Pottawatomie Light

Pottawatomie Lighthouse, also known as the Rock Island Light, is a lighthouse in Rock Island State Park, on Rock Island in Door County, Wisconsin. Lit in 1836, it is the oldest light station in Wisconsin and on Lake Michigan. It was served by civilian light keepers from 1836 to 1946, at which point it was automated.[8]

Pottawatomie Light
Potawatomi Lighthouse 2004
LocationRock Island, Door County, Wisconsin
Coordinates45°25′39″N 86°49′41″W[1][2]
Tower
Constructed1836 Edit this on Wikidata
FoundationStone
ConstructionLimestone
Automated1966
Height41 feet (12 m)[3]
ShapeSquare, integral with keeper house[4]
Markingsnatural with black lantern
HeritageNational Register of Historic Places listed place Edit this on Wikidata
Light
First lit1836
Deactivated1988
Focal height159 feet (48 m)[5]
LensFresnel lens
Range7 nautical miles (13 km; 8.1 mi)[1]
CharacteristicFl W 4s 159 Light is obscured from 275° to 020° by dense foliage[6]
Pottawatomie Lighthouse
Nearest cityWashington Island, Wisconsin
Area2 acres (0.81 ha)
NRHP reference No.79000074[7]
Added to NRHPApril 20, 1979

History

The first lighthouse on the spot was a 1.5-story house and 30-foot (9.1 m) detached tower built in 1836. Due to poor construction, it was replaced by the existing lighthouse in 1858. The original tower and dwelling were demolished in subsequent years. The current building was first lit in 1858 and continued as an active aid to navigation until 1988, when it was replaced with a modern skeletal tower and automated system.[9]

It is the oldest light station in Door County,[10] which has the most lighthouses of any Wisconsin county.[11]

The lighthouse was restored by the Friends of Rock Island Lighthouse.[11] It is open for tours during the summer as the Pottawatomie Lighthouse Museum. The lighthouse has been restored to a state illustrating its appearance circa 1909–1913. The restoration was performed with the help from the non-profit Friends Of Rock Island State Park.[12] It now serves as a museum that is open for tours daily from Memorial Day to Columbus Day 10am to 4pm.

The lighthouse was listed as Pottawatomie Lighthouse in the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, as reference #79000074. The fresnel lens, lost after the lighthouse was shut down in the late 1980s, was replaced by a plexiglass copy in 1999.

The original (1836) privy still stands on the grounds and is the oldest structure in Door County.

  • The interior has been historically restored.
    The interior has been historically restored.
  • USCG archive photo
    USCG archive photo
  • In 1883
    In 1883

References
  1. Light List, Volume VII, Great Lakes (PDF). Light List. United States Coast Guard. 2014.
  2. "Pottawatomie Lighthouse". Lighthouse Resources: Historic Lighthouses & Light Stations. United States Coast Guard. October 7, 2019.
  3. Pepper, Terry. "Database of Tower Heights". Seeing the Light. Terry Pepper. Archived from the original on September 18, 2000. Retrieved October 7, 2009.
  4. "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: Wisconsin". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office. Archived from the original on May 1, 2017.
  5. Pepper, Terry. "Database of Focal Heights". Seeing the Light. Terry Pepper. Archived from the original on August 30, 2008. Retrieved October 7, 2009.
  6. Light List, Volume VII, Great Lakes (PDF). Light List. United States Coast Guard.
  7. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  8. Karges, Steven (2000). Keepers of the Lights. Ellison Bay, WI: Wm Caxton Ltd. pp. 11–49. ISBN 0940473399.
  9. Wardius, Ken; Wardius, Barb (2000). Wisconsin Lighthouses: A Photographic & Historical Guide. Big Earth Publishing. pp. 60–61. ISBN 1-879483-60-2.
  10. "Door County Maritime Museum, Pottawatomie Lighthouse (Rock Island) history". Archived from the original on September 1, 2009. Retrieved October 7, 2009.
  11. Wobser, David. "Pottawatomie (Rock Island) Light". Boatnerd. Archived from the original on August 7, 2019.
  12. Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of the United States: Eastern Wisconsin". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Further reading
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