Holland Harbor Lighthouse Has New Owners
By Sue Clark on Jun 20, 2008 in News 
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Big Red Officially Transferred
Affectionately known as Big Red, the Holland Harbor Lighthouse, Holland, Michigan, was officially transferred from the federal government to the Holland Harbor Historical Lighthouse Commission at a ceremony during the recent Michigan Lighthouse Alliance’s conference in Traverse City. After months of dealing with bureaucratic red tape, the transfer was finalized last year, but the presentation of the quit claim deed was done during the conference. The Commission has leased the station from the Coast Guard since the 1970s, at a cost of $1 per year.
Arguably one of the most photographed lights in Michigan, its beauty is testament to the loving care given to the light by the volunteers. The light was scheduled to be abandoned by the Coast Guard, but this group stepped up and persuaded the government to lease it to them. It was built in 1902, electrified in 1932 and automated in 1970. Its original Fourth Order Fresnel lens has been removed and is on display at the Holland Museum. It is still an active aid to navigation, and its light is powered by a 250 mm acrylic optic.
An Interesting Start To the Light
When Dutch settlers first arrived in Holland, best known now for its Tulip Festival and settled on Black Lake, the potential of using it as a harbor was foremost in Reverend A.C. Van Raalte’s mind. Unfortunately, the entrance from Lake Michigan was covered by sand and silt. Dealing with the federal government was no different then than it is now, that is, lots of red tape and bureaucracy. The channel was surveyed, but no money to dredge it was forthcoming from Washington. So, the Dutch settlers rolled up their sleeves, or rather their pant cuffs, and dug out the channel themselves.
The original light (1872) to mark the entrance was a simple square wooden building. It was replaced by the US Lighthouse Service with a skeletal steel tower (1880). The oil lantern was raised and lowered with pulleys. It took another few years before a proper home was built. In fact, the first lightkeeper, Melgert Van Regenmorter, had to find and pay for his own offsite housing due to government inaction. Facing west on Lake Michigan, the area would certainly see some heavy seas and high winds. An elevated walkway was constructed for the keeper to access the light from the onshore home. That had to be one heck of a walk during the November and April gales.
The light was painted a bright red to conform to the sailor’s directive “Red (on the) Right (when) Returning.” All navigational aids marking the right side of a channel must be red when you’re returning to the harbor. Green on the left. Or the way I’d remember, Green when Going out. Affectionately nicknamed Big Red, the light and fog station sits at the right of the entrance to the harbor, and is surrounded by the Holland State Park.
Photo credits:
- Holland Harbor Lighthouse by cpbills. Some rights reserved.
- Big Red at Sunset by norjam8. Some rights reserved.
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