It was 1868 and Summers Fox, a local merchant, wanted a lighthouse to protect the waterways of his town. When the schooner ship “Pride” was grounded on Little Sable Point, the residents’ outcries were finally heard and plans were made to begin building Little Sable Lighthouse.

Construction was very tedious because there were no roads going in and out of the lighthouse site. Workers struggled to cart supplies to and from the deserted area. In 1873 the lighthouse was finally finished. Keeper James Davenport moved in immediately. He maintained the station through the first winter. Assistant Keeper J. Larky joined Davenport in April 1874, just in time for the light to shine at the opening of the 1874 shipping season.

The color of the tower being natural brick coloration, prompted mariners to complain that the tower was difficult to see during the daytime. It was then painted white in 1900 and had to be done annually after that.

In 1902, with the addition of a trail through the area, it made it much easier for the keeper’s to travel into town for supplies. In 1954 electrical power made the kerosene lamp obsolete. It was replaced with a 250-watt electrical lamp within the Fresnel Lens. This gave the light a new fixed characteristic. The station was then unmanned. In 1955 the Coast Guard decided to demolish all parts of the lighthouse, but the tower. In 1977 the tower was sandblasted and the brick color was once again displayed.

Currently Little Sable lighthouse is an active aid to navigation and sits on the grounds of Silver Lake State Park for visitors to enjoy year round. We have recreated the beacon in all its glory, as it once stood with the white tower and keepers quarters intact.