The Illustrated History of Holland, Michigan’s Famous Icon
By Valerie van Heest
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 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.
NonFiction ISBN:978-0-9889772-7-3 | Soft cover | 8.5 x 10 Format | 104 Pages | 200 images|
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Valerie van Heest is a principal in Lafferty van Heest and Associates Exhibit Design Firm, director of Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates (MSRA), and a member of the Women Divers Hall of Fame, who has explored, documented and interpreted shipwrecks for over twenty years. She is a recipient of multiple awards for the collection, preservation and promotion of state and local history through her interpretation, writing, filmmaking, and exhibit work. She has written several books and magazine articles and written and directed more than a dozen documentary films. Her work has been featured in numerous books and articles as well. She is a regular presenter at museums, libraries, and film festivals, sharing the dramatic stories of ships (and an airplane) gone missing on the Great Lakes and has appeared on television news networks as well as on the History, Discovery, and Travel Channels.