Constructed with in the early 1870s with $6,000 in congressional appropriations, the South Pier Lighthouse was built as an open 30' wood tower topped by an octagonal cast iron lantern. The lower deck of the tower was a storage room that contained supplies to maintain the light and was also used as a place of shelter when the light keepers worked on the light. The upper level housed the Fifth Order Fresnel lens for the lantern, made by Parisian glassmakers Barbier and Fenestre.

First South Haven Pier Light circa 1900
South Pier Light – circa 1900 To provide safe passage to the structure during foul weather and provide a lifeline for the length of the pier, a 75' long wooden walkway was constructed.

At the turn of the century, the Army Corps of Engineers invested heavily on improving South Haven's harbor entrance. New 1,500+ foot long piers were constructed north and south of the Black River channel projected 470' beyond the natural shoreline.