The Tawas lifesaving station has recently been saved and renovation continues. īecause of its popularity, picturesque form and location, it is often the subject of photographs, and even of needlepoint illustrations. Volunteer keepers will stay for up to two weeks. The house is itself available for one and two week stays (for a fee, and with an agreement to act as a trained volunteer). The downstairs eventually will become a museum for the lighthouse and the upstairs becoming a mini-cabin available for rent by the public. It is currently being remodeled by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, with the assistance and contributions of the Friends of Tawas Point State Park. The Keeper’s House is 43 feet (13 m) long and 26 feet (7.9 m) wide. The light can be seen for 16 miles (26 km), and has a lens focal plane 70 feet (21 m) above Lake Huron's average water level. The tower has in place a Fourth Order Fresnel lens ( / f r eɪ ˈ n ɛ l/). There is an air space between walls of 24 inches (610 mm). The tower is 70 feet (21 m) tall including the base, with a diameter at base of 16 feet (4.9 m) and a diameter at parapet of 9 feet 6 inches (2.90 m) It is constructed of a brick outer wall, and an inner wall: 24 inches/8 inches thick, respectively.
This is the second lighthouse on the point. The light was fueled at various times by lard oil, then kerosene, and the current light is of course now electric. The original light was begun in 1852, and completed in 1853. A map is available, which shows the accretion. The point juts out into Lake Huron, and has been getting much larger over time. Additionally, because it is tucked behind the point, Tawas Bay is an ideal shelter from storms, wind and waves out of the north and northeast. The point is a substantial hazard to navigation. The name was officially changed to Tawas Point in 1902. They finished building the lighthouse sometime in 1877. In 1875 Congress approved a $30,000 amount for a brand new lighthouse. This caused the Lighthouse board to reconsider their option at renovating or rebuilding a new one. He blamed the lighthouse stating that it was too dim to see the light. With all these problems combined, it caused a shipwreck from Captain Olmstead's schooner "Dolphin". To add to the problem this lighthouse was known for its dim light. The lighthouse was so far inland that mariners were unable to see the lighthouse's light. The waves caused sand build-up by the Point, which added almost a mile, more of land.
The Lighthouse Board ignored his request to put more money in the lighthouse because they had bigger problems at hand in Ottawa Point. In 1867, the Inspector of the lighthouse said that the lighthouse was wearing down to the point where they should consider renovating it.