A lighthouse was established in 1825 near the mouth of the St. Clair River at the southern end of Lake Huron, just north of Fort Gratiot, the military outpost that gave it its name. Poor construction and location caused that light to crumble during a September storm in 1828. A replacement was quickly arranged, and in 1829 Lucius Lyon received a contract for $4,445 to build a new tower. The new tower was placed a half mile north of the original site, where it would be more visible to mariners navigating the lake, and the tower and keeper's dwelling were completed in late winter 1829. Since then, the tower was raised from 65 feet to 82 feet in 1862, and in 2011 a major restoration replaced 35,000 damaged bricks on its outer shell. Fort Gratiot Lighthouse is the oldest in Michigan and the second oldest on the Great Lakes.