The Kewaunee Pierhead lighthouse is a
lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Lighthouses mar ...
located near
Kewaunee
Kewaunee is a city in Kewaunee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,837 at the 2020 census. Located on the northwestern shore of Lake Michigan, the city is the county seat of Kewaunee County. Its Menominee name is ''Kewāneh'', ...
in
Kewaunee County,
Wisconsin. The lighthouse looks nearly identical to the
Holland Harbor Lighthouse
The Holland Harbor Light, known as Big Red, is located in Ottawa County, Michigan at the entrance of a channel connecting Lake Michigan with Lake Macatawa, and which gives access to the city of Holland, Michigan.
The lighthouse is on the south ...
, except that it is colored white.
History
The original light marking the entrance to Kewaunee was established in 1889 on the North pier. In 1912, the current South pier was built as an open frame tower, with a fog signal building built behind it. The tower was equipped with a fifth order
fresnel lens and the fog signal building supplied steam for a 10" fog whistle.
In 1919, the steam whistle was replaced by a compressed air Type F
Diaphone fog horn
A foghorn or fog signal is a device that uses sound to warn vehicles of navigational hazards such as rocky coastlines, or boats of the presence of other vessels, in foggy conditions. The term is most often used in relation to marine transport. W ...
. A 1972 recording of the fog horn was inducted into the
National Recording Registry in the
Library of Congress in 2005.
In 1931, the open frame tower was removed and a tower was built out of the roof of the fog signal building, giving the lighthouse the appearance it has now. The old open frame tower was later reconstructed as the Chicago Harbor Southeast Guidewall Lighthouse, where it still stands today.
The lighthouse was automated in 1981. It was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places in 2022.
Current Status
The City of Kewaunee was granted ownership of the lighthouse in September 2011, as part of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act (NHLPA). The Friends of the Kewaunee Pierhead Lighthouse was established as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and works to raise funds to restore the lighthouse.
The fresnel lens remained until June 5, 2019, when it was replaced with a
Vega Industries
Vega Industries Limited is a company in Porirua, New Zealand which manufactures specialised navigation and signal lights for use in transportation industries, primarily marine navigation. Vega has been in business since 1972 when it built a marine ...
VLB-44 LED light. The US Coast Guard maintains the light and the electronic fog horn.
The fresnel lens was moved and placed on display at the Kewaunee County History Center located at 217 Ellis St.
The lighthouse is in the process of being restored and is occasionally open for tours.
Gallery
File:KewauneeWisconsinPierheadLighthouse2008.jpg
File:Kewaunee Lighthouse LED Light.jpg, The new 5 tier LED (Vega VLB-44) light installed by the US Coast Guard on June 5, 2019
File:Kewaunee Pierhead Lighthouse Lens.jpg, The 5th order Fresnel Lens in Kewaunee's Pierhead lighthouse sees one of its last sunsets before being removed
File:USCGkewauneeSep.JPG, The configuration of the lighthouse from 1912 - 1931, with an open frame tower and the fog signal building behind it. This photo was taken between 1919 and 1930 when the fog signal was a compressed air diaphone.
File:USCGkewauneeIncorp.JPG, The lighthouse as seen after the tower was built into the roof of the fog signal building. This change occurred in 1931 and left the lighthouse looking as it does today.
References
Further reading
* Havighurst, Walter (1943) ''The Long Ships Passing: The Story of the Great Lakes'',
Macmillan Publishers.
* Oleszewski, Wes, ''Great Lakes Lighthouses, American and Canadian: A Comprehensive Directory/Guide to Great Lakes Lighthouses'', (Gwinn, Michigan: Avery Color Studios, Inc., 1998) .
*
* Sapulski, Wayne S., (2001) ''Lighthouses of Lake Michigan: Past and Present'' (Paperback) (Fowlerville: Wilderness Adventure Books) ; .
* Wright, Larry and Wright, Patricia, ''Great Lakes Lighthouses Encyclopedia'' Hardback (Erin: Boston Mills Press, 2006) .
External links
Friends of the Kewaunee Pierhead LighthouseAerial photographs of Kewaunee Pierhead Light at Marinas.com.Lighthouse Friends
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Lighthouses completed in 1931
Buildings and structures in Kewaunee County, Wisconsin
Lighthouses in Wisconsin
Tourist attractions in Kewaunee County, Wisconsin
1931 establishments in Wisconsin
National Register of Historic Places in Kewaunee County, Wisconsin
Lighthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Wisconsin