The Raspberry Island 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 on the southern part of Raspberry Island, marking the west channel of the

Apostle Islands The Apostle Islands are a group of 22 islands in Lake Superior, off the Bayfield Peninsula in northern Wisconsin. The majority of the islands are located in Ashland County—only Sand, York, Eagle, and Raspberry Islands are located in Ba ...

Lake Superior Lake Superior in central North America is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. and the third-largest by volume, holding 10% of the world's surface fresh wa ...

Bayfield County Bayfield County is the northernmost county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, its population is 16,220. Its county seat is Washburn. The county was created in 1845 and organized in 1850. The Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior C ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

, near the city of Bayfield. It was erected in 1862, marking the western channel.

History

It is said to be one of the few surviving wood framed lighthouses left on Lake Superior. The complex includes a square tower rising up from the attached Lighthouse keeper's quarters, a brick

fog signal 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 ...

building, frame barn, brick oil house, boathouse, two

outhouse An outhouse is a small structure, separate from a main building, which covers a toilet. This is typically either a pit latrine or a bucket toilet, but other forms of dry toilet, dry (non-flushing) toilets may be encountered. The term may als ...

s, and a dock. The light was automated in 1947 and was later transferred to the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...

as part of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. It is a

contributing property In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic distri ...

of the

Apostle Islands Lighthouses There are several historic lighthouses on Lake Superior on or near the Apostle Islands in Wisconsin. Six of these lighthouses, all in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, were listed as a group on the National Register of Historic Places in 197 ...

and was added to 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 1977. It is also listed in the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...

Historic American Buildings Survey Heritage Documentation Programs (HDP) is a division of the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) responsible for administering the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), and Historic American Landscapes ...

, WI-312. The original Fresnel lens is on display at the Madeline Island Historical Museum. The old battery system in the

building was replaced by a solar powered 300 mm Tideland Signal

acrylic Acrylic may refer to: Chemicals and materials * Acrylic acid, the simplest acrylic compound * Acrylate polymer, a group of polymers (plastics) noted for transparency and elasticity * Acrylic resin, a group of related thermoplastic or thermosett ...

optic atop a pole, which continues to light the island to this day. The location is an active aid to navigation, with a characteristic white flash every 2.5 seconds.

Access

Most of the Apostle Islands light stations may be viewed (but not accessed) on the Apostle Islands Cruise Service water taxi or by private boat during the summer. During the Annual Apostle Island Lighthouse Celebration Ferry tour service is available for all the lighthouses. In the tourist season, park rangers are on the island to greet visitors.Wobser, David, La Pointe Light
, Boatnerd Originally in Great Laker Magazine.

References

External links

Aerial photos of Raspberry Island Light, Marina.comLibrary of Congress Historic American Buildings Survey
Survey number HABS WI-312
Madeline Island Historical Museum

Lighthouse friends, Raspberry Island Light article
*

br> Maritime History Project, Inventory of Historic Light Stations - Wisconsin - Raspberry Island Light Station
* *
Lighthouse Restored
Video produced by Wisconsin Public Television {{authority control Lighthouses completed in 1862 Houses completed in 1862 Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Buildings and structures in Bayfield County, Wisconsin Lighthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Wisconsin Tourist attractions in Bayfield County, Wisconsin 1862 establishments in Wisconsin National Register of Historic Places in Bayfield County, Wisconsin

History

Access

See also

References

Further reading

External links