St. Helena Island Light stands on the southeastern point of St. Helena Island in northern Lake Michigan, where a natural harbor offered shelter but nearby shoals endangered passing vessels approaching the Straits of Mackinac. Built in 1872 and 1873 and placed in service in September 1873, it became part of the network protecting navigation through the straits. In 1922 it became Michigan’s first automated lighthouse, a successful change that influenced other lights. After decades of neglect and severe deterioration, restoration began in 1986. The light remains active today, and the restored complex is the island’s only surviving group of structures and a center for maritime heritage education.