Approximately 933 acres (378 ha) was deeded from the State of Michigan to the U.S. at no cost and in early 1867 construction began,[12] making it the first light station in the area.

[16] Because the brick deteriorated from exposure to the elements, a steel plate encasement was installed in 1900 at a cost of $3,225.

[17] The yellow brick now encased in steel plate was difficult to see and a daymark was needed.

It was removed in 1985, and is now on display at the Rose Hawley Museum[24] at White Pine Village.

The foundation has worked with the Big Sable Lighthouse Association to preserve the buildings.

Lighthouse keepers were: Alonzo Hyde Sr. (1867–1869), Alonzo W. Hyde (1869–1871), Newton Bird (1871–1873), Burr Caswell (1874–1882), Hans Hansen (1882–1887), James Rich (1887–1888), Tomas Bailey (1889–1893), George Blake (1899–1903), Samuel Gagnon (1905–1923), Joseph Kimmers (1922–1923), Leweilyn Vanatter (1923–1936), George Rogan (1936–1949), David Sauers (1949–1954), Henry Vavrina (1955–1965), Homer Meverden (1965–1968).

[26] Buildings at the lightstation included the tower and dwelling, fog signal building, boat house, barn, three oil houses, two privy's and a Diaphone fog signal.

[28] The site is the subject of constant erosion, so that keeping the foundation in place and the water away from undermining it has been a recurrent and expensive battle.

[22] Listed as Big Sable Point Light Station in the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 as reference #83004296.

[31] The site manager is the Sable Points Light Keepers Association.