Bois Blanc Island Lighthouse and Blockhouse National Historic Site

Stand on the shore of the Detroit River in Amherstburg, Ontario to see the Bois Blanc Lighthouse and watch boats sail from Lake Erie to Amherstburg and the Upper Great Lakes. The Bois Blanc Lighthouse is no longer in service. Public access to the site is limited and there are no interpretive signs in place.

The Bois Blanc Lighthouse near Amherstburg, Ontario, was built in 1836 and has stood for almost 200 years. The tall limestone lighthouse marks the entrance to the mouth of the Detroit River and access to the Upper Great Lakes. It is a great example of the “imperial tower” lighthouses built on the Great Lakes in the mid-1800s. Light from the “Imperial Tower” helped sailors safely navigate the waters for more than a century. In January, 1838 Canadian “Patriots” and their American supporters sailed across Lake Erie to invade Bois Blanc Island. They forced out the small British military guard, the lighthouse keeper, and his family. These rebels occupied the lighthouse for a short period of time before British reinforcements reclaimed the island and returned the lighthouse to service.