Holland Harbor’s South Pierhead Lighthouse, known as BIG RED, was not always BIG, not always RED, and not always a LIGHTHOUSE.
The fascinating and misunderstood history of Holland’s navigational aid began when the United States Lighthouse Board erected a small beacon light at Holland in the 1870 after visionary Dutch settlers spearheaded the development of a navigable channel- one that connected their new colony on the shores of Black Lake with Lake Michigan, the Great Lakes, and beyond.
That first light and three navigational aids built as improvements over the next 66 years played critical roles in safely guiding mariners along Michigan’s treacherous coast and into Holland’s harbor, allowing the town to develop first into a busy commercial port and later into a tourist destination. In time, the lighthouse became an endearing cultural icon, however, technical advances in navigation rendered it obsolete and facing possible demolition.
In the 1970s a new generation of visionary Hollanders formed the Holland Harbor Lighthouse Commission to preserve the structure, which they affectionately branded “Big Red.” Their efforts led to its listing on the National Register of Historic Places and secured its future.
Big Red still stands sentinel at the channel mouth. It can be seen from Holland State Park, which is visited by some two million people per year. However, unlike any other Michigan lighthouse, this iconic structure is surrounded by privately owned land, which impedes public access. This book explains how that came to be and provides written and visual access to one of Michigan’s most photographed and recognizable lighthouses.
