Navigation Structures at Frankfort Harbor
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Navigation Structures at Frankfort Harbor | |
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  Frankfort Harbor Location in Michigan  Frankfort Harbor Location in United States | |
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| Location | 2nd St., Frankfort, Michigan |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 44°37′49″N 86°14′52″W / 44.63028°N 86.24778°W |
| Area | 2.4 acres (0.97 ha) |
| Built | 1867 |
| Architect | Brigadier General T.J. Cram, Whitwood and Hubell |
| Architectural style | Utilitarian |
| NRHP reference No. | 97000973[1] |
| Added to NRHP | September 12, 1997 |
The Navigation Structures at Frankfort Harbor are a collection of breakwaters, piers, and other structures in Lake Michigan located at the foot of Second Street in Frankfort, Michigan. They were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.[1]
In 1854, running from a violent storm, Buffalo captain George Tifft ran his schooner over a sandbar and into the protection of Lake Betsie.[2] After the storm, while digging back out, Tifft took the opportunity to explore the area and realized it was an ideal location for a harbor. Soon after Tifft brought word of his discovery back home, a number of people began purchasing property around the lake. In 1859, private interests constructed two short piers and dredged out a channel between them, connecting Betsie Lake to Lake Michigan.
The harbor quickly became a popular refuge, and in 1867, Congress directed the Army Corps of Engineers to begin improvements on the harbor.[2] A new channel was cut, and by 1873 two new wooden piers had been constructed and a beacon installed at the pierhead. As the harbor became more utilized, the piers were extended in 1884 and again in 1896, and a new lighthouse (the Frankfort Light, also on the National Register of Historic Places) was installed on the north pier in 1912.
In 1928, construction began on a pair of concrete breakwaters at the harbor entrance.[3] Construction was complete by 1932. With the earlier piers now rendered obsolete, plans were made to shorten them,[4] and the 1912 lighthouse was removed from the north pier and relocated at the head of the north breakwater. In 1934 the remaining stub piers were capped with concrete.[3] Piecemeal repairs were done on sections of the piers in the 1950s and 60s.
