Little Sable

LINK	DESCRIPTION
LS brochure page 1	Little Sable brochure page 1
LS brochure page 2	Little Sable brochure page 2
timeline	timeline for Petite Pointe Au Sable Light Station
Henry	1st Assistant Henry Vavrina
Hunters	Gertie and J. Arthur Hunter
Arthur	J. Arthur Hunter
1890	Little Sable circa 1890

1873 and 1874 - Little Sable built

site

• named Petite Pointe Au Sable
•  lake access only
• $35,000 cost
•  39.4 acres 

tower

• substructure (stone over wood piling)
• rust brick superstructure, 
• 139 steps, 
• walls tapering 5’-2’
• 4 landings, 
• 3 rooms (service, watch, lantern), 
• 107’ tower height, 
• 115’ top of lantern 

keeper house

• keeper and assistant
• 2 story brick,
• attached, 
• driftwood heating 

lamp

• lard oil fuel
• 3 wick 

lens 

• 3rd order Fresnel lens (half rotating, half fixed)
• 5 sec bright flash and 25 sec dim flash
• visible 19 miles 

1889 - stable added 

1893 - boat landing added 

1900 - tower painted white, 

1902 - access road, brick oil storage building added 

1910 - name changed 

1911 - conversion attic 

1915 - kerosene oil vapor lamp 

1930s - oil cooking fuel 

1954 - 1000 w electric lamp 

1955 - house demolished 

1974 - site transfer to State 

1977 - tower paint removed 

1985 - 250 w lamp, on 1 sec off 5 sec, visible 17 miles

2005 - SPLKA operates and maintains