MIDDLE ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE Established: 1905 Height: 80 ft Light: 4th Order Fresnel Lens Brief History: One of the last additions to the Lake Huron lights, Middle Island Lighthouse was aptly named for its location—midway between the Presque Isle and Thunder Bay Island lights. This strategic spot served as both a navigational landmark, signaling mariners when to turn, and a place of refuge during severe weather. Its importance led to the construction of the lighthouse complex you see in the aerial

The iconic top of the End. ### Early Light (1796–1858) The Montauk Point Lighthouse, commissioned by President George Washington in 1792 and completed in 1796, is New York’s first lighthouse. Its original light was a spider lamp with oil wicks, providing a dim beacon for mariners at Long Island’s eastern tip. Positioned 297 feet above sea level, it was visible for 19 nautical miles. ### Fresnel Lens Era (1858–1907) In 1858, a third-order Fresnel lens, a French optical innovation, was installed,