The Keweenaw Waterway Lower Entrance Light, also known as the Portage Entry Light, 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 m ...
located at the south end of breakwater at mouth of the
Portage River in
Torch Lake Township.
It was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
in 2014.
History
The Portage River was first dredged in 1860, and the need for a light to mark the mouth of the waterway was quickly obvious. In 1866, Congress appropriated $7500 to construct range lights at this location,
which were constructed in 1868. The Federal government purchased the Keweenaw Waterway in 1891, after which the
began a program to improve navigation in the waterway. By 1898, a breakwater and a western pier extending offshore was erected here.
In 1902 a wooden frame tower erected at the end of the pier to house a light. This proved inadequate, and it was replaced with an iron tower in 1911. In 1913, work began on a new harbor inside the waterway, and in 1917 Congress appropriated $100,000 for a suite of new navigational aids, including this lighthouse to mark the outer end of the entrance way. Work on the structures began in 1919, and was completed in 1920.
The fourth order
Fresnel lens
A Fresnel lens ( ; ; or ) is a type of composite compact lens developed by the French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel (1788–1827) for use in lighthouses. It has been called "the invention that saved a million ships."
The design allows the c ...
was transferred from the previous pierhead light to this one, and previous lights marking the mouth of the waterway were removed.
The lighthouse was automated in 1973.
In 2010, the original Fresnel lens was replaced with a SABIK LED-350 two-tier lantern optic.
In 2014, THE Keweenaw Waterway Lower Entrance Lighthouse was deemed excess by the
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mu ...
, and in 2016 the Keweenaw Waterway Lighthouse Conservancy was granted ownership.
Description
The Keweenaw Waterway Lower Entrance Light is located at the offshore end of a breakwater extending southward from shore at the mouth of the Portage River. The structure consists of a timber crib foundation and concrete pier, on top of which is a single story concrete machine room, topped with a three-story octagonal steel tower with a circular lantern.
It is a well-preserved example of the typical architecture and engineering methods used to construct lighthouses in the
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five lak ...
in the time period in which it was built.
The foundation is a rectangular timber crib measuring approximately 32 feet by 50 feet, and 16 feet tall. The crib is constructed of heavy timbers and supported by piles. The crib supports an eight-foot thick concrete platform measuring approximately 32 feet by 50 feet. In the center of the platform is an unpainted single-story rectangular reinforced concrete pier measuring approximately 32 feet by 35 feet; open deck space is to either side. A steel doorway facing the breakwater provides access into the structure. Inside is a rectangular room measuring approximately 19.5 feet by 25 feet. A ladder provides access to the superstructure.
A 16 feet high machine room measuring approximately 25 feet by 25 feet sits atop the pier. This room formerly held the machinery used to operate the lighthouse. The exterior of the machine room has molded concrete, classical revival wrap-around pilasters at each corner and A projecting
classical revival
Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing style ...
molded concrete cornice across the top with a parapet above. A rectangular double doorway facing the concrete pier's rooftop deck is in one side of the room. The other three sides each have two rectangular windows, approximately five feet tall by three feet wide. The interior of the machine room measures approximately 22 feet by 22 feet, and a ladder in the center provides access to the tower above.
The light tower on top of the machine room is a white-painted octagonal steel structure approximately 30 feet tall. The lower level of the tower is approximately 16 feet in diameter, and is slightly wider than the upper level. Eight 12-inch wide stylized Tuscan order pilasters are located at the corners of the octagon, and an architrave, frieze, and cornice encircle the edge of the lip above. Another doorway is at the base of the tower. There are two levels above the case, each octagonal and 14 feet in diameter with four windows.
The lantern room at the top is approximately seven feet in diameter and is surrounded by a parapet wall. The original brass pedestal in the center of the lantern room floor supports a modern automated SABIK LED-350 two-tier lantern optic. A door provides access to the lantern galley.
See also
References
External links
Keweenaw Waterway Lighthouse Conservancy
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Lighthouses completed in 1920
Lighthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan
National Register of Historic Places in Houghton County, Michigan
1920 establishments in Michigan