Holland Harbor Light stands at the mouth of the channel between Lake Michigan and Lake Macatawa, marking a harbor created through decades of effort. Dutch settlers led by the Reverend A. C. Van Raalte saw promise here in 1847, but sandbars blocked access until settlers dug a workable channel and the steamboat Huron entered in 1859. After federal support finally followed, a lighthouse was built in 1872 and later replaced as harbor improvements expanded traffic. The present 1907 light, known as Big Red, reflects Dutch influence in its gabled roof. Threatened with abandonment in 1970, it was preserved through local action and later received federal protective status.