Point Betsie Light is located on the northeast shore of Lake Michigan — at the southern entrance to the Manitou Passage — north of Frankfort in Benzie County in Northern Michigan. Construction began in 1854, but it was not completed until 1858, and began service in the shipping season of 1859. The lighthouse cost $5,000 to build. In 1875, a life saving station was built for $3,000.
The light was originally equipped with a Fourth Order Fresnel lens with bullseye, which was upgraded to a Third order (with bullseye) in 1880. The latter was visible for 23.9 nautical miles, because of the high placement of the tower and the efficacy of the lens design. The Fresnel Lens was removed in 1996, and was stored for years at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. It has since been returned to the original site and sits, non-operational, inside the lighthouse where visitors can see its glass combination of engineering and artistry at close proximity.
The cylindrical tower is 39 feet tall, but sits on a dune. It is attached to the Lighthouse keepers house, which was upgraded to an attractive gambrel roof design.
This was one of the earliest Life Saving Stations, and was run under the auspices of the U.S. Life-Saving Service. In 1910 the United States Lighthouse Board was reconstituted as the U.S. Lighthouse Service. In 1939 these agencies were merged under the control of the U.S. Coast Guard.
Prior to being automated in 1983, the 'wickies' operated the light for 106 years. This was the last manned lighthouse on Lake Michigan and the last Michigan lighthouse to lose its keeper. The light is now a Vega VRB-25 system. The new optic would be visible for a range of 13 to 19 nautical miles; 24 to 35 kilometres, depending on the bulb used.
In addition to the lighthouse, the site presently includes a fog signal building and an oil house. Most remnants of the former lifesaving station site have disappeared, including the original boathouse. Some of the former housing units were converted through the years into private cottages and still sit amongst the dunes nearby. Most notable amongst these are the former horse barn which is incorporated into a seasonal cottage to the north of the site, and the sizable 1920s lifesaving personnel dormitory house to the south. A newly constructed building housing a gift shop, public bathrooms and an area for display of related artifacts is slated to open in 2014.