Summary
Emmet County has a chance to display the Gray's Reef 3½-order Fresnel lens — identical to McGulpin Point's original, lost around 1907 — on a ten-year Coast Guard loan. The county would pay to move the 1,000-pound lens from Charlevoix, with a donated base and a spot near the lighthouse entrance for every visitor to see.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 3
- Last 30 days
- 0
Last discussed Feb 23, 2026.
Impact analysis
The county would pay the lampist's transport quote for moving the lens from Charlevoix; no dollar figure was given in the materials.
Lighthouse visitors and anyone interested in Straits of Mackinac maritime history get a rare original artifact on display locally.
Mentions & discussions (3)
Board of Commissioners - Feb 23, 2026
Parks and Recreation sought to borrow the historic Gray's Reef lighthouse lens from the Coast Guard and display it at McGulpin Point Lighthouse, preserving Great Lakes maritime history. Moving the lens requires a professional lampist at a quoted cost of $1,533.50.
Historical Commission - Feb 11, 2026
Emmet County has a chance to display the Gray's Reef 3½-order Fresnel lens — identical to McGulpin Point's original, lost around 1907 — on a ten-year Coast Guard loan. The county would pay to move the 1,000-pound lens from Charlevoix, with a donated base and a spot near the lighthouse entrance for every visitor to see.
Parks and Recreation Board - Feb 3, 2026
Emmet County is seeking to borrow the Gray's Reef 3½-order Fresnel lens from the U.S. Coast Guard so visitors can see the type of lens that once guided ships through the Straits of Mackinac — and that once stood at McGulpin Point itself.
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