>> Click to enlarge << Poe Reef is shown here when it was a staffed ...

Michigan’s Poe Reef Lighthouse is one of a number of lighthouses that are now being offered up for free adoption under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act.

>> Click to enlarge << U.S. Lighthouse Service veteran Lawrence W. Clark ...

Located out in the Straits of Mackinac in Lake Huron, the lighthouse was built in 1929 to replace lightships that had served at the site since 1893. The nearest community is Cheboygan. But, located far from land with no local community to actually call home, the memories and stories of life at the lighthouse have seemingly been forgotten or misplaced.

Unlike other lighthouses, especially those located on land or near tourist cities, vintage postcards of Poe Reef Lighthouse seem to be nonexistent and the files of local historical societies and libraries are not jammed with information on what life was like at the lighthouse. If this type of information is out there, we have yet to find it. But, perhaps someone reading this will be able to supply that information.

If no qualified nonprofits or other government agencies step forward to apply for ownership, the lighthouse will be sold at auction. If this happens, some private owner will have great spot for a unique and secluded vacation home or perhaps even a bed and breakfast.