The Presque Isle Harbor Breakwater 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 mar ...
located on the breakwater at northeast side of Presque Isle Harbor in
Marquette, Michigan
Marquette ( ) is a city in Marquette County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 20,629 at the 2020 United States Census, which makes it the largest city in the Upper Peninsula. Marquette serves as the seat of government of Marquett ...
.
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 v ...
in 2016.
History
Between 1897 and 1902, the
constructed a 1,216-foot breakwater extending southeast from Marquette's Presque Isle to protect the adjacent Presque Isle Harbor. Beginning in 1935, the Corps undertook another major project to improve Presque Isle Harbor by dredging the port and extending the breakwater another 1600 feet.
In conjunction with this project, in 1938 the
United States Lighthouse Service
The United States Lighthouse Service, also known as the Bureau of Lighthouses, was the agency of the United States Government and the general lighthouse authority for the United States from the time of its creation in 1910 as the successor of the ...
announced plans and place an automated lighthouse at the end of the breakwater.
The breakwater project was completed in 1939, and the lighthouse in 1941.
The lighthouse was maintained by Coast Guard personnel stationed at the
Marquette Harbor Light
The Marquette Harbor Light is located on Lake Superior in Marquette, Michigan, a part of the Upper Peninsula. It is an active aid to navigation.Inventory of Historic Light Stations: Michigan Lighthouses Maritime Heritage Program. Pictures before ...
until some time in the 1970s, when the Breakwater Light was automated. It continues to serve as an aid to navigation, marking the offshore end of the breakwater.
Description
The Presque Isle Harbor Breakwater Lighthouse is approximately 55 feet tall, and includes a rectangular concrete pier at the base, an octagonal concrete first story, and three-story steel light tower. The tower is painted white with a red band at the midway point. The light is constructed in a
Streamline Moderne
Streamline Moderne is an international style of Art Deco architecture and design that emerged in the 1930s. Inspired by aerodynamic design, it emphasized curving forms, long horizontal lines, and sometimes nautical elements. In industrial design ...
style.
The concrete pier at the base measures 32 feet by 32 feet, and extends approximately 14 feet above the water level, with a flat top deck. The sides of the pier facing the lake curve outward at the top, forming a lip to deflect waves. Atop the pier is an octagonal concrete superstructure, approximately 22 feet wide and 11 feet tall. The superstructure has three windows and a door, regularly placed around the structure. The doorway includes a cast concrete
decorative surround that frames the entry on top and sides. The interior of the structure holds three rooms and a closet. A ladder and opening in the ceiling provides access to the tower above.
The steel plate tower is approximately 30 feet tall, and includes three stories and a small cupola topped with the lighthouse's optic. The lower two stories are shaped like a stylized octagon with four flat and four curved sides. The upper story and cupola are circular. Each floor has three 15" port lights; in addition, the first story has a door, the second holes that once held the resonator horns, and the third a smaller port light. The cupola is approximately 3 feet in diameter, and sits atop the upper story surrounded by a circular open-air gallery.
References
External links
Presque Isle Harbor Breakwater Light by Dave Wobser
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Lighthouses completed in 1941
Lighthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Michigan
National Register of Historic Places in Marquette County, Michigan
1941 establishments in Michigan