Noble light casts itself over the Isle Royale National Park in Isle Royale, Mich. Standing at 137 feet tall, the Rock of Ages Lighthouse can lead people through the shadows of Lake Superior from as far as 20 miles away.
This lighthouse was built after the ships Cumberland and Henry Chisholm struck the Rock of Ages Reef in 1877 and 1898 respectively, sinking them both. The development of this lighthouse effectively saved the 127 passengers and crew members aboard the George M. Cox from the very same fate after they found themselves stuck in the reef due to some heavy fog in 1933. They only made it out thanks to the Rock of Ages Lighthouse’s illumination.
If one wanted to see the Rock of Ages today, they would have to wait a little bit. While the lighthouse is owned by the Isle Royale National Park, it is under construction to be presentable to the public.
The Rock of Ages Lighthouse Preservation Society, a restoration crew made of volunteers and a nonprofit organization, is working their hardest to make the lighthouse as glorious as it once was by focusing on its rich history. Thanks to the hard work of those volunteers, it will soon be possible to see the beacon that is the lighthouse standing tall in the waters of Lake Superior.
