It was U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Major Orlando M. Poe who designed the plans for the new lighthouse, and proposed the total construction cost to be 21,000 dollars more than what was previously appropriated; the amount proposed was relatively modest, given the then astounding figures he would expend on building the Spectacle Reef Light.

(Poe was also the chief engineer on General William Tecumseh Sherman's famous “March to the Sea” during the Civil War.)

When he received enough funding, he gathered construction materials, obtained bids for labor, and organized a working crew.

Though the winds and the waves here at Presque Isle would not be nearly as rough as they could be at more remote locations like Stannard's Rock, the walls would still stand strong against any harsh weather Lake Huron could deliver.

The lens allowed only a small amount of light to “escape” – that is, disperse and not shine directly to the water and incoming vessels.

Fresnel was able to do this by creating various concentric rings surrounding the lens that would bend the light, ultimately focusing it in one direction.

With this system, designed by a former sea captain named Winslow Lewis, a parabolic reflector directed light emitted from a hollow-tube wick.

The station was expected to remain neat and orderly, and the lens required a daily cleaning, every two months a wash, and yearly a special polish.

Light towers were expected to remain in top shape, and this required sweeping, snow shoveling, and other care.

Ideally, their arrival would be unannounced, but the installation of telephone in the various stations around the lakes gave keepers a way to warn others that they would soon be visited.

As times progressed and bigger ships and freighters utilized the Presque Isle Harbor, more developments and construction were made.

This could pose a hazard to a boat that required immediate assistance from keepers at the station – in those precious minutes, a vessel might be severely delayed upon entering harbor.

They brought with them the materials to construct the building as well as a 2,240 ft (680 m)-long tramway which would serve as the track for the transportation of tons of coal that fueled the fog signal boilers, as well as oil and other supplies from the dock.

Eleventh District Inspector Commander Edward H Gheen reported that the Presque Isle Light needed more than two men running the station.

(This highly effective and very efficient type of system is similar to what is used in smaller Coleman lanterns carried by campers today.

Indoor plumbing and electricity were installed at the station, and the fog signal building was demolished because it was no longer a necessity.

With its beacon visible for 22 nmi (41 km; 25 mi) out in the water, the Presque Isle Lighthouse is today known as one of the highest towers on the Great Lakes.