The Two Harbors Light is the oldest operating lighthouse in the US state of

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

. Overlooking

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 ...

Agate Bay Agate () is a common rock formation, consisting of chalcedony and quartz as its primary components, with a wide variety of colors. Agates are primarily formed within volcanic and metamorphic rocks. The ornamental use of agate was common in Ancie ...

, the lighthouse is located in

Two Harbors, Minnesota Two Harbors is a city in and the county seat of Lake County, Minnesota, United States, along the shore of Lake Superior. The population was 3,633 at the 2020 census. Minnesota State Highway 61 serves as a main route in Two Harbors. Gooseberry ...

. The construction of the lighthouse began in 1891 and was completed the following year, with the light being lit for the first time on April 14, 1892. The first Two Harbors keeper was Charles Lederle and there were normally three keepers assigned to make sure the light was lit every day. The Lighthouse was built to provide safe passage into the Agate Bay Harbor during the early 20th century, as Two Harbors was a major shipping point for the iron ore of the

Mesabi Range The Mesabi Iron Range is a mining district in northeastern Minnesota following an elongate trend containing large deposits of iron ore. It is the largest of four major iron ranges in the region collectively known as the Iron Range of Minnesota. ...

. The tower is made of red brick and the head keeper's residence is attached; it towers from the lake level to the top and is squared. The walls of the tower were built to be three bricks thick and the walls where the tower and house meet are a full five bricks thick. This was for the safety of the keeper's family. The light has a total of six structures: a lighthouse tower with attached keeper's quarters, an assistant keeper's house, a fog signal building, an oil house, a skiff house, and a garage. The lighthouse was originally equipped with a 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 ...

. The lighthouse is a twin of the Round Island Light in Michigan. In 1969 the Coast Guard removed the Fresnel lens and replaced it with a DCB-224 aerobeacon which is still used today. The light shines an average of . The original lens was loaned by the US Coast Guard to th
National Museum of the Great Lakes
In early 2015, the lens was moved back to Two Harbors and is now on is now on display in the dining room of the Keeper's Quarters. On November 25, 2019, the DCB-224 aerobeacon failed causing the lighthouse to go dark. In summer of 2020, a temporary ML-300 LED flashing beacon was installed in the lighthouse until funds can be raised to restore the original beacon. The Lake County Historical Society began to provide tours of the Lighthouse Station in 1988 when it was granted a lease by the U.S. Coast Guard. In 1999 ownership was transferred to the Lake County Historical Society and the Society assumed responsibility for the operation of the light in 2001. While the lighthouse is still on the Light List as active, it is listed as a private aid to navigation and is no longer maintained by the Coast Guard. Three of the lighthouse station's buildings are open for visitors to tour: *the Lighthouse Tower which has been restored and houses the rotating light *the Assistant Keeper's building which has been restored to the late 19th century era and has exhibits about Lake Superior shipwrecks, the development of Agate Bay and a kiosk with historical information on the area *the Keeper's Quarters of the Lighthouse have been restored to the early 20th century era which the Lake County Historical Society operates as a

bed and breakfast Bed and breakfast (typically shortened to B&B or BnB) is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast. Bed and breakfasts are often private family homes and typically have between four and eleven rooms, wit ...

. Also on the site is the pilothouse from the Frontenac ore boat, which contains an exhibit on its history and shipwrecks. The lighthouse 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 ...

on July 19, 1984, as Two Harbors Light Station, reference number 84001483.

References

External links

*
Lake County Historical Society: MuseumsTwo Harbors Bed and Breakfast website
* {{authority control Bed and breakfasts in Minnesota Houses completed in 1892 Lighthouse museums in the United States Lighthouses completed in 1892 Lighthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota Museums in Lake County, Minnesota National Register of Historic Places in Lake County, Minnesota