Wawatam Lighthouse, Modern lighthouse in St. Ignace, United States.
Wawatam Lighthouse is a modern structure with a white hexagonal tower and red accents that rises 16 meters above East Moran Bay. Inside, a 250-millimeter Fresnel lens projects its beam across Lake Huron to guide maritime traffic through the Straits of Mackinac.
Originally built in 1998 as a display structure for a Michigan Welcome Center near Monroe, the lighthouse was relocated to St. Ignace in 2004. The structure was reassembled in five sections at its current waterfront location.
The lighthouse takes its name from Chief Wawatam and honors the railroad ferry that once connected the Straits of Mackinac from 1911 until the 1980s. Visitors walking the St. Ignace Boardwalk can reflect on this historical connection as they view the structure.
The lighthouse sits at the end of the St. Ignace Boardwalk and is easily accessible to visitors exploring this waterfront path. Its beam extends across the water to help both boats and, during winter months, snowmobiles traveling on the frozen surface.
The lighthouse has an unexpected backstory as a repurposed structure that was originally designed for a different location. Its disassembly into five sections and transport to the waterfront make it an unusual example of adaptive architecture.
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