882, the Lighthouse Board noted in its annual report that Fort Gratiot Lighthouse was old, leaky, and should be replaced. Thanks to a thorough restoration of the station in 2011, Michigan’s oldest lighthouse will likely be around for many years to come.
