The “look” of the Whitefish Point Light-Station has changed throughout the years, with some buildings being moved from one location to another on-site, some moved offsite and others simply disappearing.

One such building that appears in pre-World War II photos is the 2nd Assistant Keeper’s Quarters. At some point though, prior to 1942, the little house was taken down, or perhaps burned down.

It originally started life as a storage building, of a design seen at other light-stations on the Great Lakes. As a part of the overall redesign of the parking lots and habitat restoration at Whitefish Point, this little Keeper’s home will be reconstructed to eventually serve as a visitor’s center. It will be staffed by not only GLSHS employees, but also staff of the Seney National Wildlife Refuge (Whitefish Point Unit) and Michigan Audubon Society/Whitefish Point Observatory.

Second Assistant Kprs-Qtrs with flooding
A mid-1930’s storm flooded much of Whitefish Point, as seen in this photo. Note the Second Assistant Keeper’s Quarters in the center right of the photo, with small porch and chimney.